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Authors: Michele Kimbrough
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could just chill for a little while. We were going to do it at your café, but now everybody’s hungry for real food.”
“Well, I can whip something up for you girls if you’d like.”
Iris looked at Pru and Jess who were both nodding.
“I’m happy to help, Ms. Payne.”
“None of that Ms. Payne stuff. Call me Audra or Mom — anything but Ms. Payne.”
***
Pru and Jess were tipsy from the margaritas Pru had made and full from the appetizers Audra had prepared for them. They were listening to Audra’s old disco music, playing dominoes, and enjoying each other’s company. Iris, Pru, and Jess laughed and joked about things old and new.
Things took a somber turn when Pru mentioned Valerie. It had been three years since she buried her best friend and half-sister, Valerie Mayweather, and it had taken nearly all of that time to come to terms with her grief. Val was her go-to gal, the person she shared her secrets with and entrusted with her most heavy decisions. All of that was gone. Val’s death left a gaping hole that no one else could fill. She talked about her as if she’d knock on the door any minute. But now, Pru was marrying Val’s husband. Iris could see how much that bothered her, how conflicted she was. But in the end, her lifelong love for Richard would prevail.
Pru kept the margaritas coming. Iris wanted to consume a few cocktails but knew she’d get carried away. Jess said Pru made a mean margarita.
“Boneyard, baby!” Jess shouted as she slammed the double-six domino on the table, knowing that Iris didn’t have a six to play.
“Girl, every time you say that I get excited,” complained Pru.
“Boneyard, fool, not boner. You are obsessed with sex, Pru.”
“Jess, you gotta understand. It’s something about those Mayweather boys,” Iris said. “Well, I can’t speak for Richard, but Peter…”
“Surfboard. Surfboard…” Pru sang. “That’s all I’m saying,” she chuckled.
Iris laughed and sang the Beyonce song along with Pru, “Graining on that wood, I’m swerving on it…”
“I hated that song when it first came out, but it grew on me,” Jess admitted.
“I have it… a download, on my phone,” Iris said digging her phone out of her purse. She handed it to Pru who plugged it into her mother’s docking station with the speakers.
Pru and Iris danced together, mimicking Beyonce’s moves. Jess sat back watching, laughing, seemingly entertained by the two who obviously had at least one thing in common — the Mayweather brothers. When the song ended, they fell onto the sofa, laughing at their silliness. Jess allowed Iris’ playlist to continue. Next up, surprisingly, Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”.
Pru and Jess looked at each other as the song began.
Iris shrugged, “Hey, I like it.”
They went back to the table to finish their game.
“Iris, I think I can say this since we’re both white chicks,” Jess began, but Iris threw her hand up to stop her so she could sing a couple more verses of Kendrick’s tune.
When Iris finished singing, she said, “I’m 50/50. Part vanilla, part chocolate. Not too many people know that about me. Not even Peter. My mother was white. So was my stepfather. There was no way anybody could know unless I told them. But my biological father was black. At least that’s what my mother told me. I never met the man.”
“Speaking of Peter,” Pru said. “There’s no chance you and Peter will work things out?”
“Do you hear the lyrics to this song? It says, Bitch don’t kill my vibe ,” she laughed, “Peter married my so-called friend. So, no.”
Both Pru and Jess looked at Iris as she pulled one, two, three dominoes from the boneyard before she could play a six. It was a blank/six.
“When did this happen? Richard didn’t tell me that Peter remarried.”
“Richard may not know, so don’t tell him. Peter doesn’t know that I know his secret.”
“Girl, your husband — I mean,
“Well, I can whip something up for you girls if you’d like.”
Iris looked at Pru and Jess who were both nodding.
“I’m happy to help, Ms. Payne.”
“None of that Ms. Payne stuff. Call me Audra or Mom — anything but Ms. Payne.”
***
Pru and Jess were tipsy from the margaritas Pru had made and full from the appetizers Audra had prepared for them. They were listening to Audra’s old disco music, playing dominoes, and enjoying each other’s company. Iris, Pru, and Jess laughed and joked about things old and new.
Things took a somber turn when Pru mentioned Valerie. It had been three years since she buried her best friend and half-sister, Valerie Mayweather, and it had taken nearly all of that time to come to terms with her grief. Val was her go-to gal, the person she shared her secrets with and entrusted with her most heavy decisions. All of that was gone. Val’s death left a gaping hole that no one else could fill. She talked about her as if she’d knock on the door any minute. But now, Pru was marrying Val’s husband. Iris could see how much that bothered her, how conflicted she was. But in the end, her lifelong love for Richard would prevail.
Pru kept the margaritas coming. Iris wanted to consume a few cocktails but knew she’d get carried away. Jess said Pru made a mean margarita.
“Boneyard, baby!” Jess shouted as she slammed the double-six domino on the table, knowing that Iris didn’t have a six to play.
“Girl, every time you say that I get excited,” complained Pru.
“Boneyard, fool, not boner. You are obsessed with sex, Pru.”
“Jess, you gotta understand. It’s something about those Mayweather boys,” Iris said. “Well, I can’t speak for Richard, but Peter…”
“Surfboard. Surfboard…” Pru sang. “That’s all I’m saying,” she chuckled.
Iris laughed and sang the Beyonce song along with Pru, “Graining on that wood, I’m swerving on it…”
“I hated that song when it first came out, but it grew on me,” Jess admitted.
“I have it… a download, on my phone,” Iris said digging her phone out of her purse. She handed it to Pru who plugged it into her mother’s docking station with the speakers.
Pru and Iris danced together, mimicking Beyonce’s moves. Jess sat back watching, laughing, seemingly entertained by the two who obviously had at least one thing in common — the Mayweather brothers. When the song ended, they fell onto the sofa, laughing at their silliness. Jess allowed Iris’ playlist to continue. Next up, surprisingly, Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”.
Pru and Jess looked at each other as the song began.
Iris shrugged, “Hey, I like it.”
They went back to the table to finish their game.
“Iris, I think I can say this since we’re both white chicks,” Jess began, but Iris threw her hand up to stop her so she could sing a couple more verses of Kendrick’s tune.
When Iris finished singing, she said, “I’m 50/50. Part vanilla, part chocolate. Not too many people know that about me. Not even Peter. My mother was white. So was my stepfather. There was no way anybody could know unless I told them. But my biological father was black. At least that’s what my mother told me. I never met the man.”
“Speaking of Peter,” Pru said. “There’s no chance you and Peter will work things out?”
“Do you hear the lyrics to this song? It says, Bitch don’t kill my vibe ,” she laughed, “Peter married my so-called friend. So, no.”
Both Pru and Jess looked at Iris as she pulled one, two, three dominoes from the boneyard before she could play a six. It was a blank/six.
“When did this happen? Richard didn’t tell me that Peter remarried.”
“Richard may not know, so don’t tell him. Peter doesn’t know that I know his secret.”
“Girl, your husband — I mean,
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