Page 24 of Doing It for Love

Not to mention I always talk about my purchases with him before I make them. I want the same courtesy.

Landon sighs and slips on his Beetlejuice cap. He turns around with a smile and kisses my nose.

“I’m sorry. I’ll work overtime. Make it up.”

I shake my head. “When? If you’re not at work you’re working on set.” I tuck my phone back in my pocket. “Maybe I can pick up some shifts.”

“I’ll do it.” He reaches out, rubs my arms, and even though I don’t believe him, I let him think I do. “I gotta run. I love you. We can fight about this when I get home.”

I roll my eyes, but a small laugh falls out. “Fine. But this conversation is not over.”

Sweet mother, I sound like my sweet mother.

He squeezes my arms and I hug him. We made a deal after our first argument that even if we’re mad, if the other person has somewhere to be, we put it on hold, say we love each other, and if the anger is still there when we’re together again, we deal with it. It’s hard sometimes, but my imagination always runs wild and I wonder what if he gets in an accident and I didn’t say I loved him?

He cups my face and pulls me in for a kiss I’m not sure I want, but after a hard press of his lips, a gentle stroke of his tongue, I don’t want it to end. A surprise kiss…wow. Haven’t had one of these in a while. It’s nice, and for a second I forget I’m mad. Well played, Mr. Wangford.

After he leaves, I pull out the laptop and start rearranging money in my budget plan folder. We have just over $1,500 in savings after I dropped a buttload on the venue, and if we keep spending money like we do it’s going to be long gone by January.

O-town plays in the background as I look at all the negative numbers. Four twenty-dollar overdraft fees in the past three months. Way too much money being spent at the gas station, but I have no idea how to avoid that. Maybe I can ask Alec to drive me to work so Landon doesn’t have to take more trips picking me up and dropping me off. I’m not exactly on the way, but he might be up for it.

And we eat out too much. Gotta break the habit.

I open up a new Excel spreadsheet and label it “To Get the Perfect Wedding.” Time to figure out how the heck we can afford everything I have on my Pinterest board.

A knock comes at my door, and I shout a “Come in, Alec!” because he’s the only one of our friends who knocks. He caught Landon and me in a pretty compromising position once. Walked in and walked right back out.

He’s in his Bed Bath & Beyond polo, dirty blond hair totally flat from the day’s work. He gives me a small grin and hands me an envelope. Ah! Answer to my prayers.

“Payday!” I shout, ripping into the check. Alec goes to close the door, but a foot stops him.

“Hey, Beth Ann,” Jace says, letting himself in. He’s covered in bloody makeup and shredded clothing and heads straight for my fridge.

“I don’t have any more hot dogs,” I tell him, my heart dropping a little at the very small amount on my paycheck. I forgot about taking a few sick days when I thought there was a bun in the oven. Damn it. I don’t think I can put anything into savings this time.

“Don’t need ’em,” Jace says, pulling out a carton of eggs. I sigh because I know he’s on a mission for gross products to pass off as body parts in Landon’s movie, but there goes my breakfast for the next week.

“Tell him thanks for not using the card, I guess.”

Jace nods and heads back out, nearly knocking over Theresa in the doorway. I’d wonder if I sent out party invitations, if this wasn’t a normal thing.

They share a really bizarre look and scoot around each other. When Jace is gone, Theresa’s smile spreads wide and she wiggles a case of wine coolers at me. “Is Alec going to help?”

“Huh?”

“Dress browsing, silly girl. You called me this morning…”

Oh right! Where is my brain? “Yes…sorry. Been…”cleaning all day, worried about money, stressed to the max, and Landon isn’t home. “I’ve been distracted.” I turn to Alec. “You can stay if you want.”

He wrinkles his nose. “And plan wedding stuff?”

“We’ll order pizza,” Theresa says. Man, I really hope she’s paying.

He shrugs and pulls his work polo over his head so he’s in just his white undershirt. I notice Theresa’s eyes linger on Alec’s stomach, but she shakes her head and pulls out her phone.

“Okay, someone turn on music from this decade and I’ll get the food.”

Chapter 8

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