Page 43 of Ripped & Shipped
“Let’s go watch the show and maybe you can run us through it like a sportscaster,” Aiden suggests. “I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on this.”
Grant leans in, “I had nothing to do with this lynching, in case you wondered.”
“I figured you didn’t. These guys are capable of far worse. They don’t need any help to humiliate one of their best friends. Trust me.”
Davis shows up. He’s not Brooks, but he’s alright, and I’m glad we’re including him in our guys’ nights. Being new to town can’t be easy. Heck, coming back here hasn’t been what I’d call a walk in the park.
And guys’ night is a great way to form friendships. We wouldn’t even have a designated time to get together if the women these men married didn’t have a staunch insistence on having their girls’ nights. We’re lame enough that we wait for them to schedule their plans, and then we’re all immediately texting one another to figure out what we’ll do while the women hang out.
“Why is Chris on your TV with Ella Mae?” Davis asks.
His brow furrows and his lips draw thin.
“We’ve cracked the Wednesday mystery,” Duke says. “We’re about to get our own personal viewing of the segment Ella Mae filmed this past week—with a play-by-play breakdown from our own star of the show, Chris. Grab some popcorn and join us in the living room?”
“Popcorn? Seriously guys?” I ask, shaking my head again.
“It’s a show. We popped corn,” Aiden jokes.
It’s the first time he’s smiled since I walked in.
“I even whipped up this seasoning mix to sprinkle on it …” Rob says proudly, but then trails off when he sees the look on my face. “Never mind. You’ll appreciate the finer points of gourmet popcorn another night.”
“It’s not what it looks like,” I say to Aiden as we move side-by-side toward the living room.
“Oh, it never is, is it?”
I might as well face it now. I’m doomed.
I’m trained to think on my feet. Ever since my sister passed, I’ve been what my therapist called hyper-vigilant. The Army capitalized on that weakness and made it a strength. I live on high alert. And, yes, I saw a therapist. For a while. She helped. But she didn’t fix me. Some things just can’t be fixed.
Right now, I’m rolling options through my head. How much do I say? What explanation do I give?
I remember something from my training on enduring enemy wartime interrogations.Say as little as possible.
When I walk into the living room, the screen is paused with Ella Mae’s giant, beautiful face smiling into the camera. Our whole evening together flashes through my mind like a montage. I had fun with her. Infinitely more fun than I’m having right now, that’s for sure.
Duke takes the floor in front of the TV, standing like the emcee of a WWF match.
“Well, peeps! Let’s get the fun going! Without further ado, I bring you The Chris, aka Big Boy, and Ella Mae, aka Chin Wiper, Show!”
I shake my head and chuckle. Duke plops down next to me on the couch facing the TV.
“Payback is such a bear, my friend,” I warn him.
“Oh, it’ll be so worth it,” he whispers back, as he hits the play button on the remote. All eyes are glued to the screen as Ella Mae’s voice rings through the room.
“Well, peeps! Do I have a surprise for you! Remember the man who turned his back on me in the coffee shop? Some of you have taken to calling him Mister Shoulders?”
Duke looks over at me and wags his eyebrows.
Ella Mae’s voice continues. “Well, here I was, sitting by my lonesome. Just a girl, ordering a sandwich and a shake in a diner, even though she was way overdressed for the atmosphere.”
On screen, Ella Mae does that shimmy. I remember when she did it that night. She looks down at herself and then over at me. It’s so weird watching it on TV. She’d freaking love this. I chuckle to myself. I should call her and invite her toThe Ella Mae Show. She lives for this kind of thing. I’m not going to, of course.
She continues, “And in walks Chris. When I told him about the change in plans with Drake, he volunteered to take Drake’s place for the night. Now, don’t you fret. Drake and I will still do a collab. Stay tuned for all those details later this week. But onward and forward, as my life coach, Journey, always says!”
Duke hits pause.
