she could look up at the stars as she fell asleep.
“It’s stunning,” Ariel said. “I can’t believe this is where you sleep.”
Zola smiled. The two of them were genuinely impressed and Zola was surprised that they were being so complementary. Maybe she’d had her guard up too high. Any time she’d shown her home to her family or friends from her old life they’d always been too jealous to give her any complements. Now two white girls, her neighbors, we’re being kinder to her than her own childhood friends had been.
“Your home is just as nice as this,” Zola said.
She’d been in the house Ariel had just bought and it was pretty impressive.
“No kidding,” Ariel said. “We can’t believe that either. All of this is a far cry from the life we’re used to.”
“We lived in a bungalow in Pomona before this,” Becky said.
“That’s quite a ways,” Zola said.
“It is,” Ariel said. “We still can’t believe we live in a place like this.”
Zola looked at them. They were honestly amazed to be there in Beverly Row. She could relate to that herself. She’d come from East LA and when she’d first seen where Jake lived her jaw had literally dropped. Seeing how genuinely impressed Ariel and Becky were, she started to feel kinder toward them, more affectionate. They weren’t the rich, stuck-up women she’d expected them to be at all. They were friendly and open and uninhibited. They were nice. They were even humble.
Zola had been toying with the idea of giving them the worst fitting and least flattering bathing suits she could find but now she changed her mind.
“Ariel,” she said, “what size are you?”
Ariel looked at Zola’s breasts and then down at her own.
“Here,” Zola said, “try this on.” She handed Ariel a blue and white Lacoste bathing suit that might actually fit her nicely. She grabbed a more daring triangle top for Becky.
“You’ll wow Kyle in this,” she said as she handed it to her.
“Who’s Kyle?” Becky said.
“You’ll see soon enough,” Zola said with a grin.
Becky looked at her mother.
“Go ahead,” Zola said. “Put them on. Don’t be shy. I’ll go wait on the balcony.”
III
“W HAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING?” Becky whispered to her mother. “This is insane.”
Becky felt like she’d stepped onto the set of some wacky television show. Everything was so different from what she was used to. Normally on a Saturday afternoon back in Pomona she’d be at the Montclaire Plaza right now with her friends, checking out all the hot guys at the mall. The last thing she’d expected was to be brought up to the bedroom of some sexy Latina wife and told to try on swimsuits.
“I know, honey. Let’s just get through it, okay.”
Her mom seemed as rattled as she was.
“Are you alright, Mom?”
“I’m fine, honey.”
“You seem embarrassed.”
“I guess I am, Becky!”
Becky nodded. They were in this together. She pulled off her dress and got into the bathing suit. It wasn’t a bad fit. Her mother went into the bathroom and came back out a moment later. She looked beautiful in the Lacoste bikini. Becky knew her’s was the sexier outfit but she wished she could have worn the Lacoste. It looked so elegant, like a paparazzi shot of a famous actress lying on a yacht on the French Riviera.
“Mom, you look fantastic!”
“Oh, honey, you’re so sweet.”
“You really do.”
“You look great too.”
Becky looked at herself in the mirror above Zola’s vanity. She looked hot and she knew it. It was a shame there wasn’t anyone to impress at this party. It was just neighbors, a bunch of married men and their wives, she imagined.
“Híjole,” Zola said as she came back in from the balcony. “You two look hot.”
Becky saw her mother smile. She was actually proud. That was all it ever took with her mother, a few complements and she was right as rain.
“Thank you for giving us outfits that actually fit,” Ariel said.
“You’ll be a
“It’s stunning,” Ariel said. “I can’t believe this is where you sleep.”
Zola smiled. The two of them were genuinely impressed and Zola was surprised that they were being so complementary. Maybe she’d had her guard up too high. Any time she’d shown her home to her family or friends from her old life they’d always been too jealous to give her any complements. Now two white girls, her neighbors, we’re being kinder to her than her own childhood friends had been.
“Your home is just as nice as this,” Zola said.
She’d been in the house Ariel had just bought and it was pretty impressive.
“No kidding,” Ariel said. “We can’t believe that either. All of this is a far cry from the life we’re used to.”
“We lived in a bungalow in Pomona before this,” Becky said.
“That’s quite a ways,” Zola said.
“It is,” Ariel said. “We still can’t believe we live in a place like this.”
Zola looked at them. They were honestly amazed to be there in Beverly Row. She could relate to that herself. She’d come from East LA and when she’d first seen where Jake lived her jaw had literally dropped. Seeing how genuinely impressed Ariel and Becky were, she started to feel kinder toward them, more affectionate. They weren’t the rich, stuck-up women she’d expected them to be at all. They were friendly and open and uninhibited. They were nice. They were even humble.
Zola had been toying with the idea of giving them the worst fitting and least flattering bathing suits she could find but now she changed her mind.
“Ariel,” she said, “what size are you?”
Ariel looked at Zola’s breasts and then down at her own.
“Here,” Zola said, “try this on.” She handed Ariel a blue and white Lacoste bathing suit that might actually fit her nicely. She grabbed a more daring triangle top for Becky.
“You’ll wow Kyle in this,” she said as she handed it to her.
“Who’s Kyle?” Becky said.
“You’ll see soon enough,” Zola said with a grin.
Becky looked at her mother.
“Go ahead,” Zola said. “Put them on. Don’t be shy. I’ll go wait on the balcony.”
III
“W HAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING?” Becky whispered to her mother. “This is insane.”
Becky felt like she’d stepped onto the set of some wacky television show. Everything was so different from what she was used to. Normally on a Saturday afternoon back in Pomona she’d be at the Montclaire Plaza right now with her friends, checking out all the hot guys at the mall. The last thing she’d expected was to be brought up to the bedroom of some sexy Latina wife and told to try on swimsuits.
“I know, honey. Let’s just get through it, okay.”
Her mom seemed as rattled as she was.
“Are you alright, Mom?”
“I’m fine, honey.”
“You seem embarrassed.”
“I guess I am, Becky!”
Becky nodded. They were in this together. She pulled off her dress and got into the bathing suit. It wasn’t a bad fit. Her mother went into the bathroom and came back out a moment later. She looked beautiful in the Lacoste bikini. Becky knew her’s was the sexier outfit but she wished she could have worn the Lacoste. It looked so elegant, like a paparazzi shot of a famous actress lying on a yacht on the French Riviera.
“Mom, you look fantastic!”
“Oh, honey, you’re so sweet.”
“You really do.”
“You look great too.”
Becky looked at herself in the mirror above Zola’s vanity. She looked hot and she knew it. It was a shame there wasn’t anyone to impress at this party. It was just neighbors, a bunch of married men and their wives, she imagined.
“Híjole,” Zola said as she came back in from the balcony. “You two look hot.”
Becky saw her mother smile. She was actually proud. That was all it ever took with her mother, a few complements and she was right as rain.
“Thank you for giving us outfits that actually fit,” Ariel said.
“You’ll be a
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