Page 14 of Beautiful Desire
Subject: RE: Weekly Update
Thank you for the update and your insight into all the things I should’ve done, but I can assure you, Fletcher had a fine childhood and was raised well.
You would be right in saying I find this new job of his acceptable, so long as it doesn’t interfere with his schoolwork. I look forward to continuing to see how he progresses, but might I suggest being a little less hostile next week.
Best,
Alden
I rollmy eyes as I finish reading through the email.Like father, like son.I contemplate responding back, and up the hostility, but I decide against it. The less time I have to communicate withthat jackass, the better. It’s bad enough he’s insisting on weekly updates, like I’m his goddamn daycare teacher or something.
Grabbing my phone, I pull up the group chat with my sisters and Charley.
Me: In case anyone is wondering, I still fucking hate all of this.
Both Gemma and Grace laugh react to it. Charley responds.
Charley: I would expect nothing less, but remember, it’s only temporary. Keep your eye on the prize. By this summer, all of this will be behind you.
Me: Easy for you to say.
Tossing the phone on my desk, I huff a sigh before getting back to work.
It’ll be a damn miracle if I make it through this without murdering Fletcher or Alden, or both.
6
Georgia
It’s about ten minutes before eight when I bring out the tray of sandwiches and place them on the long folding table Hazel set up in the front. Every first Wednesday of the month, I host an in-person book club at my store. It’s something I’ve done for a couple of years now, and I look forward to it every month. There’s only about twenty of us in the book club, but it’s always a fun time getting together to discuss books, but also to just gab and hang out.
“Those look so good,” Hazel groans as she walks by. “You get those from the deli down the street?”
I shake my head. “My brother whipped ’em up for me, actually. His wife has apparently taken up bread making as a hobby, now that she’s a stay at home mom.”
“That woman is a godsend.”
A chuckle bubbles past my lips. “I don’t know if I’d say that, but the breadisgood.”
My brother, Graham, and his wife, Megan, just had their first child—a daughter, named Ellie Mae—about four months ago,and I love having another sweet little niece to hold and love on. I’m firmly in the child-free-by-choice category, but my gosh, do I absolutely adore my nieces and nephews. Honestly, being an aunt is the perfect gig. I get to see and snuggle with them whenever I want, do all the fun auntie things with them, and then give them back when we’re done.
The bell above the front door chimes as it opens, pulling my gaze in that direction.
“Party’s here!” Grace chirps as she strolls into the bookstore, Gemma and Charley following suit. Holding up the square white boxes in her hand, she adds, “And by party, I mean these delicious raspberry cupcakes I made this afternoon.”
“I brought my spinach artichoke dip,” Gemma offers as she sets it down beside the sandwiches on the table.
“Also, both godsends,” Hazel murmurs, making me laugh. Hazel’s favorite part of book club is the food—can’t say I blame her.
“And I’ve got the stuff to make mojitos,” Charley says with a smirk curling her lips. “Because we can’t possibly talk about that epic fucking cliffhanger without the help of a little—or a lot of—rum. Also, big fuck you to whoever picked this book. Haven’t cried that hard in forever.”
Gemma giggles and raises her hand. “That’d be me, and you're welcome. I’m sure you were due for a good cry anyway, Miss Ice Princess.”
Charley glowers at my sister and flips her off, the corner of her lip twitching, while the rest of us chuckle. Between the four of us, Gemma and Grace are much more in touch with their emotions, while Charley and I tend to bottle everything up until the dam breaks. Not the healthiest, I’m sure, but it’s the way we’ve always been.
It’s not long before everyone else starts trickling in and we get started. The next hour is spent loudly and animatedlygushing—and ranting—about the romantasy book my lovely sister picked out for us last month while we eat and have a couple cocktails. It’s not my typical go-to genre, but I enjoyed it. Although, it didn’t bring me to as many tears as it did Charley, thankfully.
When I first started this book club, it was just me, my sisters, Charley, and one other woman from town. I’ve loved watching it grow over the years, seeing new faces join every now and then, but I also love seeing how many of these women have been here since the first year and have consistently come month after month, in support of not only me and my bookstore, but the romance community as a whole.
