We’re off and running or working on National Novel Writing Month…

I don’t know if it was the evil demon that doesn’t like me to write but I can’t find my concept notes, so we really are doing by the seat of our pants.

Synopsis:

3 Friends and one finds herself extremely unhappy as she realizes her friends are using her.

Yet revenge isn’t as sweet as she thought it would be when she falls for her friend’s boyfriend and then ruins another marriage.

Missed past notes about this? Start here

Keep reading for more

 

Chapter 1

The Revenge of Three




Chapter 1

Lauren and Jezica laughed at the inside joke across the table, Stefanie as usual felt left out.

They were at the very expensive restaurant inside of the St. Royal Hotel in Detroit. It was lunch hour and today Stefanie wasn’t feeling like she wanted to be there. This feeling was a long time coming, but today when she awoke in her downtown loft, looking at the empty white pillow beside her and wishing someone was lying there with her, she was feeling that nagging of not wanting to be around Lauren and Jezica even more.

Jezica was married but barely home. She was supposed to be an at home mom, but having a very supportive mother in law, gave Jezica the right to just do what she want with all her husband’s money when she wanted.

As for Lauren, she had always lived a wealthy life either with her own means or the many men she dated. Although she was single, there were always three to four millionaires supporting her expensive lifestyle and taste.

Stefanie was always the odd one out. A loner all her life, she really didn’t acquire friends until high school when Lauren and Jezica decided to take her into their “cliche” after Stefanie’s big payday. On top of that, Lauren and Jezica probably wouldn’t have gotten out of high school or college without Stefanie’s smarts.

When the bill was brought over the waitress placed the tray by Lauren. The assumption was inevitable since Lauren was the better dressed out of the three women with the latest in fashion from head to toe. Stefanie would be the less likely to be assumed.

When the waitress walked away, Lauren and Jezica continued their discussion about the new boots that were in season and at the same time, Lauren set the check next to Stefanie with a playful wink.

Stefanie didn’t hesitate to pull out her American Express business card and place it on the receipt tray only noting a little the bill was a little over a hundred dollars. Lauren and Jezica ordered the most expensive thing off the menu, yet most the food on their side of the table was barely touched.

Every fourth Friday in the month this was the ritual of all three “friends,” since Stefanie had received her first lump sum on the algorithm she had created for a software program. Later on tonight would continue the ritual where they all got together at a club and had a “girl’s night out.” Even though it was fun for Lauren and Jezica, it never had been fun for Stefanie.

Ten years later since the ritual had started, Stefanie was still paying bills for Lauren and Jezica, yet today reality was sitting ill in her gut.

“Isn’t that true, Stef?” Lauren asked.

Stefanie hadn’t been listening because the subject of what new boots to wear for winter just wasn’t interesting to her. “Yeah, sure,” she answered like she usually did.

Lauren flipped back her synthetic coopery brown mid-back length hair and gasped. “Look at that fine specimen, Jez.”

All their eyes went to the door to see a tall big black man dressed in black from head to toe with dreds down to his waist. He looked even taller with a black Stetson hat on and bigger with the black leather McIntosh that went all the way down to his ankles. Stefanie almost thought tumbleweed was going to roll by because she seemed transposed back to western days and felt highly unsafe all of a sudden.

They weren’t the only women or men looking in the direction of the entrance as the man’s obsidian eyes scanned the room as if he were looking for someone to kill. His visual scan stopped at their table and he narrowed his eyes cruelly at Stefanie.

“He’s looking at you!” Jez said terrified to Stefanie.

“Oh no he’s not,” Lauren said quite arrogantly. “He’s looking at me.”

Stefanie scooted down in her chair because if shoots were fired, she wanted to be able to duck down faster than the others at her table.

The dark stranger whispered to a tiny woman standing next to him that wasn’t noticed until he addressed her. The small woman nodded and then the dark stranger walked away.

