Free Lady Elect by Nikita Lynnette Nichols

Monique asked.
    â€œSure thing,” the waiter said, then excused himself.
    Monique opened her purse and pulled out a Kleenex tissue, then held it across the table for Arykah to take. “I know this is about what Mother Gussie did to you yesterday. Did you and Lance fall out over it?”
    Arykah took the tissue and dabbed the corners of her eyes. “We had words.”
    â€œDid he believe your story?”
    â€œI tried to convince Lance that she set me up, but he told me that I was being ridiculous. He said that he’d been relying on Mother Gussie for years, and she’d never let him down. One word led to another, and I just walked away from him.”
    â€œWow. How did the two of you resolve things?”
    Just thinking about how Lance had struggled to carry her down the stairs last night made Arykah chuckle. “We ended on a good note. Lance wouldn’t let me go to bed angry. He distracted me from my anger.”
    Monique knew what that meant. “He flipped you over?” Monique asked smiling.
    â€œLiterally.”
    Monique cocked her head to the side. “Okay, then why are you crying? Everything is good, right?”
    Arykah exhaled. “No. Everything is not good, Monique. Just because we had sex doesn’t mean that Lance believed me over Mother Gussie. All he did was move past the issue. He swept it under the rug. That doesn’t cut it with me. That b*#@h lied, and I want Lance to know it.”
    Monique gasped, and her eyes bucked out of her head. She looked around to see if anyone else was within earshot of what Arykah had just said. Two Caucasian women sat three booths over. They were into their own conversation. It was early evening, and the restaurant was nearly empty. Monique leaned her torso over the table. “Look, I know you’re mad, but you gotta watch your loose lips. If a church member had been sitting at a nearby table and heard—”
    â€œMonique, do you really think I give a rat’s behind what a church member might hear me say? I ain’t sitting in Sunday service or Bible class. I’m on my own time.” Arykah rolled her eyes. “Heck, I can say whatever I wanna say.”
    â€œNo, you can’t,” Monique corrected her. “I tell you time and time again that you have to be aware of your surroundings. You have to always be on guard, especially when you’re in public. And speaking of Bible class, why aren’t you there?” Although Monique was a faithful attendee at Sunday School, she wasn’t a regular member at Bible class. But she believed it was Arykah’s duty as the first lady of the church to be there.
    Arykah picked up her menu from the table and glanced at the entrees. “Girl, please. I wasn’t about to walk in the church and play nice. I’m tired of playing nice. It doesn’t benefit me at all.”
    â€œIt does benefit you, Arykah. No one needs to see their first lady showing her behind.”
    â€œHumph. We’re dealing with black folks, and the majority of us only understand harsh language. I’ll only have to flip my weave one good time for those old broads to leave me alone.”
    The waiter was back at their table. “Have you decided ?”
    Monique ordered a half roasted chicken with garlic mash potatoes while Arykah opted for a full slab of barbecue ribs, french fries, and coleslaw. They both ordered slices of J. Alexander’s famous key lime pie and told the waiter to bring the dessert right away. The two of them were in the habit of eating their desserts before their main course was served.
    The waiter was back in two minutes with their pie.
    Monique inserted a forkful of pie in her mouth and moaned at how good it tasted.
    â€œThis is why we’re fat, Arykah. Who besides us eats dessert first?”
    Arykah savored the delicious treat. “What difference does it make if we eat the pie now or after dinner? It’s still gonna land on our