Pulling into my driveway, I cut the engine and rushed up the front steps to my house. Mojito had been locked up for too long the last few days. As soon as I opened the front door, she bolted for me and nearly knocked me down with the full force of her happiness.
“Hey, girl. I’m sorry you’ve been stuck in the house so long.” Maneuvering around her, I headed toward my bedroom to change into some running clothes.
It wasn’t long before I was pounding the pavement with Mojito by my side. This used to be my first choice when it came to exercise and stress busting, then I started going to the gym. Today, though, this familiar motion was welcomed. My mind relaxed with each beat of my feet across the pavement and each measured inhale of breath through my lungs. After this, I’d load up Mojito in my truck, and we’d take a ride to my parents’ house to fix that damn kitchen light I’d forgotten about.
Sweat dripped down the center of my back, and I picked up my pace a slight bit. The sound of my sneakers hitting against the sidewalk and Mojito’s nails clapping along with me were the only things I could hear. I was in the zone. A zone I hadn’t been in for a while, and it felt so damn nice. This was exactly what I needed.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LAUREN
To my surprise, Jimmy let me spend the night, but when I left for work, he didn’t seem as though he’d be offering another night. In fact, he didn’t mention anything about seeing me later at all. This was fine with me; it gave my who-ha time to heal. Spending time with Jimmy only involved food, wine, and sex. Last night, we’d gone at it like rabbits for most of the night. I was exhausted and tender to say the least. Taking a break from him would be exactly what I needed, considering I had my wonderful yearly checkup to look forward to on Monday.
Paige was already at the shop when I arrived. The dedication she had when it came to this store was something I don’t think anyone expected, not even her parents. She was proud of this place and she had damn good reason to be.
“Morning!” she chimed as soon as I crossed the threshold. “What are you doing tonight?”
“I’m not sure. Why?” I headed to the area beneath the desk where we always tucked away our purses. “Do you have something going on?”
“Blaire wants you to swing by and help plan the wedding.”
“Plan the wedding? Aren’t her mom and sister doing that with her?” Last time I heard Blaire mention anything about her and Jason’s wedding, she’d said they were handling everything. While I hadn’t thought that would be a good idea—considering it was her wedding, after all—I’d bit my tongue and kept my mouth shut.
Paige scrunched up her face. “They’re becoming control freaks. Blaire is taking over and finally putting her foot down about it all.”
“So, what time tonight? Do I need to bring anything?”
Paige started moving clothes from one area to another. “Just yourself.”
“What are you doing?” I asked. She’d made her way down an entire rack, only pulling out the white tops and leaving everything else behind.
“I think we should color code the racks.”
I smirked at her. She was always coming up with some new way to rearrange things in the store.
“Okay.” I moved to the next rack and began removing all the white tops for her.
At 10:05, the doors opened as our first customer of the day entered. This was a good sign. Since Paige’s Closet had opened a few months ago, things had gradually picked up. It wasn’t the hottest little consignment shop in Norhurst yet, but over time, I expected it to become that. Paige was anticipating the sales to increase over the next week or so, because she was planning to host a special sale. One she called “The Sizzling Summer Sale.” It would feature a price drop on all the summer merchandise.
I glanced up to see the customer who’d entered, and spotted Eva Bennett.
“Hey, ladies.” She smiled.
Eva was Paige’s boyfriend Cameron’s best friend. She was drop-dead gorgeous and had a mouth like mine. We got along fine because of it.
“What are you doing here today?” I asked as I continued shifting around clothes.
“Yeah, don’t you have one of your million things to do today?” Paige added.
Eva was always busy. She waitressed and was a full-time student at Norhurst University. Seeing her have some downtime was rare.
“Nope, I actually have a full day to myself,” Eva gushed. She flung her long hair over her shoulder and paused in front of the two of us. “Figured I’d stop by and see what you had in stock. Anything cute?”
