“Just doing our part for the environment,” Blossom insisted.
“What are you doing?” Riley asked as her friend fell into step with her.
“Trying to decide if I should order creepy lifelike spiders or fake snakes for overnight delivery,” Jasmine said.
“Breakup gone bad?” Riley asked. A successful elder law attorney, Jasmine had shockingly bad taste in men. If she wasn’t falling head over heels for an inappropriate date, she was seeking revenge on one.
“Yep. Now Greg has to pay the price for not telling me he was engaged.”
“Why not order both? Then you’ll have something ready for next time,” Riley suggested.
“Good thinking. Add to cart. So who’s the new girl?” Jasmine asked.
“For the purpose of today, she’s my new friend Sesame.”
“Got it. Give me the dirt after class?”
“Definitely.”
They made their way toward the side door of the building. Riley held the door for her entourage when she spotted a lone man with dark, curly hair admiring the display of raffia fans in front of the antique shop. Between his sunglasses and the fan, most of his face was hidden from her.
She sensed something. A vague feeling of…what?
Longing?
Frustration?
Sadness?
Riley tried to dial in her focus to get a clearer read, but it sputtered then died, and the man disappeared around the front of the building.
“You coming, Rye Bread?” Roger asked.
Riley snapped out of her trance. “Uh. Yeah, Dad. Let’s go.”
“Hey, that pink girl starts making you wanna barf again, you let me know. I’ll take care of it.”
She grinned at her father. “How are you going to take care of her?”
“I’ll just do what I did when you got carsick as a kid.”
“Roll down all the windows, chant ‘Don’t puke,’ and then buy me a ginger ale?” Riley asked.
“Yeah, but this time when I open the window, I’ll toss her out of it.”
“Thanks, Dad. Let’s hope hurling a woman out of a second-story window isn’t necessary.”
“But if itis, you just say ‘window,’ and I’ll make it happen,” Roger promised.
They trooped up the stairs and entered the studio.
“Crap,” Riley whispered under her breath. Marie Santiago was limbering up in the front row in head-to-toe Lululemon.
“What’s wrong?” Sesame asked, appearing at Riley’s side.
“Nick’s mom,” she said, nodding at Marie, who was giving Gabe thecome hitherlook and patting the empty spot next to her.
“Oh my God, is she still super snobby and judgmental but also classy, which makes you want to not care what she thinks while still wanting her to approve of you?” Sesame asked.
