Chapter SevenDenise's friend Karen lived about twenty-five minutes away. As they drove off, Rico told her to call on her cell to make sure Karen was home. He told her to say she was coming over and not to take no for an answer if Karen objected.
Karen was home. Denise told her she was in the neighborhood and would like to stop by for a few minutes. Karen said she would postpone a trip to the grocery store until Denise got there.
Denise took a box of cigarettes out of her purse, removed one, and started rapidly thumping the end of it against the box. Rico was wondering for about the thousandth time why smokers did that when she asked rhetorically, “Mind if I smoke?”
“Yeah,” Rico said with a finality that surprised Denise.
“One lousy cigarette is not gonna kill you,” she said, peeved.
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