That was the wrong thing to ask Paige and me. We would have Eva loaded to the gills with new outfits that would look great on her. Fashion was something Paige lived for, and it was a talent I’d been born with. Combined, we could make anyone look good.
“You asked the wrong question. You should have mentioned your budget first and asked what cute outfits you could get for the price.” I laughed, seeing the gears already turning behind Paige’s eyes.
Eva’s ocean blue eyes widened, and a laugh burst from her. “You’re right! Damn, I did that last time, too.”
I laughed as I put the last of the white tops I’d found in the area Paige had designated for them, and then moved on to the next color.
“What are you doing later tonight?” Paige asked Eva. She grabbed a knee-length dress I’d loved when we first tagged it and handed it to Eva. The dress was two sizes too small on me, but would look stunning on her. Skinny bitch.
“Nothing really—cleaning, finding something to eat, and catching up on my TV shows. Why? Anything fun going on?” Eva asked. She held up the dress Paige had handed her, and tucked it beneath her chin while walking to the full-length mirror at her right. “You sure about this one? You don’t think it’s a little bold for me?”
“It looks great. I wanted it for myself, but my ass is too big. It would fit your skinny ass perfect though,” I muttered.
“Don’t hate.” Eva smirked.
“Blaire wants help with deciding on wedding stuff. We’re all staying in for the night, having a few drinks, eating some food, and flipping through bridal magazines to help her pick stuff out,” Paige said. She walked to where Eva stood and wrapped a thick brown belt around her waist, securing the dress to Eva and adding a little more style to the outfit. “There, that tones the colors down some. It solidifies them and brings out your darker highlights in your hair. Match it with some brown heeled boots or brown wedge sandals and you’ve got one smokin’ hot outfit.”
“God, you’re right.” Eva grinned. “How the hell do you do that?”
“It’s a gift,” Paige insisted with a shrug of her shoulders. “So, what about tonight? Are you in?”
“Sure, just tell me what to bring.” Eva nodded.
* * * *
Blaire seemed to have picked up every bride-to-be and wedding magazine she could find on her way home, Paige grabbed Chinese food from our favorite local place, Eva brought two bottles of wine, and I’d nabbed some chocolate on the way over. We were all set for a night of bonding over wedding arrangements and bridesmaid gowns.
“What about this dress?” Blaire asked. She held up the magazine she’d been flipping through and pointed to a long, spandex-looking dress in a light pink color.
“Eh, I don’t know. The fabric looks like the stretchy stuff workout clothes are made from, but thinner. If that’s what it’s made of, it won’t be forgiving in the area of my ass,” I said honestly.
Blaire laughed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah right. You would look great in a trash bag if that’s what I chose for you.”
“It actually looks like the type of sheer, see-through fabric curtains are made of. Which might not be such a good thing, especially since the wedding is in the winter. We might have our nips showing the entire time,” Paige said.
Nips? I died laughing at that one.
“Fine,” Blaire grumbled. She continued to flip pages, adamant on at least nailing down one thing about the wedding tonight. “I
’ll keep looking.”
Bridesmaid dresses had to be the hardest part when it came to planning a wedding, especially when your bridesmaids each had a different body type. Where I was a little thicker with a ghetto booty, Paige was petite and thin, and Eva was tall and slender with goddess-like legs. Finding a dress that would look good on all of us was a challenge.
“What about this one?” Paige held up the picture for us to see. “It’s not the right color, but it says it comes in a variety.”
Glaring at the picture, I prayed Blaire would chime in with a flat-out no before me, so I wouldn’t have to look like the bad guy again. While the dress was cute, it was not one I wanted to wear. Ever. There were too many ruffles and frills for my liking.
“I actually kind of like the color,” Blaire surprised me by saying. “I’m just not too sure about the ruffles though, but the length is good.”
Thank God! She’d shot it down like I’d hoped.
Paige flung the magazine down on the coffee table and stood. “I need a refill, anyone else?”
“I’ll take one.” Blaire smiled. She was biting back a laugh, but I didn’t know why.
