Page 97 of Blue

“What?” She shook her head, unable to comprehend what it meant.

Correction. Sheknewwhat it meant. It was a property vest. It was a vest for an ol’ lady. But. She wasn’t his ol’ lady.

“The papers are signed. I’m renting a place. It’s done.” He smiled as wide as the Cheshire Cat.

He spoke at a normal pace, but his worlds felt like they flew at her at tremendous speeds. She couldn’t process anything. Her head spun, her emotions whirled, and she couldn’t grasp what was going on.

Her heart fluttered. “What?” she repeated.

Apparently, it was the only word her lips knew how to form. Her brain, on the other hand, it raced. He said she was safe, and now he was divorced.

This was too much. How did all this happen so fast? What the hell was happening?

She looked down at the vest in his hands. And he asked her to be his ol’ lady.

How? Everything she wanted, there it was before her. All the obstacles were gone. He did it. The road to being together was clear.

How could that actually be? Disbelief rattled around in her mind as her heart swooned. At least she thought it was her heart. Could have been the Blue Hawaiian she’d just chugged.

Either way, she wasn’t sure she could process all of this at once.

“I’m divorced. It’s our time.” He turned the vest as he rose to his full height. On the lapel of the vest, he showed her where he’d embroidered her name.

“Will you be my ol’ lady?”

Her stomach bubbled angrily.

No. No. Not now.

Covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes widened.

No, no, no, no.

She waved her free hand and turned.

“Blue?” he asked.

One step. Two steps. Oh shit.

“Dakota? Are you okay?”

Bending at the waist, with her hand on the wall of the nightclub, she heaved. Her eyes watered. Her nose ran, and she heaved again, and the contents of her stomach splattered onto her shoes.

With one of his hands, he gathered her hair away from her face while the other rested on the small of her back.

“I got you,” he said as he rubbed small circles. “Not the response I expected.”

Another giant lurch as more of her night’s sugary sweet enjoyment spilled on the pavement.

“I’m sorry,” she groaned as she wiped her bottom lip and straightened herself.

Mooky wrapped her in a hug. “It’s okay,” he said before he kissed her forehead. “I’ll take care of you.”

She snuggled into him. “Can I wear the vest?” she asked. “I’m kind of cold.”

CHAPTER 34

Mooky

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