Page 75 of Take Me
“I’ll be right back.”Erika heads down the hall to my bedroom—ourbedroom—and closes the door behind her.
Hazel keeps unfolding and refolding clothes, so I grab one of the bags and do some digging of my own.“Speaking of gossip?—”
“Were we?”she asks.
“It’s a game I just learned from Lucy.Also, yes—you just told us you don’t like to gossip.I assumed that was a lead-in to actually, yanno—gossiping.”
Hazel’s lips form a thin line.“I’m not sure I feel right about that.”
“Would it be better if I gossiped first?”I don’t wait for her to argue.“Melissa Cantor got a speeding ticket last Tuesday, Weirdoughs discontinued the blueberry scones again, and Hayley Nixon isn’t dating Luke Lovelin anymore.There, now I’ve broken the gossip seal.Your turn.”
She gets the funniest look on her face.“What makes you think I have any interest in Luke Lovelin?”
Huh?
“Didn’t say you did.”That was weird.“It was just the first gossip that popped into my head.Now you go.What’syourgossip?”
“Well.”She darts a glance toward the closed bedroom door where Erika just disappeared.“It’s about Neil.He was spotted shopping for engagement rings at Costco in Salem a few days ago.”
“No kidding.”I wait for the envy to hit me.The anger that Neil—fucking Neil—feels secure proposing to Annabelle after just a few weeks, when I couldn’t convince her to be exclusive in more than a year.
But the only real feeling I have is annoyance.“Who the hell shops for engagement rings at Costco?”
That’s the moment Erika strides from the bedroom dressed in the peachy-orange jumpsuit.She looks itchy and annoyed, and I’m not sure if it’s the clothing or my Costco quip.
“Brooke says Costco has really nice jewelry,” she says.“Not that I’d know a tennis bracelet from a tennis racquet, but she says the quality’s great for a fraction of the price, plus they do certificates of authenticity and free returns.”
“I stand corrected.”I also stand up to get a better view of the outfit.“You look nice.”
She tugs at the draped, asymmetrical neckline.“I look like an inmate.Either that, or a giant creamsicle.”
“I love inmates and creamsicles.”I also love the view of her breasts from this angle.“I won silver at the Oregon Beer Awards for my Dreamsicle Pale Ale last year.”It hits me that talking about inmates might be weird for my cousin.“Does Uncle Owen wear an orange jumpsuit?”
That was probably not the gesture of conversational inclusion I thought it was.But if Hazel’s offended I brought up her father in prison, she doesn’t show it.“No,” she says primly.“Inmates at FCI Sheridan wear khaki.”
“There you go.”I turn back to Erika.“I think you’re good.”
Hazel sits frowning, surveying Erika as she does a slow twirl.“I think you’re right,” she concedes.“That’s not the most flattering color on you.Don’t worry—I’ve got plenty of great stuff to pick from.”
Looking more bummed than I would have expected, Erika starts to undo the belt at the waist of the jumpsuit.“Why were you talking about Costco engagement rings?”
“Neil was seen shopping for one.”I just earned a death glare from Hazel.“What?”
“You could be a little more tactful, you know.”She swivels her gaze back to Erika.“I heard from Beth Graham, who was making a Costco run earlier in the week.I don’t know if it’s true, and even if it is, that doesn’t mean he and Annabelle are?—”
“I’m sure they are.”She flops on the sofa and pulls off the spiky high heels.“Neil said they’re in love, and he gave up his Navy career to be with her.Engagement’s the next logical step.”
“I suppose.”Hazel hands her a full bag of clothing.“Here.I removed everything in Jake and Cassidy’s colors, so there’s nothing in blue or green color palettes here.”
“Thanks.”Erika peers into the bag.“Why did they have to choose blue and green?That’s my favorite range of colors they ruled out in one fell swoop.”
“For the ocean.”I shrug.“Jake’s a fisherman and they live on the coast, so?—”
“That’s sweet,” Hazel says.“So is the veil Cassidy made with her sister.”
Erika’s eyes fill with wonder.“She made her own veil?”
“Not the veil itself,” Hazel says.“She bought that at an LA boutique.But the comb that attaches it to her hair is covered in seashells she collected with Jake on their one-year dating anniversary.”
