Kennedy jolts to an upright position as if Brylee just spewed some serious insanity around the room. “Youspit?”
“Youswallow?” Brylee matches her tone for tone.
“Would you both knock it off?” I hiss. “You’re causing a spermtacular scene. If you don’t keep it down, they’ll ejaculate us right out of here.”
Kennedy rolls her eyes. “Well, it’s eitherorsister. If I were you, I’d make up my mind right now where your lingual loyalties lie.” She glances up at the ceiling a moment. “And no matter what—make sure you kiss him after. That’s the test of a real man.”
Brylee groans at the visual, and I let out a breath. Because sometimes, there’s just nothing left to say.
Kennedy’s phone goes off, and her affect brightens. “Well, looky here.” She wags it in my face a moment. “A text from Warren McCarthy.Bring Reese by the office around five. I have a killer surprise. Don’t tell her.” Kennedy annunciates each word before punching something into her cell and hitting send.
“What did you say?” The words speed out of me in a panic. She’s all over the place today no thanks to Keith and his insatiable urge for body shots.
“I told him I’d have you there with bells on.” She gleams a black smile, and my heart sinks. “That I wouldn’t say a word.”
“Perfect.” I’m plotting my revenge already. I sense a tragic separation in the works for her favorite pair of Prada shoes. It wouldn’t be the first right-footed heel I’ve used as a paperweight.
Brylee bubbles out a laugh as the attendants start in on our pedicures. “Looks like someone has a date with her ‘boyfriend’ tonight.”
“I guess tonight’s the night, then.” I swallow hard then glare at Kennedy for ruining a simple bodily function for me.
Spit or swallow. I shake my head. I don’t know what I’ll do when I get to that point with Ace. But I do know what I’m doing with Warren tonight, and it doesn’t even remotely involve procreation or any of its liquid facets.
“Prepare to comfort him, girls,” I purr. “Tomorrow morning, Warren McCarthy is going to have a serious case of the break-up blues.”
Then, maybe, Ace and I can take things to a deeper level. Maybe Ace will give me that relationship extension sooner than I think.
I sink into my seat and try to relax as the attendant scrubs my feet like she’s sloughing Warren, himself, off my body.
I push all thoughts of Warren McCarthy and our “date” right out of my mind. Instead, I think of Ace and lose myself with the only pressing decision I want to have at the moment, and that just so happens to involve my gag reflex.
After hours of primping and pampering and having our hair and makeup done to the hilt, we reconvene in Kennedy’s Range Rover and prepare for the long drive home.
Kennedy leans into the rearview mirror and makes a face. “On a scale of Mother Teresa to transvestite, what do you think?”
“Oh, hon”—Brylee gives a guttural laugh—“just mentioning yourself in the same breath as Mother Teresa is an unforgivable sin.”
“You would know,” she counters. “Anyway it doesn’t matter. Unlike Reese here, I won’t have two men vying for my affection tonight.”
Ace runs through my mind, our secret hideaway in the woods—Gavin’s boathouse—chocolate. This summer is rife with delicious secrets. I can hardly wait to see him tonight. Maybe I should do something amazing for him? Take him somewhere and showhima good time.
Kennedy drives for a few minutes before pulling into a parking spot and not until I look out the window do I realize what she’s up to.
“Shit,” I mutter, staring at the tall office building of Westfield and McCarthy. It sits nestled in a hub of skyscrapers in downtown Collingsworth. The gilded sign with my family’s surname right next to Warren’s sits prominent on the outside, and just the sight inspires a roll of nausea to push through me. I forgot all about my breakup date with Warren. I spot Dad’s black sedan gleaming in the early evening light, and, for whatever it’s worth, it adds a safety measure.
“Let’s get this over with,” Brylee huffs as she gets out of the car. You’d think she were the one responsible for twisting Warren’s balls off in the next few hours the way she exemplified exactly how I felt.
I glare over at Kennedy a moment. “I’ll deal with you later.”
“You’llthankme later.”
As if.
We get out and head into the air-conditioned building where Daddy waits to greet us down in the reception area.
Odd.
“Hey, hey, the gang’s all here.” He pulls all three of us into an embrace, and I take in his spiced cologne. Dad has always been kind to Bry. Brylee feels every bit as much family as Kennedy if not more. “Rumor has it one of you lucky ladies has something special waiting for her on the rooftop. Shall we?” He teases just as the elevator opens, and we hop inside.
