Be My Valentine: The McClendon Holiday Series, Book 3
Page 26
She stared at the smirk on Julia’s face and thought about the fact that she would never hear the end of it if Julia were to win the bet. Always wanting to one-up her, Renee had to find a way to wipe the smug smile off Julia’s face once and for all.
Renee extended her hand to Julia. “Okay, Ms. Smarty, let’s see who gets the last laugh.”
Julia accepted her hand as the other two friends watched. “Be careful, girlfriend, you might be the one crying over the loss of your precious book.” She leaned over to her sister. “I can’t wait to see this.”
Renee looked between Cara and Gina, then finally at Julia. The woman should have known that Renee could hear her. “I can’t wait either, Julia,” Renee said in response before getting up from her seat.
Renee needed to steer the conversation back to Gina, who looked so cute with her rhinestone tiara and veil perched on top of her auburn hair. She had even purchased a custom royal-blue sash with Bride-to-Be written in silver glitter for the occasion. They were supposed to be having fun, and if Renee didn’t get away from Julia, she would say something she’d regret. One day she would find out what her “so-called friend’s” real problem was with her.
Standing at the table, Renee had to gather her thoughts because they’d gotten way off the real reason for them being there together. It was for Gina and not arguing about her list or her journal.
Renee wanted Gina to be treated like a princess on her last night of being single. She’d even hired a male stripper to come dressed as a police officer. It would probably scare the crap out of Gina at first, but Renee was sure they all would get a kick out of a tall chocolate man gyrating his hips in front of them. She’d had everything planned to the last detail and now with Julia and her antics, she was about to spoil the whole thing.
She was sorry she took so much time with Julia ranting about her journal. She really was happy for Gina and ordered a plethora of her favorite junk foods for their late night celebration.
Gina Armstrong was just as beautiful as her sister Julia with the same auburn, curly hair. She was of average height with a much thicker build than her half-sister. They’d just finished the wedding rehearsal and dinner. The four of them had planned to stay up late talking and watching their favorite movies like Sex and the City parts one and two and also the movie Bridesmaids which Renee thought was hilarious and very befitting for the occasion.
“Ladies, let’s really get this party started,” Renee said as she admired the beautifully set table that the concierge assisted her with. They had potato, chicken, pasta and tuna salads, hot and spicy wings, double loaded potato skins, mozzarella sticks, double fudge brownies with walnuts, tiramisu, a variety of cake pops, and banana pudding in little plastic champagne flutes. The table looked lovely.
Renee picked up the silver, serving spoon and added some corkscrew pasta salad to the small square plate along with a spoonful of the rest of the dishes and placed a Hawaiian dinner role on the side. She re-took her seat next to Cara, sitting the plate in her lap. After everyone had prepared their plates, she picked up her champagne glass and waited for them to do the same.
Raising it in the air, she said, “Congratulations, Gina. I hope that you have a wonderful life,” Renee said.
“I think this is going to be an interesting year,” Cara added lifting her glass a bit higher.
After sipping from her own glass, Julia raised hers. “I’d like to propose a toast to us and the perfect man.”
Renee didn’t allow Julia’s sarcastic remark to bother her, so she raised her glass with the rest of them. “Here, here,” she said.
Julia lowered hers. “Remember, you can’t add anything to the list and you can’t take anything from it.”
“I don’t think I’ll have any problems at all,” Renee said confidently, but on the inside, she didn’t know if she’d allowed her temper to get the best of her. Had she gone a bit too far with the bet?
Julia raised her forefinger. “Wait, I want to make this a little more interesting. I want you to find your perfect man, Ms. McClendon, by New Year’s.”
Cara gave Julia a sidelong glance. “Why New Year’s?”
Julia hunched her shoulders. “Hell, it sounded good and I’m trying to help my girl out.”
Gina pushed at Julia’s knee. “This broad has had too much to drink, so I wouldn’t pay any attention to her.”
“No, I think it’s a good idea,” Renee said. “I’ll find my husband by my families’ New Year’s Eve Gala. A new year, a new start.”
“But that’s not realistic, you guys,” Gina said.
“No, what’s not realistic is that stupid list,” Julia said.
Renee watched as Cara and Gina rolled their eyes at Julia. She was in agreement because she was starting back down the same road.
“Wait, ladies. New Year’s next year is plenty of time if Renee thinks she’s going to win. I don’t think she will because there is no such thing as a perfect man,” Julia said.
Renee bit back an expletive. She just wanted the woman to shut up, so they could move on to the fun. “To finding a husband by New Year’s,” she raised her glass and they toasted.
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Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
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Be My Valentine
Copyright © 2016 by Sean D. Young
ISBN: 978-1-61923-350-8
Edited by Latoya Smith
Cover by Leah Kaye Suttle
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First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: April 2016
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