She was rather mousey looking African-American, but Stefanie was very aware of who this woman was without a doubt and put a lot of common sense together to know who that man was. In a way, she was glad the man had not approached the table because she would have a lot of explaining about her clientele to her friends and she really didn’t want to go into her work with them. Anytime Stefanie spoke about her business, Lauren was usually calculating how much money she was making and Jezica was trying to figure out how was anyone interested in what Stefanie did.

“I have some work to complete before tonight,” Stefanie said abruptly and stood up as the waitress brought back her card. “Can you guys leave the tip?”

“I didn’t bring any money,” Jezica said.

“And I don’t have enough to leave,” Lauren said.

Digging around quickly in her jacket, she tossed a five and some ones out on the table.

“We’ll see you tonight at the bar, right?” Jezica asked hopefully

“I guess,” Stefanie said.

“If we get there early, can we start your tab for you?” Lauren asked.

“Sure,” she said nonchalantly with a shrugged, grabbed her laptop case and left out the restaurant.

The mousey woman was by the door and loudly cleared her throat to draw Stefanie’s attention.

Opening up the laptop case, Stefanie handed the woman a flashdrive. “That should fix the problem on the security system for your client and I added an upgrade, Treasure.”

“The boss says thank you,” Treasure said sticking the flash in her purse. Being so small at only five feet tall, the biggest thing on Treasure was her chest. Double D’s were nothing to play with on a woman her size and sometimes Stefanie was amazed how straight Treasure could walk.

They were kindred souls though enjoying the quiet life behind a computer at home or at work with no one bothering them. They’d met at an alumni mixer when they found out they were both forced to go and it was great because Treasure referred her “boss” to Stefanie, who was one of her biggest clients.

Treasure’s “boss” was also her cousin, Lethal Heart, a very serious and deadly man in Stefanie’s book and she was always glad to deal with Treasure instead of Lethal.

“How have you been?” Stefanie asked with a deep personal look of concern.

A shaky smile told the truth, but Treasure still said, “I’m fine. I miss her very much, but Lethal is making me move on. I don’t think I could do everything if it’s not for his damn pushiness.”

“You know you can call me for anything you need, Treasure.”

Treasure took out an envelope. “Here’s the last payment for the work you did. He actually added more because he was able to use the file with several clients and thought to give you licensing credit to be fair.”

Stefanie opened the envelope and smiled at the extra five thousand dollars added to the check personally signed by Lethal Heart. “Wow! Thank you.”

“So how’s everything been with you? You were dating that guy.”

Shaking her head, Stefanie said, “Let’s just say one woman’s bad thing ain’t always another woman’s good thing.”

“You shouldn’t have to deal with sloppy seconds,” Treasure said. “The offer is still good for -”

“No!” Stefanie said holding her heart.

“I promise to-”

“NO! No, No, Treasure.”

Treasure put her hand over her mouth to hide the chuckle.

A horn blared hard and they looked over to the large black Escalade with tinted windows.

Lethal was inside and impatiently waiting for his cousin.

Treasure hugged Stefanie and whispered. “Sometimes a single night as someone’s only is better than a night with someone who doesn’t care.”

Stefanie sighed and pulled away. “Well, if I change my mind, you’ll be the first to know.”

Treasure walked quickly to the Escalade and Stefanie was shocked Lethal jumped out the driver’s side and walked around to open the door to the passenger side. His cousin’s legs were not long enough to get into the truck and he gently helped her inside, took a side glance at Stefanie with a short nod and then got back in the SUV to drive away.

“Keeping secrets?” Lauren asked abruptly behind her startling Stefanie.

La Revanche des Trois (Revenge of Three) – Chapter 1 (c) 2011 Sylvia Hubbard. All Rights Reserved.

Please leave your comments below and let me know how you like the start of my Nanowrimo project.

Let’s pray by November 30th I’ll be at 50,000 words, but for now, it’s just 1442.

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