Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 139147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
“I…don’t know what to say.”
“Well figure it out, because he’s out walking a dog so he won’t be gone forever, and I need to sort this out.”
“You didn’t even get to the restaurant?”
“I barely remember the car ride home from Elsie Fay’s, I was so messed up. But just to say, the restaurant was gonna be Vincent’s, with Platform 18 after that, and he gave no shits we missed either booking.”
“My Lord,” she breathed reverently. “Vincent’s is an ace-in-the-hole, guaranteed blowjob date on its own. But he also booked Platform 18?”
“Yep.”
“For a first date?”
“I know. Those are totally Valentine’s Day or birthday or fiftieth wedding anniversary locations.”
“He’s in as deep as you,” she proclaimed.
My heart stuttered to a halt.
“You think?” I asked.
“What man gets up before eight on a Saturday to walk a woman’s dog, that’s not even her dog, after she blubbers in his arms, lays some heavy shit on him and makes him lose his Platform 18 deposit? It’s a sheer miracle he didn’t sneak out in the middle of the night to go home and then immediately block your number on his phone.”
She spoke truth.
Holy wow.
He was in as deep as me.
“And, you know, Raye,” she went on. “Not many men take time out of their day to hit up a woman’s place of business to share face to face he has to change their date plans. I was impressed then. I mean, one-two punch, he was so interested, he wanted to see where you worked, at the same time see you. He’s in, and that in is deep.”
“We’ve known each other a couple of days and had one very bad, totally awesome date.”
“All I gotta say to that is, life is shit, and it’s totally awesome, so if you can sort through your shit and think being with him through it is awesome, you best be pulling out the trifle bowl.”
This referred to making my famous chocolate pudding.
For Cap.
My trifle bowl saw a lot of action. Every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas at Luna’s folks’ house. Every Oasis Square get-together. And nearly every girls’ night in at my place.
I once showed at our Oasis Square Independence Day Extravaganza without it, and I was shunned. Until I dashed out to Fry’s and did my best with the time I had (I liked my pud to cure overnight, it was still good, because what made it couldn’t be bad, but it wasn’t my best effort).
“This is what I know,” Luna broke into my pudding reverie. “You have never told a single date or boyfriend the story of your sister. Not because you’re ashamed of it, but because you didn’t deem them worthy. You deemed this guy worthy. And you are one together bitch. It isn’t about hormones or hotness. This guy has got something that reaches you. Which means I’m making dinner for him Sunday night after our Dream Intervention.”
This was big.
Huge.
Luna had never invited one of my guys to her house for dinner.
It took Luna a year to invite Hunter to one of her soirees.
She was an ace hostess, but the woman was picky.
“That’s Sunday?” I asked after the Intervention.
“Actually, you should invite Cap to it,” she said…insanely. “He needs to know what he’s getting into with our family.”
Our family.
Oh snap.
I might cry again.
“Don’t make me emotional. I glanced at my face in the mirror as I brushed my teeth and my eyes are scary puffy. In fact, I need to get off the phone and get my eye mask out of the freezer so I can get a minute or two with it on before he gets back.”
“Your phone goes with you, bitch.”
True.
I got out of bed and headed to the freezer, saying, “Still, I shouldn’t be on the phone gabbing with my bestie when he gets home. He’ll know we’ve been talking about him.”
“He doesn’t strike me as a dunderhead.”
Dunderhead?
Where does she get this stuff?
She kept going.
“If he doesn’t figure you did it while he was walking Cleo, he’ll know it’s gonna happen eventually.”
I grabbed the mask and headed back to bed. “I’m not going to ask him to the Dream Intervention.”
It was like I didn’t speak.
“I’m gonna clear it with Mom and Dad. They’ll say yes. Dad especially. He’ll wanna look this guy over.”
Oh my Lord.
“Luna—”
“Gotta make a call. Byeeeee.”
She disconnected.
I sighed, turned around to make myself coffee, went back to bed and strapped the mask over my eyes before I aimed my coffee mug to my mouth.
I should have done that in another order.
Still, I got some joe down my gullet.
Blindly, I set the mug on the nightstand and laid back.
It would take a while before I realized just that.
It had been a while.
A long while since Cap and Cleo left.
What? Did he set about ghosting me while stealing my client’s dog?
On this thought, I heard the front door open.