I sat next to him and bumped his shoulder. “Hey.”
He closed his eyes. “I’m seriously scared for my life.”
“Steed, Mitchell, and Wade don’t even have to know.”
He looked at me. “Oh no? I already know my ass is getting beat. I can’t not tell them what I walked in on. Rather I get it over with quick than go the rest of my life looking over my shoulder, wondering when the secret might come out.”
I chuckled.
Jonathon trembled. “I’m talking about seeing your Aunt Vi and her friends naked! Do you know the redhead flashed me her breasts?”
I covered my mouth and tried not to laugh. “That was Carol. She’s single.”
He shook his head. “What in the hell where y’all doing, Waylynn?”
“Aunt Vi and her friends are like a little mini sex cult, I think.”
“That’s not making this any better, just so you know.”
“They have done some silly chant since they were young to bring good luck. They were trying to do it for the dance studio.”
I hiccupped and covered my mouth again.
“You’re drunk.”
“Yep, maybe just a little bit!”
“And you were naked too. You were going along with this?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t at first, but then it looked kind of fun to be dancing around for Mother Earth.”
“Mother Earth?”
Nodding, I replied, “Yep.”
“I don’t think I want to know anymore. The less I know, the better.”
Pressing my lips together, I tried not to laugh. “You interrupted us before the chant started.”
The front door of the dance studio opened and Aunt Vi, Joyce, and Carol came stumbling out. To say they were loud, drunk-ass women would be an understatement.
A black limo pulled up and a guy in his late twenties got out of the back.
“Who’s that?” Jonathon asked.
Aunt Vi walked up to him and smashed her lips with his. He lifted her up while she wrapped her legs around him and called out, “Come on, girls. Let’s go back to my place.”
“I’m guessing that’s the boy Aunt Vi said would be coming to take them all home safely.”
Jonathon’s jaw hung open.
“Bye, Aunt Vi!” I called out as she waved, laughing as the young guy tossed her into the back seat.
“Vi, we never did the chant! The juju!” Joyce cried out.
Aunt Vi pulled her friend into the limo. “Come on, Joyce, we’ll do it at my house.”
We watched as the young man climbed in after the three women and shut the limo door. It pulled off and headed toward the house Aunt Vi was renting from Amelia and Wade.
Turning to me, Jonathon asked, “Juju?”
“That’s the good luck for the studio.”
“Good Lord. I had no idea your aunt was into that sort of thing.”
The door to the dance studio opened, and Paxton and Amelia staggered out. Corina was walking behind them trying to keep them in line.
“Can y’all help me get these two over to my car? Amelia is about to fall flat on her face.”
Jonathon jumped up and grabbed Amelia before she fell. He carried her over to Corina’s car.
“Paxton,” I cried out. “Stop singing! People are looking this way!”
“Screw them! I’m happy, and I want to sing!”
I glanced around and prayed old lady Hopkins wasn’t around to see any of this.
“Come on. Get in there, Paxton,” I said, softly pushing her into the backseat of Corina’s car.
“I already called Steed and Wade to warn them they had some pretty toasted wives heading their way,” Corina said.
I sighed. “Thanks, Corina.” I was suddenly feeling very sober as I watched Amelia fall over in the backseat and start snoring.
“Be careful driving, Corina,” Jonathon said from beside me.
Waving, she laughed. “I will. It was fun!”
We watched as she pulled out onto Main and headed down the road. I turned to say something to Jonathon, but he was walking into the dance studio. When I looked down the street, Bethany was approaching with Kenzie Lewis.
“Did you have a little private party that got out of hand, Waylynn?” Bethany asked. “Hopefully that won’t be a common thing in your dance studio after hours.”
“Bethany, knock it off,” Kenzie said as she hugged me. “Hey, how’s it going?”
I forced a smile. “It’s good, thanks.”
“God. You smell of alcohol!”
Leaning forward, I gave Bethany a good smell. “Sorry, sweetheart, that stench is coming from you. Have a good evening, ladies.”
I turned and walked into the dance studio, locking the door behind me. When I spun around, Jonathon was standing there, disappointment etched onto his face.
“What were y’all doing in here, Waylynn? Do you have any idea what it looked like for all those women to stagger out of your place drunk out of their damn minds?”
“I know, Jonathon. Aunt Vi was trying to help, and I have to admit I got caught up in it. It was fun, so just let it go.”
“Let it go? Let’s just hope Bethany didn’t see the little stunt your aunt pulled with the guy young enough to be her son.”