Free Beautifying Bernadette: A BBW Romantic Comedy (The Jackson Tribe Book 1) by Delia Grace

watched him.
    Once he had packed up, he turned to her gently. “I don’t know what happened just now or why the sudden vehemence, but I will call you later. Or better yet, call me when you’re willing to talk sensibly.” He walked out the door, closing it quietly behind him.
    Bernie immediately went and did the deadbolt and chain and leaned against the door. Then, unsatisfied with that, she undid all the locks, opening and slamming the door several times screaming. She repeated the sequence one last time and fell against the door onto the floor, sobbing. She wasn’t even sure why she was so angry. Or so sad. Yes, her ass hurt, but this was something else. Something she couldn’t explain. After about five minutes of sobbing bitterly she heard her phone go off and suddenly remembered Ashley.
    “Shit!” She grabbed her phone and shot Ash a quick text.
    Be there in twenty - sorry! I’ll explain later.
    She threw on some yoga pants, grabbed her keys from the table where Levi had left them, and raced out to her car to retrieve Ashley.
     

Chapter Six
     
    She passed Pete who was back at his post on the way and he looked concerned, but she didn’t have time to stop and chat. Speeding down the road, and hitting every yellow on the way, she got to the address Ash had sent her in record time. It was a run down duplex, the paint peeling off the sides, trash in the yard. Bernie shivered and contemplated locking her doors and just texting for Ashley to come out. But, she felt like that would be irresponsible, so she got out with her purse and locked the car, jogging up to the door. She knew it was racist and classist, but she was really more comfortable around affluence than she was poverty. She didn’t have issues with the lower-income students at the school, but this felt like a drug den. She went up to the door and banged hard waiting.
    The door was opened by a scrawny kid in dreads, he couldn’t be older than fifteen, but he reeked of marijuana and booze. “What you want, country club?” He gave her a skeptical look. “I think you’re on the wrong side of town, lady. Tiffany’s is back that way.” He gestured with his hand and a snide look back the way she had come.
    She stood up to her full height, gaining confidence; a punk kid she knew how to deal with. “Well, first off, it’s ‘What do you want?’, or even better, ‘What is your business here, madam?’  Second, I hate country clubs, and third, I am here to pick up a friend. The polite thing to do is invite a lady in and offer her a seat, not scoff at her from the doorway. Don’t you have a mother?”
    The kid looked taken aback and stepped back letting her inside. “Yeah, I had a ma… but she wouldn’t let you inside neither.”
    Bernie looked around, trying not to look disgusted. Everything was covered in a light film and smelled of a mixture of sex, body, and, she sniffed again, kettle corn? “Have you seen a lady named Ashley? She’s probably wearing a sparkly dress and has really long braids?”
    “Oh, yeah, Jessie’s ho. I’ll go get her. She’s been whining all morning. Jessie! Yo’ gal ready? Her alabaster taxi’s here!”
    Bernie wasn’t sure if she was more shocked by the fact the “going to get her” was screaming through the house, or that this apparently uneducated punk was using a word like “alabaster” to describe her. She tried to hide her smile and sat lightly on the edge of the filthy couch and waited.
    Ashley stumbled down the stairs. Her make-up was all runny.  Barefooted, shoes in hand, she looked like she had had an incredibly rough night. “Let’s go. Now. Bye, Saul.”
    The kid gave a half wave. “See you around, J-Ho, Country Club.”
    Ashley shook her head and stomped out the door. Bernie smiled at him and said, “Nice to meet you, Saul,” and followed Ashley out to the car, unlocking the doors for her.
    “Sooo… what happened?” she asked cautiously as she pulled away from the house.
    Groaning, Ashley