“Hello.” The feminine voice came across the phone line in a light, airy, melodious tone.
“Ava?” Both Summer and Starr queried. They had never heard their friend sound so…so dreamy. When the woman let out a throaty laugh, they perhaps thought they may have dialed the wrong number. “I’m sorry, I think we have the wrong number.”
Ava laughed again. “No, you have the right number. Langston and I were just—”
“Oh God! We don’t want to know! Do you want us to call you back?” Starr rushed out as she folded pink, blue and yellow undershirts in her laundry room.
“Calm down and get your mind out of the gutter. I was about to say Langston and I just finished having dinner in our suite.”
“Oh, do you want us to call you back later?” Summer asked while bending down to pick up a toy off the living room floor.
Going into the master bedroom of the opulent honeymoon suite, Ava opened the French doors and stepped out onto the balcony. Sitting in a comfy lounge chair, she stretched out, crossing her bare feet at the ankles. Looking off into the horizon, Ava smiled. Belize had the most beautiful sunset. “No, no, no. Langston just stepped out for a few minutes. I can talk until he gets back.”
Starr and Summer both started chattering off at the mouth in excitement at the same time. Laughing Summer said, “Starr, why don’t you tell her since it’s your sister and her brother.”
That caught Ava’s attention real fast. Sitting up, she swung her feet over the side of the lounge chair. “What’s going on?”
“Well, actually I think Summer should be the one to tell you what she saw last weekend.”
“Listen, I don’t care who tells me what. But somebody better start talking before my man gets back here.” Ava fussed, irritated with her friends. All this “you tell her, no you tell her” was getting on her nerves.
“Alright already, you ain’t gotta get all huffy because you’re married now.” Summer playfully snapped.
“I’s married now.” Starr said, imitating Shug Avery from The Color Purple.
The three friends laughed at their silliness. True, Ava had been gone on her honeymoon only a week, but they missed her like crazy. They definitely were not looking forward to her moving away. Summer and Starr were going to miss her something terrible when she moved to Georgetown to be with her new husband and daughter.
“Listen, you two silly birds better spit out whatever you have to say. I’ve already told you once that when that fine man of mine gets back here I’m off this phone.”
Getting serious, Summer said “Okay, Okay.” Ava listened as Summer told her about seeing Dom and Karen at Tony Luke’s. When she finished, Starr picked up and told her about their dinner with Karen and how she all but confessed to having feelings for Dom.
“Is that it?” Ava casually asked.
“Is that it?” Summer and Starr yelled. Hadn’t she heard anything they said? Her older brother had the hots for Karen.
Ava laughed at her friends. “Please. Y’all are soooooo behind the eight ball. My brother has been sniffing after Karen since Zoe’s birthday party.”
Starr was out done. “You knew all this time and you didn’t say anything?”
“Chile, please. I was going through my own drama. I didn’t have time to be worried about Dom’s love life or anybody else’s for that matter.”
It was Summer who asked, “So what do you think about Dom and Karen?”
“I think they would make a cute couple. I know my brother is crazy about her kids. Do you think Karen is ready for a relationship?” Ava was concerned. For years Karen had said she wouldn’t date until her kids got older. Now she’s suddenly interested in her brother. True, her brother was a grown man. But that didn’t mean she wanted to see him hurt like the last time.
“I think my sister is ready to start dating again. Her whole life revolves around Ashley and Kyle. It’s time she had some happiness in her life.”
Ava smiled. She didn’t know what she was worried about. Karen was like a sister to her and she was good people. She would never do to her brother what that nasty behind Gina Tucci did to him. “I agree with you Starr. Karen deserves some happiness and I know my brother can make that happen.”
Langston walked out onto the balcony while Ava was talking. Her eyes lit up in mischief as he smiled, walking towards her, shaking a can of whipped cream. “Umm…girls…I gotta go.”
The next sound Summer and Starr heard was the disconnecting of Ava’s cell phone.