Before I Die

I pull it out of my back pocket and hand it to him. He reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulls out a pen and then scribbles Go to a strip club on the bottom.

“There.” He hands me back the list. “Now it’s on there.”

“Nevaeh!” I turn around to find Blaire and Victor walking over to us. She’s dressed in a sexy tight black dress with tall black heels. Her hair is pin straight down her back. She looks gorgeous, especially for being invited last minute.

“I’m so glad you invited us,” Blaire says, pulling me into a hug. “I’ve seriously missed you so much. I know I saw you at the funeral today, but that’s obviously not the same thing.”

“I’ve missed you too,” I tell her, hugging her back.

When we pull apart, Blaire’s biting on her lower lip, her telltale that there’s something she needs to tell me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well…” She glances back at Victor, who has introduced himself to Ethan. He wasn’t at the funeral today because he had to work and couldn’t get off last minute.

“Tell me,” I push.

“Victor asked me to marry him.” She holds out her hand, and on her ring finger is a beautiful diamond ring.

“Oh my God! Blaire!” I give her another hug. “Congratulations! Why didn’t you tell me earlier today?”

“We were at your brother’s funeral. It was hardly the right time.”

“True,” I agree. “Still. I’m so happy for you.”

“He also asked me to move in with him,” Blaire admits, and now her nervousness makes sense.

“Oh, well, of course he did. You can’t be married and live apart.” I laugh, but Blaire doesn’t.

“You can stay living in the condo however long you want,” she says.

“No, you should sell it. I can find somewhere else to live.” Once I’m no longer on a sex trafficker’s list to kidnap and sell and I find a new job… Which will mean I’ll no longer be living with Ethan. Will we still date?

My eyes meet his, and he smiles warmly my way. When I don’t smile back, his lips turn down into a concerned frown.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, stepping over to me.

“Nothing. Blaire was just telling me she’s engaged and is moving in with Victor.” I make sure my voice is upbeat.

“Congratulations,” Ethan says to her. “Looks like a celebration is in order.”

“We should go to Assets,” I blurt out.

“The strip club?” Blaire asks, confused.

“I added it to my list.” Technically Ethan did, but semantics…

“I’m down,” Blaire says, looking at Victor.

“I’m a man… I’m always down,” Victor says with a laugh, causing Blaire to glare at him playfully.

“Ethan?” I ask.

He groans, but when a half-smile appears, I know he’s going to say yes. “Come into the club and have a drink. Let me handle some business and give the owner a call to let him know we’re going, and then we’ll go over there in a little while.”

“Yay!” I squeal, throwing my arms around him. “Thank you!”

After getting us drinks and demanding I stay put at the table he’s reserved for us, Ethan gives me a kiss and then leaves.

As I’m taking a sip of my fruity drink, I notice Blaire is looking at me weird. “What?”

“Nothing,” she says, shaking her head. “You’ve just… you’ve changed… for the better. You’re different with him.”

My face and cheeks heat up as I think about how different things are with him, and I’m thankful the club is dark and Blaire can’t see… until she gasps and says, “Oh my God! You’ve had sex with him!”

“What?” I sputter. “No!”

“Then you’ve come close. I can see it in your eyes. Don’t you lie to me.” She lifts my hand. “Where’s your ring? The one that symbolizes your promise not to have sex before marriage.” I took it off the night I made the decision to separate myself from my mother and the church.

“Blaire!” I yank my hand back, not wanting to have this conversation in front of Victor and Rosco.

“I’m not going to drop this until you tell me.”

“Fine.” I lean in so only she can hear me over the loud music. “We’ve done… stuff.”

“I knew it! We need to have a girls’ day soon so you can tell me everything.”

That actually sounds really good. Sure, Rosco would have to go, but I could probably get Ethan to have him stand a few feet away so Blaire and I could talk in private… or she could come to the beach house where it’s safe. We could do a pool day.

“Let’s plan it,” I agree.

“Plan what?” Ethan asks, planting a kiss on my cheek.

“A girls’ day. I was thinking Blaire could come over to the beach house and we could go swimming… If that’s okay,” I say, backtracking. I should’ve asked him first, or maybe I should ask his dad. It is actually his house after all.