A final chat

You stay a few more minutes, chatting with the two women and enjoying the intelligent conversation immensely. You would happily stay longer, but you feel a need to stretch your legs and see more of the campus for yourself.

"Come back anytime sugar," Lorri laughs. "Give me some warning and I'll whip up a mess o' collards and chitlins."

"Really?" you ask, seeing Donna suppressing a grin.

"Shit no," the black woman snorts, then burst into a guffaw. "I might fix some collards, but chitlins is strictly from hunger. Even broke ass honkies won't eat that. I do like messin' with you though. Good to have you around Mason." She stands and wraps you up in a hug that presses her large and surprisingly firm body against you, then passes you to Donna who gives you a much more sedate hug and sisterly kiss on the cheek.

"You take care of yourself Mason," she says carefully. "There are people here who don't want you here, and I don't just mean Diane Naylor. Some people who are genuinely vicious."

You look at her in surprise and a bit of puzzlement, but clearly she intends to say no more.

"Listen to her, Mason. Not much goes on here that Donna don't understand. Watch that ass of yours," Lorri says as she ushers you out the cottage door.