Page 38 of The Mob: Shio Cuppacio
“And..?”
“And they are most definitely not assassins. They aren’t even people you should compare to the Kardashians either.”
“Oh, okay. Just asking. I thought that’s why you don’t go with them when they go out of town. Sometimes, they’re out shopping and having brunch, and you aren’t with them. I thought it’s because they’re out doing secret missions.” Glee shrugged lazily.
“Wait. How do you know they be out?”
Glee yawned. “Mocha added me to her close friends. That girl can spend some money too. Her husband is really, really fine as hell. Chocolate men are my weakness.” She fake shivered, and I chucked at her antics.
“Your weakness needs to be those books. Stay off that girl’s page. I’ma tell her to block you.”
“No! Don’t do that. She’s only a few years older than me, and I swear… she’s livingthelife. That’s how Blayke wants to be. Married young to a young, rich dude with a handsome son who looks just like him, so she can shop ’til she drops at breakfast time. Her words, not mine,” Glee assured me.
Blayke had been my little sister’s best friend since middle school. She was a pretty little thing with strict parents who were heavily involved in the church. She was supposed to attend a school in Jagoda Bay, but decided to follow my sister to Cove City. Those two were inseparable except when Blayke’s parents had her holed up in the house with a Bible in her face. I had to talk on the phone with them for an entire hour, running down the summer plans for the girls, and the compromise was that I would come visit their church. They were something else, and I could see why Blayke was eager to get the hell out already, even though she’d been away at college for ten months. She was going to end up with a man they despised, despite their belief that Blayke was going to find a good Christian man. Blayke probably was at that college fucking out of both pants legs and draggingmy sister right along with her. Glee was a virgin, but that didn’t mean I thought she was all innocent.
“And how do you want your life to be?” Shifting my eyes from the mirror to the iPhone screen, I waited for Glee to answer.
My baby sister had a bright future. Unlike me at her age, she was confident about the life she wanted to build for herself. She was going to be a first-generation doctor, and even though I was beyond proud of her, I felt something had been bothering her lately. Something was going on, and I was missing it. I knew she wouldn’t be my little baby forever, but I wanted Glee to hold onto her innocence for as long as possible. I didn’t want her to get boy crazy and forget the plot.But something was nagging me that that had or was currently happening.
Glee’s eyes migrated from the phone screen to the TV in front of her, as if she were shielding the truth from me. “I dunno. I just want to get through school so I can start the next one.”
I was taken aback by her response. Blake University had always been my sister’s dream school, so her readiness to be done there didn’t make much sense. I grew tired of her and those annoying grizzly bears around the house during our adolescent years. Her entire dorm room was decorated in the college colors against my suggestions, so her love for Blake only grew strong as we aged. I wasn’t sure what had happened since we dropped her off in June that caused this switch-up, and while it may be her current illness that had her so nonchalant, something was telling me that wasn’t the case.
Glee had ghosted me after the first month or so at Blake. She’d text here and there after I’d blow her line up, but she wasn’t consistent in communicating. I just knew she would be calling me every week to tell me all about the fun she was having at college. But the last few months, she wouldn’t even answer my FaceTime’s. She’d shut me out whenever I tried asking if something had happened; she would just assure me she wasfine. Instead of continuing to badger her for answers, I decided to invite her to spend the summer with me. I knew school had probably kicked her ass, and my hope was that was the only thing that had been close to her ass. Pursuing a career as a doctor isn’t easy, so my plan was to give her a summer she’d never forget. I knew I would have to figure out how to be a big sister to her, be available to my friends, and keep my influencer account up to date, but I had faith that everything would work out.
“Well, I’m proud of you, and we’re going to have fun this summer.”
“Blayke said as long as we can be around Mocha ’nem BDE men, it willdefinitelybe a good summer.” She grinned before bursting into giggles that immediately turned into coughs.
“See… the Lord hear you and Blayke being mannish. Bye, Glee! Tell Blayke she staying in Sparkling City. Not about to have her parents throwing me back in the water. Take some more elderberry before you call it a night.”
