“How did the men take it?” Willa asked.
“Half understood, some were kind of nasty, and for the rest, I used the self-defense moves Shade taught me.” Penni shrugged. “I want to find my soul mate the way Shade found his. I meet a guy and think this could be the one. Then I get to know him, and I simply want to be friends. The men I date tell me I’m playing hard to get.”
“Like a stick of fucking dynamite. If you ain’t giving it up, then they’re doing something wrong. So why haven’t you fucked anyone yet?” Killyama asked, turning everyone’s attention back to Willa.
“It’s not like I’ve had a lot to choose from.”
“So you and Lucky haven’t?”
Willa shook her head, wondering at the woman’s heavy frown.
Willa heard Lily sit back down at the table.
“Are they still talking about sex?” Lily asked.
“Yes.” Willa poured herself some more lemonade, not sure which was the non-alcoholic one.
Taking a sip, she wanted to pour it back in the pitcher; however, she took another sip when Penni smiled at her with pride. Willa couldn’t bring herself to dampen her belief that it was good and took yet another drink.
“I have some books Killyama lent me,” Lily offered.
“Those aren’t going to help her.” Willa began to get nervous when the woman became lost in thought then snapped her fingers. “I know. Have you seen Saw?”
Willa and the other women at the table stared at her blankly.
“Uh … no.”
“You should.” Killyama poured herself another glass of lemonade from the spiked pitcher.
“Are we still talking about sex?” Willa asked Lily in confusion.
“I hope not.”
“Me, too.” Willa started to take another bite of pizza then realized she had lost her appetite. Instead, she sipped her lemonade which was getting better and better.
*
Lucky stared down at his watch. “How much longer do you think they’re going to be?”
Shade crossed his arms over his chest. “You never know. When they have their parties, it can last an hour or four. It pretty much only ends when the liquor and food are gone.”
“They’re in a restaurant with a bar,” Lucky reminded him.
“Then we’re going to be here for a while. Don’t expect any of them to be sitting in church in the morning, either. Lily will be the only one there, and you’ll be lucky if the rest show up for the evening service.”
“Willa will be in church. She doesn’t drink,” Lucky bragged.
“Right … We’ll see. Penni’s in there.”
“What does Penni have to do with it?”
“It means Willa’s going to come out either drunk or high,” Shade advised.
“Not Willa. I know her like the back of my hand.”
“Brother, you don’t know shit about Willa, but I know my sister, and I’m telling you, there’s no way Willa’s coming out sober.”
“Wanna bet?” Lucky goaded.
“Hell yes. You going to win the way you won the bet with Moon?”
Lucky didn’t feel guilty about picking the motorcycle he had tried to buy off Rider for the last six months.
“I didn’t cheat.”
“You didn’t cheat, but getting engaged to her made Moon believe you fucked her, and you didn’t tell him any different. It also keeps him from trying to get her in his bed until you’re willing to share … if you do.”
“Willa would have an anxiety attack if I touched her, much less have her take part in one of the club’s parties.”
“Like I said, you don’t know shit about Willa, and you’re too chicken shit to find out.”
“I’m not chicken shit. Willa and I aren’t a couple. You know we’re only engaged to get Flora to leave the kids alone.”
“I keep going back and forth, trying to make up my mind on who’s the dumber fuck: you or Rider.”
“Neither of us. Moon is.” Lucky grinned, unrepentant. The brother deserved to lose the bet for thinking Willa would be an easy conquest.
“So what does the winner get?”
“You have to bring Train back from Ohio. He’s calling me every hour to come back because I told him I would go.”
“Who would go instead?”
“Send Moon back. He’s the one who made the mess in the first place.”
“All right, and if I win, you have to let me out of my promise to you.”
Lucky’s face turned serious. “Pick something else. I’m dealing with Bridge.”
“You’re doing a crap job. He’s watching every move you make.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I’m watching him.”
“You can watch, just keep your promise.”
“If I win, I want you to tell Willa the truth about the club. It’s only a matter of time before Sissy or someone else tells her, and it will hurt less coming from you.”
Lucky nodded. He had already decided to tell her when she wasn’t surrounded by the children.
“Then we have a bet?”
“It’s a bet.” Lucky repeated, knowing either way, he lost.
The door to King’s restaurant opened, and the women came stumbling outside.
Shade took his cell phone out of his pocket.