Page 102 of Buy Back My Love

I pulled on my other boot.

“I thought by now y’all would’ve been married with about four or five kids.” She folded her arms. “Aunt Maisie tried to tell you.”

“Girl, I know.”

“She been saying it since we was teenagers.”

“And I thought she was just hating.”

That part still irritated me because Mama had warned me plenty of times, and every time she did, I defended that man like somebody was paying me.

Melissa laughed. “That man did keep you spoiled, though.”

“That he did.”

“Bags, trips, jewelry,” Melissa said.

“Cars,” Nina added.

I lifted the little plastic cup. “And apparently a whole second family.”

Serena stopped messing with her jacket. “A whole family?”

“A son and another baby on the way.”

Her mouth dropped open.

“Oh, nah,” Princess said from the mirror.

Anika leaned halfway out of the bathroom with lipstick in one hand. “And the girl used to work for Lee.”

That got everybody talking at once.

“See, that’s dirty,” Alize said.

Serena shook her head. “I would’ve lost it.”

Anika pointed her lipstick at me. “I still think we need to go to that nail shop with bats.”

I looked at her. “Girl, you tripping. I ain’t going back to jail for nobody.”

“Prison.”

I stared at her.

Anika started laughing before I even had to say anything.

I flipped her off. “Fuck you.”

“Love you too.”

I couldn’t help laughing as she disappeared back into the bathroom.

After that, everything turned into final touches, group mirror pictures, adjusting hats, checking purses for IDs, and making sure nobody left a phone charging in one of the bedrooms.

By the time we finally made it outside, the night air felt good against my skin. Bourbon Street was already packed. Music came from every direction, people yelled from balconies, and damn near everybody walking past had a drink in their hand. Every few feet, the air smelled like food, weed, liquor, or some combination of all three.

There were tourists, locals, other bachelorette parties, street musicians, and people standing around just watching the madness. As soon as we hit the main strip, strangers started yelling congratulations to Anika. A group of men walking past made a big show of clearing a path for her, and some random tourist bought her a shot from one of the outdoor window bars.