The women snicker, but I feel like they’re sharing in-jokes and I’m on the outside. Poor Bebe isn’t even in the same zip code.
Her problem gets worse during the pedicure when she realizes her feet are sensitive and her technician isn’t. I struggle not to laugh when she gasps and grimaces, really playing up the pain.
“I once had my P U S S Y waxed,” she says, shuddering, “And this hurts more.”
The chick doing her nails refuses to pick up on the hints. I end up holding Bebe’s hand as she breathes through the pain. Finally, Jenn says something to her technician who tells the next technician. The daisy chain method eventually gets the message to the girl doing Bebe’s nails.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” the girl demands.
I laugh at Bebe’s expression as she apologizes to the girl torturing her feet. She looks at me and frowns.
“Between working as a maid and being a mom, I got used to eating S H I T and can’t seem to stop. Suddenly telling people to stop being A S S H O L E S is above my pay grade. I don’t even flip off C R A P P Y drivers anymore.”
Jenn snorts. “I flip off people who flip me off for being a shitty driver.”
“She really is a shitty driver too,” Darby says.
Jenn nods. “I really am.”
Bebe and I laugh then she grimaces again. Leaning over, she whispers, “Don’t let me puss out and tip her, okay?”
Giving her a wink, I look at my painted toes. Sparkling pink, they’ll look great in a pretty pair of heels. I already have the song picked out for my striptease. After a few days apart, I’ll look plenty sexy even without the roundest ass or perkiest tits.
Once we all have painted nails, I discover the perfect heels. I don’t care if they’re over the top girly. Especially after weeks of wearing flannel and trucker hats. The heels fit great, making me feel like a goddess.
38
Ford
Ginger Snaps
Joker enters the kitchen without warning and we pull our guns on him. Grinning, he keeps walking. While Pax returns to watching a video on his phone, I join Joker at the freezer window.
“Your woman is at the mall with my old old lady and my new old lady.”
I don’t want another lecture, but Joker only gives me a smile.
“They’re getting their nails done,” he says, smiling wider. “Probably talking about us.”
“Can we focus on this?” I ask, gesturing into the freezer where Paro cries and Sandy hangs unconscious.
“Did they give anyone up?”
“Paro says it’s Sandy. Sandy says it’s Paro’s high school friend Ginger Snaps. We both know Ginger Snaps is dead, so it’s been a lot of talking in circles shit.”
Joker frowns. “I saw Ginger Snaps after she pissed off Trigger. Saw both parts of her after the trucks tore her apart. No, it ain’t Ginger Snaps.”
The former pimp, or madam as she preferred, died a few months before I got beat into the club. She must have been quite the badass to take on Trigger and end up dead in such an ugly way. I never heard the whole story and I didn’t ask. I’m not the curious sort.
“Sandy said he never saw Ginger Snaps, but Paro mentioned her as the one putting together a group to push the club out of Little Memphis. I believe Sandy. I don’t believe Paro.”
“Yeah, but Ginger Snaps is dead.”
“Or maybe someone is dead, but it ain’t Ginger Snaps. Are you sure that dead chick was really Ginger Snaps?”
“I only knew what Trigger told me, but he said it was Ginger Snaps. After the chick died, the trouble died down.”
“What if,” Pax says behind us, “Ginger Snaps is code? She started the fight against Trigger and now people are picking up where she left off. She’s like a symbol or something.”
“Paro went to school with her, but Sandy didn’t. He’s from Springdale and moved here last year. He wouldn’t know the old crew that followed Ginger Snaps.”
“Paro is a pussy,” Joker says, looking into the freezer. “He should have given up his buddies by now.”
“I don’t think he’s smart enough to know he’s dying today. He keeps changing his story. He’s mad then sad then wants to make a deal. The guy is stupid as shit, so I don’t know how much we’ll get out of him. Sandy is useless because he knows nothing beyond what he overheard from Paro. He didn’t kill Tiny and he doesn’t know who did.”
Joker looks over the guys then shrugs. “Kill Sandy in front of Paro. Make it real for the little fucker then work your magic. If he doesn’t give up anyone soon, finish him. We need to dump them before the entire town is looking for them.”
“If you give us more time, we can break him and find out who killed Tiny,” Pax says.
“We don’t have time. The club wants someone to pay now. Trigger refuses to think Tiny’s murder is anything beyond petty shit on the west side.”