Page 58 of A Class of Her Own

“Meredith?” Hailey called over my continued laughter. “Your laugh is morphing into a cackle.”

“Sorry. I find facts wickedly delightful.”

Hailey chuckled. “You looked pretty when we had that fitting, so stop fretting about it. Just because you don’t usually wear a color doesn’t mean it looks terrible on you. In fact it brought a little color into your complexion.”

I slowed the pace of my pedaling and entered the cooldown phase. “Seeing as you’re regularly the best dressed person I know, I’ll take your word for it.”

“Thank you. Now, I believe your text said something about Brooks and you getting cozy with a possible side of jealousy?” I heard some shuffling and a click. “I turned on the lamp; my eyes are open. Tell me everything.”

“Cozy is a strong word,” I said. “But last night was the HOA meeting, and I think I had an epiphany while I was sitting there. It was like, wait, I don’t think Brooks actually likes having to listen to all this drivel any more than I do. So, instead of arguing, I sat back and watched to see what he’d do. He shot down their terrible ideas, and I didn’t have to look like the resident ogre. Then on the way home, he walked with me.”

“Has he walked with you before?”

I scoffed, “Hardly. He usually walks the exact opposite direction. Although . . .”

When I had paused for too long, she nudged me along. “Although, what?”

“A little while ago he was shoveling driveways and spreading ice melt, and I sort of went along and helped.”

“Hold up. Are you telling me that the animosity between you has been de-escalating for a while?”

“Then there was the whole skunk ladder situation.” I shrugged and stopped pedaling. I let my feet dangle and wiggled them around, stretching out my ankles and calf muscles. “The animosity is fading. Has faded. A little? I’m unsure.”

“Have you stopped getting HOA tickets?”

“Well, yeah, but that’s because I took down the decorations. They were a little much.”

Hailey giggled. “They were terrible. So, what made you jealous?”

I blew out a breath. “This girl, Shayla. She’s the treasurer, and she flirts so hard with him. When we were enemies I used it as more proof that Brooks is an evil-doer, but last night it made me feel . . . stabby.”

“Stabby?”

“Like, I wanted her eyeballs to be on the floor.”

“Okay, stabby over a man. That’s new for you. What are you going to do?”

I stepped off the bike and found the small hand towel I’d brought. I used it to wipe down my head and neck. “Well, she still has her eyes, so nothing, I suppose. Chalk it up to an uptick of fiber in my diet?”

Hailey laughed. “I’m talking about Brooks, and you know it. What are you going to do about him?”

“I’m going to exercise a lot and ignore the fact that he said he likes how we think the same way about the HOA issues.”

A cough and then, “What? This whole time?”

“Yeah.” I gave her a quick rundown of the conversation. “But I don’t think it’s something I need to take too seriously. Hazel feels the same way. It’s just a thing.”

“He likes your mind, and he has this total, I don’t know, like lumberjack vibe that’s really intriguing and . . .”

At her hesitation I piped up, “Oh, I can’t wait to hear what adjective you come up with here. Keep in mind I’m noting it and will use it as blackmail. Ford would probably love to hear you speak so flatteringly of another man,” I teased, laughing when she made a huffing noise.

“Fine. I’ll just say that I’m going to keep an eye on this developing situation.”

I grabbed the spray bottle of cleanser and sprayed down the spin bike, using a provided cloth to sanitize it for the next rider. “Well, keep a close one on it for me, because I am completely confused.”

“Like Ruby would say, this might be the beginning of something wonderful.”

I watched placidly as Willow curled my short hair and twisted it into what she was calling a ‘faux wedding updo’ later that afternoon. I was sitting in a beautiful upstairs room at an old Victorian-style home where Lizzie’s wedding would be taking place in an hour. My friends were buzzing around me, each of them working on hair and makeup at different stations. They were all totally capable of doing their own hair. I, however, was not and never had been interested in learning how to do more than tuck my bobbed hair behind my ears. Willow, having been told I had no plans to get dolled up for the wedding, had insisted on meeting me here to fix the situation.

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