“Woo-hoo!” I rubbed my palms together. “I been craving a scrumptious meal like that for days. Besides, I should put something on my stomach before we go next door. Drinking on a empty stomach makes me queasy.” When I rose, I pulled Joyce up by her hand. She squealed and got as giddy as a lovestruck teenager when I lifted her off the floor and carried her into the kitchen.

I scarfed down as much food as I could. But when we got next door, I immediately felt sick to my stomach. There was at least two-and-a-half-dozen folks present. Dr. Patterson was standing by the door. He clapped me on the back and kissed Joyce on her cheek. “Odell, it’s good to see you and your lovely wife again,” he said in a low tone.

“Did Mrs. Patterson come with you tonight?” Joyce asked.

“Uh-uh. Eloise is at her sister’s house doing her hair. She’s coming directly, though. She and I are going to help Yvonne and Milton get over this mishap as much as we can.”

“So are we. Right, Odell?” Joyce said, giving me a pleading look.

Before I could answer, Milton strutted up to me and gave me a bear hug. He looked like a avocado with a face, in the dark green suit he’d charged to his account at the store last month. “Odell, my man! I’m so glad you made it!” he boomed.

“I . . . I’m glad I made it, too,” I mumbled.

He ushered us to a corner in the back of the room. “I’m sorry there ain’t no seats left. Y’all don’t mind standing, do you?” he asked, looking from me to Joyce.

“I don’t mind at all,” Joyce chirped.

“Odell, I don’t mean to be rude, but I need to keep mingling with my guests and taking more drink orders. Me and you can chitchat a little later. I . . . uh . . . need to discuss something,” Milton told me with a sly wink.

Joyce rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, Milton. If you want to talk to him about the money I said we’d give y’all, I’ve already mentioned it to him. He’s all for it. We’ll give it to y’all soon,” Joyce blurted out, grinning from ear to ear. “Now go get us some drinks.”

CHAPTER 16 - MILTON

CHAPTER 16

MILTON

IT WASN’T EASY FOR ME AND YVONNE AND WILLIE FRANK TO ACT normal around Odell until we decided his punishment. The minute he walked in the door Sunday night, I wanted to gouge his eyes out.

“I think we need to confront and chastise Odell as soon as possible,” Willie Frank whispered in my ear. He glared at Odell as he stood at the other end of the room, a few inches away from Sweet Sue. Him and her both was grinning like hyenas.