“The marketing firm up the street from us is having some kind of function at the Hammerstein. I went to one of their events last year and it was off the hook. Let’s go get drunk and talk about people.” Audrey laughed.

“I don’t know if I feel like partying tonight. Besides, I don’t know if Paul is coming by or not.”

“Marlene, you need to quit. You haven’t been out in a while and you plan on spending your night sitting by the phone waiting to see if Paul calls?”

“I ain’t waiting for him to call, but we were supposed to do something this weekend, we just haven’t decided which day.”

Audrey sucked her teeth. “Please, you know how niggaz do on a Friday night. He’s probably gonna go out and get drunk with his degenerate-ass friends looking at ass.”

“You’re so extra, Audrey.”

“I’m not extra, I’m real. The weather is nice and it’s mad parties popping off around the city. Paul spends time with you so he can build up his credit. If he spends a weekend with you when there’s nothing going on, he knows he’s free to go out on a weekend when it’s popping. Marlene, men are like wolves, they’re always gonna need time to prowl.”

“Audrey, contrary to what you might think, Paul enjoys spending time with me,” Marlene spat, “and furthermore, I know that I ain’t gotta watch him like some of these muthafuckas.”

“That’s something that I could argue, but I’m not going to. Come out with us, Mar. We can hit the party for drinks, then go for a bite afterward. We can make a girls’ night of it.” When Audrey noticed that Marlene was still reluctant, she added, “Vincent is gonna be there.” This got Marlene’s attention.

Vincent Gold was one of the VPs at the Rothstein firm, which was the company hosting the party. He was six-five with hazelnut skin and caramel brown eyes. For the last year or so, he had been trying to get at Marlene, but she wasn’t trying to take their relationship beyond a professional level. Not that it wasn’t a tempting offer; he was gorgeous, gainfully employed, and about something. Any woman would’ve been lucky to have him. Marlene was loyal to Paul, though. He might not have been all the things that Vincent Gold was, but he was hers.

She composed herself and got back with Audrey. “So what, is that supposed to make me jump out the window and go? You know I got a man, Audrey, so don’t go there with me.”

“Whatever, Mar. So you gonna come out with us or not?”