Permanent Resident at the Purse Table by Keisha Bass Page B

done too much already. I appreciate it.”
    Rene bent down to hug Ava. “I’m going to leave you to rest. Call me if you need me.”
    Did she smell her fiancé’s scent? “Thank you.” Ava couldn’t feel any worse.
    â€œI’ll show myself out, love. I’ll pray you feel better soon.”
    Ava cringed. Here Rene was taking care of her, and she in return took care of Rene’s man. She was not the friend Rene deserved.
    After her friend had made sure she was set for the day, she rushed off to Ishmael’s explanation and apology. Ava now knew what the pull he had on her was all about. His good stuff was great. He had reminded Ava how much of a woman she was. She gave Rene grief about putting up with his wretched ways, and now she was in no position to judge.
    Lord, I wish I could rewind the clock. I’m going to lose my best friend over this crap.
    Tears filled her eyes while thoughts twisted in her head. What was Ishmael going to tell Rene? What would people say when they found out? When she heard the front door close, she slumped out of bed and bent down to lie in front of the dresser to retrieve the piece of paper.
    Was Ishmael thinking about their encounter? Was he really attracted to her? She extended her arm, exerting the little strength she had left. I shouldn’t be in this position. Nausea set in. Again. Ava had only a few seconds before she’d need to make a break for the restroom. She snagged the proof of their encounter and tore it to shreds and flushed it down the toilet.
    How would Rene react? Her best friend would probably never speak to her again. Would Ishmael try to weasel his way back into Rene’s good graces? Or into my bed again?
    Her head exploded. Ava slogged out of the bathroom and closed the blinds, then gulped down two Tylenol PM and crept back into bed.

Chapter 10
    Ava sat in her car, rubbing her sweaty palms together, as she waited in the fifteen-minute pickup lane outside of Toni’s terminal at the airport. Revealing her serious slip-up to Toni would surely get her read the riot act, but she needed to tell someone. How could she even explain acting on her poor judgment?
    When Toni walked through the sliding doors, Ava popped her trunk and got out of the car. “Glad you made it back safely.” She held on to her tears like a mother holding a newborn.
    â€œMe too.”
    After they made their way into their seats, Ava lowered the keys into her lap and stared downward.
    â€œSorry, I didn’t you call back yesterday. We shot all day, and then the photographer’s assistant threw him a little birthday celebration afterward.” Toni breathed a concerned sigh. “You sounded distressed on your message. What’s going on?”
    â€œI don’t know where to begin.”
    â€œJust say it. You know we can get through anything.”
    â€œI . . . I . . .” Ava cleared her throat and burst into tears. “I slept with Ishmael.”
    â€œYou what!” Toni’s stunned eyes widened.
    â€œI know. I can’t believe it either.” Her voice cracked as she went on. “I don’t know exactly how it happened. One minute I was helping him look for Rene, and the next we were kissing in the kitchen.”
    â€œKissing in the kitchen?”
    â€œYeah.” That sounded like a bad song. “I dropped my wine glass on the floor and he helped me clean it up.”
    â€œSo you were drunk?”
    â€œNo. Maybe. I don’t know.” The trio probably all needed to put the alcohol down. Their past proved they couldn’t handle having a drink or two.
    Toni massaged her temples. “You had to be drunk to sleep with that fool! How could you do this to Rene? How could you do this to yourself?”
    â€œI wasn’t in my right mind. Xavier popped up over there earlier and we ended up getting into it. My mom ticked me off with her usual comments. And I did have quite a bit of wine.”