Page 41 of Stick to the Deal
Colin pulls her close and kisses her much shorter head. “That nap did me wonders. You haven’t had a night with the girls since she was born. I’ll drive her around for a bit. Maybe see if David wants to grab some coffee.” With one more thoughtful look at me, he heads towards the door, a giant diaper bag on his arm.
Anna and Bree follow him out. In the case of the former, presumably to prepare snacks, and to watch her family leave for the latter.
With another sigh, I lean back and take another sip of wine. I hiss as my bare toes connect with the leather sofa, chilled by the constant air conditioning. Setting the bottle on the side table, I reach for the nearby blanket and spot the socks at the top of my bag. Pausing for only a moment, I grab them and slip them over my icy feet. I wriggle my toes inside the luxuriously soft fleece and soon warmth flows to them.
Who knew that socks could be a thoughtful gift?
By the time the girls reappear, I’ve finished the first bottle by myself. Mistakes have been made. Mistakes very much not like me.
“So, that’s Reginald, huh?” Anna asks from her seat in the recliner.
“Yea.” I keep my eyes on my gray covered toes as I wiggle them.
“You seemed…friendly.”
“We are friends.” My mind is getting fuzzy from the wine.
“So you said he got you a gift?” Bree asks hesitantly.
“Signed pointe shoes and a novel retelling Swan Lake.” Didn’t Anna go for snacks? Where’s the salty good stuff?
“Swan Lake?” Anna’s voice raises at the end, making it a question.
“Yeah, it’s my favorite ballet. We saw it together in London.” I’d even go for a fruit plate about now. Why didn’t I bring a charcuterie board?
“You like ballet?”
“Yeah, since I was a kid.” Sitting up, I dramatically turn to my friends. “Where are the snacks, sister?”
They share a confused look. Anna pushes the popcorn bowl closer to me. I grab it and happily start munching away.
Bree perches on the couch closest to me. Head cocked, she peers at me like a puzzle she’s trying to figure out. “So if you’re friends, is this one of those platonic marriage of convenience things?”
Flashbacks to Halloween send heat pooling in my stomach. “More like a husband with benefits.”
“Well, that was a gamble,” Bree says.
“I knew you were sleeping together!” Anna crows. “Is he any good?”
“Wouldn’t you test drive a car before purchasing?” I scoff. “We have an understanding.”
“Nic…”
“Bree.”
“That never ends well. I’ve seen that plotline a thousand times. Someone always catches feelings.”
“This isn’t one of your rom-coms, Brianna.” She opens her mouth, but I hold up a hand to stall her. “I know this comes from a caring place, but just stop. This is my life. Trust that I know what I’m doing and drop it.”
Her big blue eyes glisten with tears, and her chin trembles slightly. “I’m sorry, Nic. You’re right. I worry about you. This all happened so fast and you’ve hardly said anything about him. You have the best sense of people of anyone I know. I’m sure you picked a good one.”
“Ok, but how good in bed is he?” We both turn slack-jawed to our sweet southern friend, who has gotten more sassy since reuniting with David. “What? Just because I don’t swear doesn’t mean I’m a prude.”
“What do you want? A score out of ten? Or a rank?” Chuckling, I rifle through my tote for another bottle of wine. “I am very satisfied with my arrangement.”
“That’s it? No details?”
“Come now, Anna. A lady never tells.”
