Chapter 144

The large, rectangular table seated ten comfortably. Jess sat at the head of the table, flanked by Nicole and Alix, who were her de facto lieutenants. I sat between Kat and Rita on the second side. And, across from us, sat Crystal, Katie, Gloria, and Brittany.

"Where’s Kelly?" I asked Jess.

"She’s stuffed," Jess answered with a laugh.

And that really set the tone for the entire evening. Spirits were high. So were the girls. I was interested to see how everyone would react to the menu, which was very high-end French. Perhaps a rightful response to my implicit snobbery, the girls all loved dinner, down to the foie gras and truffles. Even Crystal. I made a comment expressing a bit of surprise that everyone loved the fussy food so much, and Nicole brought the house down with her reply.

"It’s not like we’re just some whores with no taste, John," she said.

It put an exclamation point on a superb dinner. The food, wine, and vibes