Don't Tell A Soul Read Online Free

expecting for some hygiene products? She should’ve thought up a better story if she wanted me to dig deeper in my pockets.
    â€œThank you, Sister Pam.” I hear the words, but the girl’s bitter tone makes it sound more like an insult than gratitude.
    Yvonne, one of my best friends, sashays into the meeting, looking incredibly fresh for her forty-seven years. I guess the single life does that for a woman, because her looks definitely improved when she divorced her abusive and cheating husband, Luke. There’s not a wrinkle on her smooth chocolate brown skin, and the few grays that she does have, she’s deftly covered with dye.
    â€œPam! How are you, honey?” She hugs me tightly and kisses my cheek.
    Yvonne and my other best friend, Taylor, are the only ones in the entire church that know about my money issues, and even they don’t know the whole story. Even with the part that they do know, they’re constantly hugging me and asking me how I’m doing. Sometimes, such as on a night like tonight, when I could choke the life out of Troy, their incessant checking up on me is irritating.
    â€œI am doing okay,” I say.
    Yvonne gathers her eyebrows and gives a little head shake. “You are blessed and highly favored, Pam.”
    I nod and smile, unable to repeat Yvonne’s words. Maybe I used to be highly favored, but not anymore. Not since Troy lost a fortune. Not since I got a book deal I don’t know if I’m going to be able to pursue. I went to Starbucks and tried to write a book proposal, and nothing would come out. Maybe Troy is right. No black person ever got really rich writing books.
    â€œWhat’s going on with you, Yvonne?” I ask, trying to take the focus off of me.
    â€œNothing but work, work, and more work. Those kids are driving me right up the wall.”
    Yvonne’s mini-rant evokes a real smile from me. She can complain all she wants about being a seventh grade English teacher, but I know she loves it. She never got to have children when she was married to her ex-husband, Luke, so she adopts every single last one of those babies like they are her very own.
    â€œYou love it!” I tease. “But I wasn’t talking about work. What’s going on with Kingston?”
    Yvonne rolls her eyes. “Nothing! I’m too old for a knight in shining armor.”
    â€œYou ain’t too old for a man, Sister Yvonne,” Carmisha chimes in. “And Brother Kingston is all that, if you like old guys.”
    â€œOh hush, Carmisha! Nobody asked you!” Yvonne fusses while wearing a smile.
    Carmisha pokes her lips out and nods while waving her hips from side to side in a little dance. She snaps her fingers and says, “Look at you smiling. You know you want to get with him.”
    â€œAs much as it pains me to say this, I agree with Carmisha, Yvonne. You need to stop playing hard to get.”
    â€œNext topic!” Yvonne says. “Why is everybody always late to these things?”
    â€œTaylor is not coming. I don’t think,” I reply. “Joshua has a soccer game tonight, and Spencer couldn’t make it, so she’s doing Mom duty.”
    â€œWell, what about Rhoda and Rochelle?” Yvonne asks.
    Carmisha sucks her teeth. “I hope they don’t come.”
    Sometimes Rhoda and Rochelle are the only things lively about the Sister to Sister meetings, even though they are full of drama. Outside of their gossip sessions, the group has gotten rather dull over the years, but we keep it going because it’s ministry and every now and then someone really gets the help they need.
    The door to the community room swings open, and a woman that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before marches right inside. She’s a little on the thick side. Actually, she’s probably beyond thick to extra healthy, but she’s got on a nice velour jogging suit and a pretty short wig with a bang that covers her eye.