I take a sip of my drink.
"I have to say," I say, "this is all kind of weird."
"Weird how?" Jasmine says.
"I'm not used to all this openness about sex. I have sex with Isabella. Then with you, Tara, Tiffany, and... uh..."
"Karina."
"Karina, right! You and Iz have been at it. Now you and me. Now Iz is coming over... and I'm getting horny just thinking about it. This is a new world for me."
Jasmine smiles at me with her big gorgeous green eyes.
"It's orgasmatastic, ain't it?" she says. "To be free and to fuck when you want to... who you want to... how you want to."
She laughs a low hearty laugh.
"Sure," I say. "I just don't know how long it can last. With all this fucking going on, at some point somebody is going to get jealous and all bent out of shape."
"Sure," she says. "Guaranteed. Always happens."
"Oh? That's not what I thought you would say."
"Nm-mm. We all human, sweetie. We all get possessive. Me too. But you know what? I just let myself get all possessive and jealous, and then I remind myself that life is too short and I'm missing out on a ton of new fun by being all emotional and shit."
"That's very wise," I say.
"Not always," she says. "Like right now, I'm a little jealous of the closeness you share with Isabella."
"Well, can't help that," I say. "We grew up together. She is something, though, huh?"
"Yes she is," says Jasmine. "She's the most swankalicious mami I've ever seen... well, besides you of course."
"No need to humor me," I say. "I know it. She's the perfect specimen of human female on earth."
Jasmine stops chewing her food and glares at me with an evil look.
"Well, besides you, of course," I say.
"See?" she says. "No need for jealousy. We're a team. In fact, we should all fuck together. I'm going to make that happen."
"You, me and, Iz?"
"You, me, Iz, and Damien."
"Damien too?" I say, a little excited at the mention of his name.
"Yes," she says. "Look, honey, something you gots to know about Damien and me. We're sexually free. We fall in love, but we always fuck others. Know that about Damien, that if you get with him he may love you completely but he'll always fuck other girls. The good thing is he'll never deny it and he'll usually invite you to join in."
"That's weird."
"Nope. It's just how it is. It's a more honest way of being than lying to someone and saying you're never going to fuck anyone else. That's the most dishonest statement anyone ever came up with."
"So he's incapable of love?" I say.
"Girl, are you retarded or something?" she says. "When did I say that? Oh ho, Damien falls in love. And when he does it's with his whole heart and spirit. He falls in like a motherfucker."
Damien Cage in love. Really? Could he?
"He doesn't seem the type," I say.
"You want proof?" says Jasmine. "Tattered Angel. Words and music by D. Cage."
"I just assumed he made those words up, not having someone real in mind."
"Oh, honey, she was real. She was something else."
"Did I screw things up with Damien?"
"No," says Jasmine. "Damien wasn't serious about all that get out of my house shit. He can just be a real prick sometimes. Just rewrite that first chapter. Do it up right. He'll be fine, I promise. I know Damien. He and I have had more rows than The Jeffersons."
"Jeffersons?" I say.
"You know, George and Weezy? Weezy! Weezy! Oh, never mind."
Note to self: Look up The Jeffersons.
"You sure?" I say. "He was pretty pissed."
"That's only 'cuz he got all emotional. Can't handle emotions since Marcellina."
"Marcellina? So that was her name, huh?"
Jasmine puts her hand up to her mouth.
"Oops," she says, slapping her own wrist. "Bad Jasmine!"
I finish my drink.
"Another?" she says.
"Oh, why the fuck not?" I say.
As she pours, my cell phone vibrates. I pick it up and look at the number. Unknown. Just like earlier.
I usually never pick up unknown numbers, but something tells me this time I should.
"Hello?" I say.
"Hello, is this Annika Spenser from MiamiImproper.com?" says a male voice.
Shit, who the fuck is this? Should I say yes? No, I never say yes.
"Who's calling?" I say.
"A friend."
Not good. Going to fake him out.
"I'm sorry," I say, "I don't know who Annika whoever is."
"Yes you do," says the voice. "But you got your article all wrong. Your buddy Damien Cage doesn't want to save the world. He's covering his tracks. He killed a man in cold blood."