Page 33 of The Fine Art of Faking It
“Well, that’s oddly specific,” Eden evaded.
Nia pulled a folded piece of paper out of her back pocket. She cleared her throat, “Sexual Scenario Suggestions for November. Number One: Lock yourselves in a bathroom with finger paints and a black light. Number Two… Oh wait, that one’s just a drawing.” She turned her head. “I can’t tell which end is up.”
Tierra peered over her sister’s shoulder.
“Where did you get that?” Eden asked, making a grab for the paper.
“It was an insert inThe Monthly Moonthat we got at the book store,” Nia said, snatching the brochure back to get a better look at the illustration.
“Super weird guy behind the register at the book store, by the way,” Tierra added.
“That’s Fitz. He’s… unique,” Eden said in lieu of explaining that Fitz was a reformed pot dealer who now supplemented his used book income by stripping on the side. She, like the rest of the town, had seen the video the Pierces had shot when an unfortunate mix-up had Fitz flashing his pearly white butt cheeks at the Pierce women and was nearly arrested by Sheriff Cardona. Some things were better kept from tourists. Some things couldn’t be unseen.
“Anyway, so why haven’t you?” Nia asked.
“Why haven’t I what?” Eden asked, setting the tray down and arranging the cookies carefully on color coordinated plates.
“Why haven’t you and Davis broken out the finger paints?” Tierra demanded. “He’s so fine, I’d write a sonnet about him.”
“He’s hot enough that I can forgive him for his utter fashion failures,” Nia said, eyeing up Davis’s bleck turtleneck.
Eden bit back a laugh. “In his defense…” those words had never come out of her mouth in regard to Davis before. “Most of his wardrobe was ruined in an unfortunate incident recently. He’s living it up in thrift store donations until he can go shopping. You should see him in yoga pants.”
“Ooooh!” Nia and Tierra crooned, drawing the eyes of everyone.
Davis looked their way, and the twins wiggled their fingers at him.
“Ladies, would you like a sample?” Davis asked. He gestured at the open bottles of wine in front of him. But given the direction their conversation had gone, the twins erupted into flirty giggles.
“Davis, let me ask you something,” Tierra insisted.
Oh, no.
“Ask me anything.” He flashed them a charming grin that had Nia fanning herself.
That son of a bitch was even smoother than he had been in high school, Eden thought gritting her teeth.
“Why haven’t you and our girl Eden here gotten together, yet? You’re both beautiful, you live next door to each other, you’re running successful businesses,” Tierra ticked the items off on her fingers.
“Are you working for the Beautification Committee?” Eden asked. “Did a man named Bruce come up to you on the street and ask you to help in some matchmaking scheme?”Damn it, she really needed to find time to read that binder she stole from Eva.She kept falling asleep halfway through Bruce’s twelve-page introduction.
Nia and Tierra shared a “she’s lost her damn mind” look.
“Let’s start with a sparkling wine,” Davis suggested, dancing around the line of questioning. Sparkling wine was for celebrating, and as far as Eden could tell, she had nothing to celebrate. Not with the man who had stomped on her teenage heart and helped destroy her reputation—possibly twice now—pouringhiswine forherguests as if he owned the place.
“Fill us up,” Tierra insisted holding up an empty cup.
“And tell us why you haven’t asked this fine young lady out yet,” Nia added.
“I asked him out,” Eden said, regretting the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. The twins had no idea what kind of disaster story they were in for. But at least she’d wiped the smug smile off of Davis’s face. The other guests crowded around ready for the gossip.
“Eden asked me to the HeHa dance when she was a junior and I was a senior,” Davis began.
Tierra raised her hand. “HeHa?”
“Helping Hands,” Eden answered. “It’s a day of community service that ends with a big, formal dance.”
“Did you pick her up in a limo?”
