“Yeah, fuck you will,” he said, leading Big Al to laugh in agreement.
The door was closed and we were all crammed in, our dresses now soiled with liquor and sweat, and not one of us giving a single fuck about the way we looked. Katelyn got behind the wheel, and looked in the rearview mirror to get a headcount. Brooklyn sat in the front seat, while Punkin and Katina claimed the two captain chairs in the middle, and Mary, Chi Chi, Red and Maddie sat on the third row bench seat, leaving me on my knees on the floor between Punkin and Katina.
“Give us some music Katelyn,” I said, as she pulled into traffic. I held tight onto the arm rests beside me, trying to keep from falling over as she took a sharp right and gassed it. “And slow the fuck down. You tryin’ to kill me?” Everyone was talking at once, and I was trying to listen in, but Punkin held my attention as she slid a bottle of birthday cake vodka from her purse, which looked more like a diaper bag. There was no telling what was in there and if I were to find out, it would probably make me an accessory to a crime.
“Happy birthday honey,” she said, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes becoming even more visible, as her smile stretched across her face. “We didn’t get you a cake, so I stole this from the bar. Brooklyn helped by distracting Greg while I slipped back there and got it.” I had never been more proud to have such skilled thieves as sisters.
“Awe! Thanks guys!” I said, hugging Punkin then leaning to the front to give Brooklyn a kiss on her cheek, as I clutched the bottle of vodka tightly to myself.
“Open it up!” Katina demanded, sitting on the edge of her seat and steadying me, as I struggled to get the lid off. I took a pull then passed it around, until everyone had a drink.
“Music Katelyn!” I reminded our very nervous driver, who was trying very hard to pay attention to the road instead of what was going on behind her. She hit the preset station for rap and hip-hop on her satellite radio, and YG’s “My Nigga My Nigga” boomed through the speakers. “I fuckin’ love this song!” I shouted, fighting for my voice to be heard over the carload of singing women. Everyone danced and sang along, even Punkin sat bobbing her head to the music. The song was our own testimonial to each other. We would ride for each other, die for each other, and wouldn’t go in and leave one behind to fend for themselves. We were a team, and through the song lyrics, we let each other know it. When the song ended, Chi Chi hollered from the back for Katelyn to turn down the music.
“Okay, I got a question,” Chi Chi said, as soon as the volume was muted. I lifted the armrest on Punkin’s chair and she scooted over to accommodate me, so I could look at Chi Chi, who was obviously about to ask something important. “Did Luke really spank you?” the silence was deafening as everyone waited for my response.
“Yeah that motherfucker spanked me. I couldn’t sit on my ass for the rest of the day.” I grumbled, just the reminder of the way it had felt giving me chills. The laughter in the car rattled the windows, as I opened the vodka to take another drink.
“That’s fucking crazy!” Mary said, her voice telling me that she didn’t really believe my words.
“Well, it happened. He took off his belt, bent me over my own fucking desk, and spanked me,” I said, fighting to keep my balance.
“Hell, he could spank me,” Brooklyn chimed in from the front. I shook my head vigorously, my eyes growing wide and serious.
“Don’t say that, Brooklyn. It was bad.” She nearly expired at the seriousness of my tone. “Go ahead, bitches. Laugh it up. But there ain’t nothing funny about gettin' a whippin’.”
“So what did you do?” Chi Chi managed to ask through her laughter.
“I fucking cried!” I answered, finding that they were getting too much enjoyment out of my story, as I watched tears of laughter fall down their faces.
“No,” Chi Chi said, shaking her head, her words hard to understand, due to her laughter. And my current state. “I mean, what did you do for him to spank you?” I sobered somewhat at her comment, the laughter dying as everyone took in my face of regret.
“I’ll tell you what she done,” Maddie offered. My spirit fell at her words. I had not planned to tell them about my trip to see Charlie. That would be something they would all have a hard time forgiving me for. “She stripped for him.” Everyone laughed and the crisis was averted. She shot me a wink, and I mouthed a silent thank you to her. The party continued until the vodka was gone, and we were back home safely.