I wanted to say that Lorenzo most definitely did have BDE because he had a big dick. I’d seen it when the ladies did the “my husband’s dick is bigger than yours” contest. They shoved their phones in each other’s faces for hours, displaying pictures and videos of their men’s dingalings. I’d never seen a friendly competition like that and was shocked that they were engaging in such discussions with me present. It was hard to be around the men without thinking about their male parts before the “game,” so composing myself afterwards took the strength of a single mom in a Tyler Perry movie. At the time, I’d been telling myself that they had scarred me for life. I remembered thinking there was no way that type of dick could fit inside of a woman’s tiny hole, and I didn’t want to find out. Unlucky for me, I’d fucked around and found out.
“Have fun. And snatch up one of their husbands’ single friends. I know you tired of being the cat lady.”
“I don’t even have a cat, though.”
“Not yet. It’s coming if you don’t put yourself out there. Blayke is calling. Love you. Byeee.”
My sister disconnected the call, and I refocused on my outfit before my mind wandered to the unsavory things I’d done a few weeks ago. When the car scene came to mind, my coochie thudded in response like she still hadn’t recovered from the pounding she’d endured. I still couldn’t believe I’d had my first one-night stand after swearing celibacy, and all it took was a few sips of tequila. I’d made a note to myself to not even look at alcohol's way for a while. Nonetheless, had I been in possession of a picture of that man’s dick, the ladies would have had to crown me.
Shit.This is gonna have to work.
This was my fifth time changing, and my closet was a mess because of it. If I didn’t leave now, I would be late, and that was a no-no. I always tried to be early wherever I went because being late was disrespectful.Taking one final look at myself in the mirror, I felt confident in my presentation. Looking at the time on my phone once more, I decided to clean up my mess later when I got home.
Dasani was hosting a Sniff-and-Sip party at her and her husband’s estate. I loved being invited to all of the ladies' homes, but theirs was my favorite. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around them living the way they did. The invitation was wrapped in a big satin bow that smelled delightful, so that’s what I chose to wear: bows. Knowing Daylani, who planned all the parties, that had to be the theme.Thankfully, I had plenty of items I could wear to fit the theme, but today’s winner was a cream crop top that tied together into a giant satin bow pushing up my breasts. I paired it with form-fitting, high-waisted pants that stopped justpast my knees and hugged my calves. On my feet were a pair of Betsy Johnson heels featuring a satin floral bow across the toe strap and ankle buckle. They were cute and comfortable, which was perfect for a mingling event like this.
The look was giving modern ’50s pin-up girl, so I pulled my braids out of my face and let them hang down my back, clipping the braids together with a bow that matched my top. Two braids framed my face, drawing attention to my eyes. My makeup was beat, and the red matte Mac Ruby Woo set it off. Not having time to change my purse, I grabbed my white Louis Vuitton monogrammed Speedy 25, which already had my essentials, and headed out the door, hitting the lights along the way.
By the time I’d listened to The Weeknd’s “The Birds, Part 2”seven times, I’d arrived at the Rinaldi estate. They’d pulled out all the stops, including valets parking the cars. I popped a peppermint in my mouth, even though I’d just brushed my teeth earlier when I answered Glee’s FaceTime. Tossing my keys into the cupholder, I grabbed the envelope I brought for Dasani. I didn’t know what to get her, so I chose a card with a personal note written inside and $300 in cash. With the way her immaculate home was lined with cars I couldn’t even pronounce, and staffed with a full crew to run the event, I knew she didn’t need my money. But I’d been taught to never arrive empty-handed at any gathering where someone was being celebrated.
The valet attendant helped me out of my car, and when I noticed that the light-skinned, handsome one looked familiar, I squinted, trying to see where I could place him.
“Pretty lady. You ready to let a real nigga in?”
Italian, Scarlett’s little cousin, grinned while rubbing his gloved hands together. He, along with the other attendants that I was now able to identify as the rest of his passee, was all dressed in black down to the gloves.
“Italian, find you something to do. Like school.”
