Page 40 of Cobra's Karma
“Nothing is going on with Cobra and me.”
“Sorry, babe. I want to live to see my twenty-fourth birthday.” He pinched my chin lightly and stood.
“Don’t go. Who’s spreading rumors in the club? I’ll set them straight.”
“I should go before I do something stupid.”
“Like have sex with me?”
“Exactly.”
“Well, that’s just great. That snake has poisoned my entire life!” I lifted myself off the sofa and stumbled to the door. “Get gone, Hollywood.”
“Don’t be angry. I respect Cobra. Plus, Storm would probably castrate me if I screwed around with his cousin’s woman.”
“I’m not Abe’s woman!” I shoved him out the door. “I didn’t want you anyway, pretty boy. I need a man with a pair of steel balls, one who doesn’t pussy out on an offer of sex.”
“Ouch. I’ll assume that’s the alcohol talking.”
“Assume whatever the hell you want.” I slammed the door shut.
I was so furious, I went to my kitchen and took out a bottle of Jack above the fridge.
Might as well drink until I pass out since Abe ruined any chance of me getting lucky in this damn town. I chugged, relishing the burn.
I’d deal with Abe later.
10
Nova
Four, one, seven…think Nova, think. Three, two, zero… nine, seven, one, five.
If this number wasn’t it, I was giving up. All night I’d been trying different phone number combinations. I thought I remembered my dad’s number, but I guessed not.
I listened to it ring, keeping my eye on Sadie’s bedroom door. If my mom or her mom walked in, I’d have to end the call fast, so I didn’t get into trouble. My mom would never let me spend the night at Sadie’s if she found out I called my dad. I wished she would stop being angry with him. He was nice.
Sometimes.
“Hello,” a woman answered. Did I have the wrong number again?
“Hi, I’m looking for my dad.”
“Oh my gosh, is this a joke? Nova, is it you?”
“Mhm.” Weird. How did she know my name?
“Stein!” the lady hollered my dad’s name. “Stein, Nova is on the phone! Hold on, honey. Your dad is coming.”
I did it! I remembered my dad’s phone number. I’d do a happy dance, but I didn’t want to wake up Sadie snoring beside me. She’d fallen asleep a little while ago while we watched a show. Her bed was bigger than mine, but she was sleeping in the middle. I did the same thing in my mom’s bed when I had a bad dream. Mommy had called me a bed hog.
“Nova? Nova, where are you?” he shouted into the phone.
“Daddy? I’m in Minnesota,” I whispered.
“Where in Minnesota? I searched Minneapolis and even went up to Duluth because I remembered Karma talking about going there when she was young. Where is your mom? Let me talk to her.”
“Daddy, I miss you.”
