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when Kai discovered he had gotten not one but two nurses pregnant within months of each other. Kai was so hurt that since her divorce she had sworn off men and sex and now called herself a second-chance virgin. She was as tall and slender as a fashion model, which both Justine and I couldn’t understand because Kai ate nonstop like she smoked blunts all day and had perpetual munchie mania.
    Kai had helped me navigate the New York social scene and had been invaluable in helping me decorate my renovated Harlem brownstone, including a music room which held my treasured baby grand piano.
    Hector brought more chips and salsa to the table and a glass of white wine for me. We clinked our glasses in unison and took a sip of our drinks. Roberta looked at her watch, took another sip and said, “Been nice meeting you guys. I’ve got to run. Have to catch the next train to Mount Vernon.”
    â€œWhat, no car and driver, hon?” Justine said, laughing.
    â€œI wish,” Roberta said as she pulled out two twenty-dollar bills and laid them on the table. She looked at Justine and said, “I’ll look over your proposal and get back to you in a few days.”
    â€œDo you have a card? I’d like to send you a copy of my magazine.”
    â€œSure, that’d be nice. Maybe it’ll earn me some points with my teenage stepdaughter from hell.” Roberta laughed as she pulled her card from her wallet and passed it to me.
    â€œSmooches to you, Roberta. I hope I’m invited to your big shindig,” Kai said.
    â€œYour invitation will be in the mail. See you ladies later,” Roberta said as she walked out.
    When Justine was certain Roberta was out of the restaurant, she took another sip of her drink and said, “The shit I have to go through to make a dollar.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about? She seemed perfectly nice,” I said.
    â€œShe’s a snobby bitch from a middle-class ghetto trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents. That type of woman just drives me crazy. If I don’t get this event, I’m going up to Mount Vernon to kick her ass like she stole my paycheck,” Justine said.
    â€œRight . . . right. I got your back, girl. Just let me know so I can get my Vaseline. Can’t risk getting this face damaged,” Kai said, laughing as she pulled a pack of cigarettes from her purse and glanced around to see if anyone was looking. “Do you mind if I smoke?”
    â€œYes, I mind,” Justine said.
    â€œI thought you stopped smoking?” I said.
    â€œI did.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œI started back,” she snapped.
    â€œWell, you know you can’t smoke in here,” Justine said. “I don’t know why your crazy ass is trippin’.”
    â€œI’ll take care of the tip and Hector will let me do whatever I want,” Kai said.
    â€œSo I guess it doesn’t matter what we think, or if we get cancer from your secondhand smoke,” I said.
    â€œIf you get cancer, I’ll get you gift certificates for free visits with my ex,” Kai said, laughing.
    â€œThat shit ain’t funny,” Justine said.
    â€œSo what’s wrong with Roberta?” I asked.
    â€œYou know the type—she thinks because she’s got a little clout she can make a sister jump through hoops and then turn around and give the business to some dizzy white girl,” Justine said as she broke a tortilla chip in half and dipped it in salsa.
    â€œSisters got to jump through hoops every day for everybody,” I said. I was thinking about all the calls I had made, the crying and pleading I had to do to get my entertainment editor into premieres, not to mention sleeping with Davis to make sure he kept pumping money into
Bling
.
    â€œDo you ever wonder what you’ll be wearing when you’re lying in a casket, getting ready to be put into the ground for eternity?” Kai asked.
    Justine and I looked at each other and rolled