Page 27 of The Last Key
“And that’s you. You fit there. Always have. Unlike me.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“It’s true. Speaking of, did you make a move on Devon last night?”
“No,” I say nonchalantly. “It was late.”
“And guys are never horny late at night. Grow some ovaries. Honestly, I’m getting blue balls for you. This is ridiculous. Your hooha was meant to be used and abused, babe. You’re treating it like a fancy restaurant you have to have reservations for.”
“And you treat yours like a McDonalds. That’s not my fault. It’s quality over quantity.”
“Rude. It’s not a McDonalds. It’s a Burger King, if anything. You can have it your way.” She laughs, the sound reverberating around her car and echoing through my phone. “And by the way, if you think Devon wouldn’t be aqualitylay, you’re kidding yourself.”
“I’m sure it would be… fucking amazing, okay? But I’m nothaving him my wayuntil I know how he wants me.”
“You know a good way to find that out?”
I sigh dramatically. “I’m sure this is going to involve me getting naked.”
“It wouldn’t hurt, Kend. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Well, thanks for the advice.”
“Happy to help. And thanks for your advice. I’ll think it through and come up with a plan. Talk later.”
“Yeah. Oh, hey, any chance you want to join us for karaoke tomorrow night?”
She makes a weird wheezy sound, and it takes me a minute to realize she’s trying not to laugh. Finally, she can’t hold it back anymore and bursts out laughing.
“Karaoke? No fucking way. I’d rather stick something sharp in my ear than go to karaoke. Actually, same effect.”
“I told Devon he was crazy to think you’d come, but he thought you might get enjoyment out of watching drunk people make idiots of themselves.”
“Even that is not worth bleeding from the ears.”
“Noted.”
“Okay, I gotta go, babe. Talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
She hangs up, and after a sip of my latte, I pull out of the parking lot and head for the inn.
“What do you think?”I ask Devon and Gladys after I’ve told them about my idea to have some of Claire’s skin care products at the inn.
“It’s smart,” Gladys says. “And I’ll be sure to add her to the listof shops we recommend people check out. Since it’s not right downtown, I didn’t have it on there before.”
“I agree. It’s a good idea. And we can mention it to any brides who come through. Maybe if Claire has someone on staff who does makeup, we could recommend them as a wedding day option. At the very least, we could offer a discount to brides who purchase through Bloom Beauty.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that, but that’s perfect. And if the bride and bridesmaids wear the products and like them, we can direct them to Bloom. If they’re local, they can buy more at the Brighton store, and if not, it’s still new customers for her.”
“Well, maybe you should forget about writing and go into marketing,” Gladys says.
“I don’t know about that,” I say with a laugh. “Social media is the bane of my existence. I only use it for book groups and keeping up with my family. But I’m a good people person, and I think that’s what she needs.”
“Working here at the inn, helping Claire. Before you know it, you’re going to be like Kirk fromGilmore Girlswith all the jobs in town,” Gladys says with a grin.
“It’s just temporary,” I say with a laugh, causing Devon’s eyes to darken. “At some point, I’ll need an actual job.” Even if what I’ve been doing here is a lot more fun.
