NailIt
Low
At a spaz past three,I get a panicked text from Lex asking me to meet her at Hallowed Grounds asap. And since it’s well before my shift starts at The Sloppy Pelican, I take her uponit.
I spot her in the corner with her sunglasses hung low while meditating over a latte. I order and pick up my own drink before heading over. She looks snug in a black leather jacket, cropped and cute. Her hair billows over her shoulders like a pair of dark crimson clouds, which is apropos considering she’s sort of a walking catastrophe. So am I, but that’s beside thepoint.
“What’s up, chica? You finally ready to pony up those Benjamins?” Okay, so I’m sort of kidding, but I’m sort of not. Five hundred bones might make me feel better about that whole imprisonment thing—brief as it mighthavebeen.
She rolls her eyes, and I can’t help but note how much they glow against that gunmetal shadow she’s layered on. Lex’s eyes are a honey hazel/green combo that siren out at you—like awarning.
“Here.” She pulls a wad of bills out of her purse and quickly counts it out. “Two hundred fifty bucks. We’re halfway settled. That goodenough?”
“For now.” I snatch the bills before they magically dive back into her wallet. “So, what’s the deal? You sounded frantic. Did Neiman Marcus run out of your favorite cashmeresweater?”
“It’sJune.” She glares at me a moment. “Everyone knows you don’t purchase cashmere until the fall.” She plucks a lipstick out of her purse and swaths a fuchsia coat over her lips. Honestly, it’s a color not many people could pull off, but Lex has all of that dark drama going for her, and it just takes her beauty to an inhuman level. “It’smyex.”
“Axel!” I perk right up as I take a sip of my mocha frap. “I totally love him by the way. He’s got a great sense of humor and thoseeyes. Wow. You can see forever in them.” I give a wicked wink her way, and that look of horror on her face saysitall.
“Would you stop? I honestly don’t care if you’re banging him on the side.” She scowls at me a moment because we both know she’d nail me down by way of my vagina if those sexual shenanigans were really happening. “How are things going with Levi,anyway?”
It’s nice to have a friend to have a good one-on-one with. God knows I can’t evenhintof a romantic connection with Levi toRaven.
“Things got serious as all hell last Saturday night.” I give her the quick rundown in real-time. “And since we both work the night shift, and well, Levi essentially works every shift, we’ve been making out hot and heavy whenever we can steal aminute.”
Her jaw goes slack. “What about his Johnson? You’re still in separate beds? Either the two of you have superhuman willpower or this Raven chick wields ameanwhip.”
“Definitely that.” I make a face just thinking about my bestie. “Suffice it to say, there have been one too many cold showers happening at headquarters. I don’t care how humid Hollow Brook is in the summer. It sucks dunking your naked flesh in ice water. That neverfeelsgood.”
Lex barks out a laugh. “Oh, grow up! Fuck the guy already, would you? Even I’m getting hot and bothered thinkingaboutit.”
“Oh mygawd!” I do a quick glance at the crowd. “There are children in this establishment. I don’t know what they taught you at Barnes, but expletives do not fly in the real world.” I lean in with a vengeance. “Save it for the bedroom—where I’m sure you’d like to pin Axel to yourheadboard!”
She sucks in a breath, those raccoon eyes of hers round out in horror before closing, and her entire person sags as if it might be true. “For the record, I don’t do expletives. That one was strictly in your honor.” She smirks out the window. “And can we not mention what I would and wouldn’t like to do to my asshole ofanex.”
“Aha!” I’m quick to point a finger at her. My phone buzzes over the table and does a little twirl. “It’s a text from Raven.” I glance up at Lex, and we share a quick grimace. As much as I hate to go behind my bestie’s back on anything, I prefer to be on her good side. “How’s it going?” I read. “Do me a favor and keep an extra eye out on Levi. I can’t find anything on this skank Evie Slater!” My mouth falls open as Lex and I take a moment to gawk at eachother.
“What are you going to do?” She takes an expectant sip of her drink as she gives a giddyshiver.
“I can see you’re pretty broken up about this.” I begin typing back to my bestie. “Will do! I doubt she means anythingtohim.”
She texts right back. “Chip says they’re joined at the crotch,” I whisper. “It’s a done deal. Next time you see her, send me a picture.” I roll my eyes over at Lex. “Right. Like that’s going tohappen.”
“You know.” She lifts a perfectly lacquered, perfectly pointy, and might I say lethal, fingernail at me. “If she’s asking you to snap a picture, maybe she’s asking her brothers, too. I mean, she seems pretty eager to get thelowdown on who this skank might be.” She strums a dark giggle. “Once a girl gets an itch, there’s nothing she won’t do tosatisfythat—”
I cut her off before she can get to the end of the tired euphemism. “You’re right!” I snap a quick picture of her and hitSendright back toRaven.
Looks like I found oneafterall!
“You did not just do that!” Lex dives for my phone, but I hold it up out of herreach.
“I did, and she’s texting back. She must have a lot to say. Let’s count how many ways she can call you a skank!” Lex and I wrestle it out just as my phone pings, and we both slump in our respective seats, curious asallhell.
“Well?” Her eyes are back to the size of dinnerplates.
I glance down and frown. “Wow, she’s beautiful. She is definitely an upgrade from Meredith. She looks like she’d be fun to hang out with, too. I can’t wait to meet her. Do you think she’ll like me?” I stick my finger down my throat and pretend to hurl, although the feeling ishauntinglyreal.
“Sounds like she’s my new bestie.” Lex takes an aggressive bite out of her cookie, and I’m quick to snatch it fromhergrip.
