Page 59 of After 5

According to Ragina, a guy like Caiyan was out of my league. At our last meeting, she had slipped him her number under the table. After she left, he told me she was like a Tootsie Pop. All the good stuff was on the outside. He tossed the napkin adorned with her number into the firepit, making me ecstatic. I showed him my thanks later that evening.

“Breakup?” I questioned. How did she know Caiyan and I weren’t together? For cripes sake, I only found out recently.

“What are you talking about?” Gertie asked.

“You know, your breakup with the sexy Scottish guy.”

I glanced over at Gertie.

“Oh, poor you. You haven’t seen the latest on Gossip Gal?”

She dug in her Boite Chapeau Louis Vuitton bag and retrieved her smartphone. Holding it up for scary face recognition, she tapped the screen, careful not to damage her pointed, red, bedazzled nail.

“Here’s the post.” She turned the phone toward me.

I took it from her, attempting to hide my jagged cuticles. Gertie leaned over my shoulder and read along with me.

The latest feed from Gossip Gal, a celebrity stalker turned blogger, displayed on the screen. Cradled in a heart swoosh, a picture of a smiling Caiyan and Mahlia captionedAll my best to the Happy Couple! G.G. XOXO.

The smaller print read Scottish Lord to wed Mafuso Motors princess Saturday afternoon on the second of July.

My stomach rolled. “Things didn’t go as planned,” I said, handing back her phone. Where was Brodie with our beers?

“I guess he figured out a southern girl wasn’t his cup of tea,” she said, returning her phone to her bag.

Brodie set three long-necked beer bottles down on the table. I upended mine before he took his seat. “Yer the dingo from Jen’s high school,” Brodie said to Ragina.

I tried to hide a smile. Ragina had no idea what the word meant. She smiled wide at Brodie’s rugged Keith Urban persona.

“Why, yes I am.” Ragina leaned toward him as he took the seat next to Gertie. She blinked twice when Gertie leaned over and kissed Brodie complete with lots of tongue action to ensure Ragina took the hint. This Aussie’s taken.

“PDA, already…” She wrinkled her nose at the lip-locked couple.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. The dive bar was not the normal hangout for the uptight homecoming queen.

“My grandfather was a prominent photojournalist and a descendant of Civil War photographer Mathew Brady.” She flipped her brown hair aside. “Anyhow, when my grandfather died, he left me all these Civil War photos and the owner of the bar wants to check them out. He might buy them from me to display in the bar.”

“Shouldn’t you donate them to a museum?” Gertie paused from staking a claim on Brodie to ask.

“Yes, you should donate them,” I said, remembering Caiyan’s promise to Mr. Raney.

“No way. The museum won’t pay. The owner of the club’s offering top dollar. We’re discussing it over drinks tonight.”

The music changed, and Gertie squealed at Brodie. “Let’s go dance. I’ll teach you how to do the Cotton-Eye Joe.”

Brodie mouthed, “I know how,” to Ragina and me as he followed Gertie to hook up with the other line dancers.

“Can I take a look at the photos?” I asked Ragina.

“You can see them hanging on the wall after I get paid.” Ragina hugged her bag tightly to her middle.

“Just asking.”

“How are you going to mend that broken heart of yours after your ex-hunk ties the knot with the gorgeous rich New Yorker?” She placed her hand over her heart in feigned interest.

Typical Ragina. Trying to bring me to tears over my broken relationship. If I wasn’t careful, she’d snap a pic of me drowning my sorrows in beer and send it to Gossip Gal.

I lifted my chin and tried to think of some snappy remark to let her know I wasn’t suffering over the news of Caiyan’s impending marriage when a man encircled me from behind and kissed me my neck.

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