“Cool.” She put the bottle of wine down and strolled out of the kitchen with her glass. It was hard not to notice the way her hips moved in those cute little Hello Kitty pajama shorts. The top didn’t help either. It stopped barely under her navel. She clearly wore no bra either. Her breasts jiggled when she walked.
She stopped in front of the couch and quirked her brows. “What? Is something wrong?”
“Are all your quarantine outfits going to be like this?”
“Like what?”
I cleared my throat. “So. . .pink.”
“You have a problem with pink?”
No. I have a problem with you walking around like a ripe sex goddess, fresh for the taking.
“I’m not a fan of Hello Kitty.” I returned to my laptop.
“You should probably worry about not stinking up the place with the same designer suit on every day.”
I smirked, typed out a short email to all of my employees, and then hit send.
A woman’s voice filled the apartment. “U.S. stocks record their worst day since 1987.”
I glanced at my inbox and discovered ten emails from Amber. I stifled a growl. Had I been alone I might’ve cursed. For a second, I reached for the mouse to press on the email and then stopped. There was nothing that she could say that would end my newfound hatred for her.
“In other news, New York City declares a state of emergency. Governor Ellis has called for a lockdown to decrease the—”
Jade must’ve switched the channel because a male’s voice came next.
“Supermarkets will be adding $2 to each hour of their employees’ wages. Many are calling it ‘hero pay.’ Schools are closing not only in America but all around the globe. Countries included in nationwide school closures are France, Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal.”
The sound changed to a jazz song.
I glanced over my shoulder. A commercial played on the screen. A lovely couple walked along a beach. The next scene showed them dancing in a beautiful ballroom. Finally, the headed to their suite which was apparently on a cruise ship. At the bottom, the words read, “Come cruise with us.”
A dark chuckle left Jade’s mouth.
I joined her.
Shocked, she turned my way. “That’s the last place anybody would want to be right now.”
“Correct. Cruises ships now represent a floating petri dish of germs and sickness.”
“It’s going to be hell getting the cruise industry back after this.”
“The economy will fall, but then it will pick itself back up again.”
“You think so?”
“Of course. Money is always there. People lose it. Then, they gain it back. Some go poor. Next year they’re comfortable or even rich. Nobody’s pockets remain the same forever.”
“Some do.”
“But that some isn’t us.” I returned to my laptop screen and spied some of the subjects of Amber’s emails. They all read please in all caps.
Is that what you said to him when he fucked you in our bed?
I shut off the laptop, closed it, and rose. “Okay, little one. It’s time for a field trip.”
“Little one?”
“You’re younger.”
“By three years.”
“Still.”
“I’m a big girl now.” She rose, showing me just how grown up she really was. Those damn nipples dotted the front of her top.
You sure are.
I turned away and buttoned up my jacket. “Do you have a mask?”
“Yes. Why?”
“You’re coming to the store with me.”
“For what?”
“I need clothes. You need clothes.”
“I don’t need any clothes and I’m on a tight budget.”
I waved her response away. “My treat. Get dressed. I just don’t want to go shopping alone right now.”
She blinked. “Your treat?”
I curved my lips into a smile. “Yes. And I have a nice budget I’m working with.”
She twisted her lips to the side and considered it.
“Get dressed, Jade.”
Sighing, she headed for the bedroom. “Okay, but I don’t want to be out for too long.”
“Me either.”
She disappeared into the room and yelled out, “I definitely don’t want to be around crowds.”
“That won’t be a problem.” I pulled out my phone. “We’ll be at T& T. It’s a boutique in SoHo. I went to college with the owner. I’m going to rent out the shop for an hour.”
She ducked her head out. “You’re going to rent a shop?”
“Just for an hour.”
“How much is that?”
“Too much for you to worry about.”
“Okay, but. . .” She checked her watch. “We have to get back by 6pm.”
“Why?”
“Ganesha has a date with his best buddies—Spence, Madonna, and Elisabeth.”
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely.”
“Fine. We’ll be back by then.” I frowned. “Please, put your clothes on so we can go.”
“Oh yeah.” She shut the bedroom door.
What type of person names their dog Madonna? Clearly, Cher or Sting has more flair.
I walked over to the glass doors past the couch, slid it open, and stepped out on the balcony. The unique appeal of Brooklyn greeted my eyes. This borough had thirty neighborhoods. Each boasted its own personality. The days of Brooklyn taking a back seat to Manhattan had disappeared. The borough had become a hot place to live, with the pricey rents to prove it.