Pharis had just left for the field when Connie let herself into our home.
“She just left,” I pointed out. “And try knocking.”
“Actually, I came here to talk to you.”
“Why?”
“Why?” She laughed. “Because I have some shit to say.”
Before I could utter a word, she blurted, “You left us out of the wedding.”
“And?”
“She’s our best friend, Eddie,” she said, wiping her eyes. “We had no idea you even eloped until she called for a pickup from the airport.”
“And you’re pissed I wanted her to myself?”
“No,” she snapped. “I mean yes. She was ours first, she was her parents’ first. Not being included hurt.”
“I’m sorry,” I said honestly. “We just didn’t want to wait.”
“I get that, but we didn’t get the chance to be bridesmaids, throw her a real bachelorette party. Her dad didn’t get to give her away.”
“We’re married, Connie. If you’re looking for an apology—”
“I’m not looking for an apology,” she insisted. “I’m asking if we can throw you two a reception.”
Pulling her into my arms, I kissed the top of her head. “Pharis would love that.”
Some women were annoying when they were loaded. Not Pharis. She was fucking hysterical. Animated, vulgar, and overly affectionate. The woman could literally be hugging you and insulting you at the same time, and you’d love every second of it. She was just impossible not to adore.
Painting her kitchen didn’t take long, especially with the guys’ help.
Butch and Aaron used that time to razz my ass about being whipped, and I used my fist to drive home that this was fine by me.
Inside the bar, I relieved the rookies who clearly enjoyed being in charge of watching her while Aaron grabbed us a beer. From a distance I watched them turn the heads of men and women alike.
The beauty of it was neither of them had any idea they had an audience.
But believe me, they always did.
Especially when it was one o’clock in the afternoon, and they were hammered and dancing though no music was playing. Honestly, all the girls tended to dance and talk at the same time.
It was truly a gift.
I was coming up behind her as she was mid-sentence saying, “—how to speak Miami.”
“You’ll learn,” Connie said, laughing into her glass not spotting me yet. “If you can speak Detroit, you can speak Miami.”
“Eddie won’t be in Miami though.”
“Good,” she cackled loud. “Then maybe you’ll get over his ass. You’ll never know if you don’t sample, and Miami has all the flavors.” Connie, I should mention, was protective of Pharis before we married; she was downright territorial after the divorce. And while I’d never tell her so, I was fucking glad my woman had that. Though I wouldn’t admit it out loud I knew I had to earn Connie’s trust too, and I was okay with it.
“I’ll never be over his ass, Connie. And I don’t want to sample men. My one venture into the dating world was enough. I don’t belong there. I belong with Eddie.”
Wrapping my arms around her shoulders before she could say more, I announced, “Follow your heart, superstar.”
“Last time she did that,” Connie snapped while shaking her ass. “She slept in your clothes for a solid month wondering what she did wrong. She didn’t eat. She didn’t leave the house unless it was for work. I had to con her into fucking dating, and you showed up to ruin that for her too.”
“Not doing this with you, Connie,” I warned just as loudly.
“Hurting Pharis hurt the group,” she argued still managing to dance. “It hurt me.”
“The group survived, and you will too,” I assured her.
“And what about Pharis?” she countered, finally stopping her dance moves.
“Drop it, Connie,” Pharis said low.
“I’m not dropping shit,” she squealed in fury. “Who’s going to hold your hair back in Miami, huh? Because my arms sure as fuck aren’t that long.”
“Do it,” Pharis said, planting a hip to show she was getting fired up.
“You sure?” Connie said, doing the same. “Don’t want to hurt precious Eddie’s feelings.”
“Do what?” I asked confused.
“Go on, call the baby ugly" Pharis said. "You know you want to.”
“Damn right I do,” Connie said on a burp.
“What baby?” I asked a little louder.
“It means to tell the truth,” Pharis explained.
Narrowing her eyes at me, Connie blurted, “I don’t want you dating, Pharis.”
“Excuse me?” I seethed, right as Aaron shows to pull her back.
“I said, I don’t want you dating my best friend!”
“I heard you, I just don’t know why you think you have a fucking say in this.”
“Let it be, Eddie,” Pharis said softly. “She said her piece, it’s over.”
“How are you not pissed right now?” I questioned her.
“Be pissed at my friend for looking out for me?” She chuckled. “I can’t imagine Aaron and Butch have been silent about what we’re doing.” At my silence, she added, “Am I wrong?”
“They don’t want you hurt either,” I mumbled.
“Okay, so now that that’s done,” Pharis said wrapping her arms around my waist. “I’m going home to fuck my boyfriend.”
“Yeah.” Connie smirked accepting the challenge. “Well, I’m going home to fuck my boyfriend.”
“What’d I miss?” Aaron asked.
Cupping Pharis’s ass, I ignored him and muttered, “It’s husband.”
Looking up at me with love and lust, she grabbed my crotch and with a crooked smile said, “Get me home before I pass out and it can be whatever you want.”
For the record, it was God.