“Bring the bottle in. I’m sure once you top us all off, it will be gone anyway,” I added. My eyes shifted to Blaire, and I willed her to tell me what she was thinking.
“Did you notice how I let her down easy?” Blaire grinned like a fool. “I used the sandwich method she’s always using on me when she nitpicks my clothes—say something positive first, then negative, followed by another positive.”
“That’s good. Don’t get mad when I use it on you for your next choice I’m sure I’ll hate.” I laughed. “Who knew picking out a dress would be so damn hard?”
“What’s so funny?” Paige demanded. She made her way back around the couch, reaching for my glass to top it off, before moving on to do the same with Blaire and Eva’s.
“The dress you picked out,” I snickered.
Paige rolled her eyes. “It’s eighties-looking and cute. You know the eighties are coming back. My mom sported her newest pair of hot pink leg warmers at our last brunch.”
“That was one clothing era I was always glad to have missed out on. I can’t believe they’re bringing it back.” Eva tucked a long leg beneath her as she leaned over for the bag of chocolate. “Horrible.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” I took a sip of my wine, and flipped through the magazine in my lap again.
“I don’t know what you guys are talking about. I think all the bright colors and ruffles were fun and cute.” Paige huffed.
“You would.” Blaire smiled. She grabbed a chocolate from the bag in Eva’s lap and chucked it at Paige. It hit her square in the center of her forehead and we all died laughing.
After tapping into the second bottle of wine, and eating nearly half the bag of chocolates, we still hadn’t decided on a damn dress.
“I say we head to Carver this weekend and skim through the on sale prom dresses.” I yawned. “They don’t have to be the same style, but we can try to find some in the color you want.”
“That’s a good idea.” Blaire stood and stretched her legs. We’d been sitting in place for what felt like hours. “How about tomorrow? I get off at two thirty. I have a few things I need to get done in the afternoon, but I can meet you guys at the shop. If you want, we can carpool over after you close up and grab some dinner while we shop?”
“Sounds great,” Paige muttered between yawns. “Eva, you gonna be able to come?”
“I have classes all afternoon.” Eva frowned. “Make sure you guys text me a picture if you find something though.”
“It’s a plan, then.” Blaire scooped up the empty Chinese cartons and her chocolate wrappers. “See you ladies in the morning. I’m beat.”
“Oh, can I have an affair with your couch for the next few days? My bed is sort of under the weather at the moment, and my sofa is totally uncomfortable, unlike yours.” I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
“Do what?” Blaire muttered, confusion crossing her face.
“Did I not tell you the catastrophe that is my life right now? How could I have forgotten?” I took the remaining few sips of my wine, and set my glass down on the coffee table.
Blaire’s eyebrows drew together. “Uh, no.”
“The water heater in the apartment above mine decided to leak all over my bedroom the other night. I woke up to it actually dripping on me in my sleep,” I informed her and Eva, while crumbling up some chocolate wrappers I’d been sitting on. “My entire room is like a humid jungle now. All I need are plants and it’s good to go. So, needless to say, I need a place to crash for a few days, just until I leave for Greece that is.” I flashed her a sideways look.
“And why can’t you stay at Jimmy’s place?” Blaire demanded. “I mean, I’m fine with you camping out here, but what’s his deal? You never stay there.”
I cringed, hating the fact that she’d caught on to that odd little tidbit about him too.
“I actually spent last night there.” I headed to the trashcan, and dumped my embarrassing amount of wrappers in the garbage before anyone else saw. “I don’t want him to get sick of me, and then decide to head to Greece alone.” I chuckled.
There might have been more truth to that statement than even I realized now that I thought about it. Was that his reasoning behind neglecting to offer for me to stay another night? Hell, he hadn’t even sent me a text at all today. Had I already ruined my welcome with him in the time frame of a single night?
I inhaled and then exhaled to clear my head. Why the hell did I care? I could always go to Greece—it would always be there—and I didn’t want to stay at his place tonight anyway. My tender lady parts were a valid reminder of that.
