Page 29 of Big Dix

He straightens his shirt. “I get it, man. You caught the fucking feelings. I disrespected your woman. Sorry. I didn’t know it had evolved into anything. Good thing I didn’t hunt her down and ask her out like I was planning. Talk about awkward.”

“Trent,” I growl like a barely contained animal. Seriously, what’s up with this jealousy I’m feeling? I never acted like this over Annie.

He throws up his hands. “Just kidding, man. For real, you better lock that shit down, though. Girls like her don’t usually stay single for long. Drag your feet, and I may have to reevaluate how much your friendship means to me.”

I shoot him a stern glare. Trent just smiles because he knows he’s getting under my skin, but he isn’t wrong.

SEVENTEEN

Evelyn

“What in the hell happened to your eye?”

“Good morning to you, too, Jen.”

I push the door closed behind me and turn the lock. I conveniently had yesterday off so I got to avoid this conversation. Opening isn’t for another three and a half hours. I came in early to get started on some snickerdoodles and brownies for an order that’s getting picked up as soon as we open.

“No, really, what in the fuck happened to your eye?”

“It’s me we are talking about, so long crazy story. Is there coffee?”

I damn sure need it, and I make my way back to the kitchen with Jen hot on my heels.

“So?” She takes away the filters from me and starts filling the coffee machine.

I hop up on the counter and settle in. The smell of the ground coffee makes me impatient for its sustenance. Scanning the room, it’s clear she’s been here a while. She already has five cakes made this morning, and from the smell of it, more are in the ovens.

“Jen, what time did you get here? How do you already have all this done?”

She turns to face me. “Girl, I’ve been here for a while. My life is a mess, but we’ll discuss that another time. Right now, I want to know what happened to your eye.”

“How is your life a mess? What’s going on?”

“I promise I’ll tell you about it sometime, but right now, I just want to forget. So, tell me, what’s up with the pirate patch?”

“I’ll let you win for now, but don’t think for a second that I’m going to forget that something is going on and you’re not telling me.” I sigh dramatically as I tend to do. “I may have met up with Atticus Dixon as my alter ego, Big Books, and maybe, hypothetically, a button flew off his shirt in the heat of the moment and popped me in the eyeball.”

The crease in her brow deepens just a little bit, and I can tell she’s a tad confused.

“Hold up. You met up with Atticus Dixon and didn’t fucking tell me? Unbelievable. I tell you everything.”

I give her some severe side-eye. “You just said you’re not telling me something. So, I’m pretty sure you’re currently not telling me everything.”

“Totally beside the point. Now, spill the tea.” Jen pops a piece of muffin into her mouth and stares me down as she waits for my reply.

“Okay, but you’re going to laugh. I’m telling you now.” I spill every sordid detail; Jen hangs on my every word because I am, of course, the most superb storyteller in the world.

“You’re kidding me? You met a hot doctor, and you didn’t think to call your single best friend?”

“Totally not the point but yeah, he was hot.”

Jen pops another bite of muffin into her mouth. “So, you’re going to see him again?”

I hop off the counter and reach out for my apron hanging nearby on a hook, loop it around my neck, and tie it on. “That’s the plan. Atticus is nice and funny, and he’s packing.”

He is the perfect trifecta.

“Evelyn.”

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