Page 52 of Grace

Shizu cackled into her hand. “I guess I see the two who won’t be maids-of-honor at Shi-Shi’s wedding.”

“Damn, Beck.” Corinne bit her lip. “I didn’t mean to. At least, I didn’t tell Peach. That’s who Shi-Shi didn’t want to know.”

I whipped my neck, begging her pardon. Corinne had obviously had too much to drink.

“It’s the period thing for me.” Peach’s eyes were wide, one palm in the air. “Did I miss something? Like…ain’t that reserved for husband status—if at all?”

“She’s right, Shi-Shi.” Becky’s expression was one of apology. “Period sex is pretty gross. Connor begged me for it on our honeymoon and I couldn’t.”

“That’s because you have painful periods…heavy bleeding, lots of clotting—just horrible periods,” Shizu argued. “Mine used to be kind of bad, but have been good since I got on birth control in high school. My mother tried to tell Mrs. Robinson, but she thought that putting you on birth control would be giving you permission to fuck. But you were already getting those flapjacks tossed.”

“Dear Lord!” Becky rolled her eyes, playfully slapping her forehead. “Let’s not go back there!”

“I’m just saying,” Shizu shrugged. “Shi-Shi’s periods were always mild.”

“It’s noted that women with bad experiences and negative views of their periods never consider having sex when they’re menstruating,” Corinne chimed in, nodding with approval.

“Can we not!” I begged, never having meant to bring this up in the first place.

“Butyoudid!” Peach argued. “You had sex with that man with your period on.”

“Is this about second-hand Cynthia?” I would cuss Peach the fuck out tonight. “Because I’m pretty much over something they never had.”

“Who?” Becky asked, confused.

Peach blinked. “Did I bring her up or did you? I only brought up the period part.”

“And what’s so wrong with that?”

“Maybe the fact that you’ve never done it with anybody else like—”

“Your boyfriends,” Becky finished Shizu’s sentence.

I hated myself for cringing in front of them. I would not be judged for what I did. It was fun and beautiful, even if I’d never do it again.

“Then that’s y’all bitches faults!” Corinne declared. “Who created the fucking rules about fucking outside of religious constructs? And Becky, it was probably your ancestors who invented fucking when menstruating from the get-go.”

“Why?” Becky asked.

“Because white people have the tendency to be nasty on all levels,” Peach added.

Becky sucked in a breath. “That’s just racist, Peach.”

“No, it ain’t!” Everyone screamed at Becky, some out of sync.

“Okay!” Her eyes squeezed closed and she lifted her “power to the people” fist into the air. “Okay. I forgot!” She inhaled deeply. “Black people cannot be racist. Mr. Malcolm X and all that shit.”

I dropped my face into my palms. This was turning into something messy so unnecessarily.

“Look!” I tried.

“And you don’t want a relationship with him, Shi-Shi.” Corinne wasn’t asking. “I know you.”

“Hell, no, I don’t want a relationship. The last guy I gave my heart to sold it for tickets to a Brielle private show.” I shook my head, eyes closed. “I’m good. This is good.”

“Then what?” Shizu asked.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “But I’m good, ladies. I swear.”