“Yeah, let’s hope that trip brings the two of you closer.” Blaire placed her hands on her hips and glared at me. “I don’t get how you two can be so casual when it comes to your relationship.”
“Well, if the sex is good and he’s not all creeper-clingy and treating me like dog shit all the time, then why question it? Just go with the flow.” I yawned and then smiled. “All right, pass me a blanket. I’ve got to get some shut-eye.”
“Amen to that.” Eva grinned. “I think I’m gonna head home. I need to be up early in the morning for my shift.”
“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” Blaire asked.
“How many glasses of wine did you have?” Paige chimed in.
“Jesus, you two are like mother hens right now.” I laughed.
“Seriously,” Eva agreed. She crossed the apartment and dumped her wineglass in the sink. “I’ve only had one and a half glasses in the last four hours. I’m fine.”
“Are you positive? Cameron would kill me if I let you drive when you were drunk and something horrible happened,” Paige insisted.
“I’m fine.” Eva scooped her purse off the kitchen counter, and walked to the door to slip on her sandals. “Promise. I wouldn’t leave if I was wasted or even slightly buzzed. At this point, I’m just tired.”
“All right,” Blaire muttered. “Text and let us know you made it home all right.”
“Will do.” Eva opened the front door. “See ya, ladies. It was fun.”
We all shouted bye in unison as she closed the front door behind her.
“All right, blanket. I really need to get some sleep,” I demanded.
“Here, you can use this one.” Paige handed me a thin, woven blanket from the hall closet.
“Thanks.” I snatched it from her hands and wasted no time getting comfortable on their overstuffed sofa.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
IAN
By Sunday, my lack of sleep from the week and the constant parade of worries through my mind had all taken their toll, and I’d slept like a baby. Mojito nuzzling my face woke me. With a groggy mind and sleep still filling my eyes, I sat up in bed. Panic trickled though me as I wondered if I missed anything that I’d been supposed to do. For a long moment, I wasn’t eve
n sure what day it was. Scooping my cell off my rickety nightstand, I checked the date and time—1:10 Sunday, July 9. Holy hell, I’d slept the entire day.
As I ran my hands over my face, Mojito whined and let out a little yip. Flinging the blankets off, I shuffled my feet across the room and down the hall to let her outside. Thank God I had an obedient dog that wouldn’t pee in the house when I wasn’t looking. Mojito was smart like that. Closing the front door, I yawned and popped my lower back before heading to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.
After taking care of my morning necessities, I backtracked to my bedroom for my phone. I needed to call Mom and see how things were going with Dad. He was supposed to be discharged today at some point. At least that had been the word yesterday. When I dialed her cell number and she didn’t answer, tendrils of panic sparked to life inside me again. A knock at my front door paused my hysteria and indecision on who I should call next—Aubrey or Cassie—and I bolted to see who it was.
“Oh my God, do you always answer your door wearing underwear?” Cassie asked, shielding her eyes.
Glancing down, I took in my plaid boxers. “No, not generally. What are you doing here?”
Cassie maneuvered around me and into the living room. “Aubrey sent me. She wants you to head over to Mom and Dad’s with me to make sure the place is cleaned up. Dad’s getting released in a little while, and she doesn’t want Mom to worry about a messy house and stuff.”
“Well, what time is he being discharged? It’s already almost one thirty.”
She covered her eyes with her hand. “Jesus, Ian, go put some freaking pants on first. Then we’ll talk. The last thing I wanted to see coming over here was you in your underwear.”
“Fine.” I chuckled. She acted as if it was a crime to wear virtually nothing in my own house.
“Aubrey said about four. That gives us a little time to head to the house, pick it up, and clear out all the junk food.”
“What?” I demanded. I scooped the cargo shorts I’d worn the other day off the floor, and pulled them on. “We’re getting rid of all the junk food in the house, too?”
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