She gives me a faint smile. “Love you back.” She gulps down the rest of her water and rises to place her empty glass in the sink. “You coming up?”
“In a minute.”
Harley stops at the edge of the island. “I like Jack. He’s a good one.”
“And here I was thinking you were a smitten kitten. You already got eyes on someone else?”
She doesn’t bother to acknowledge my asinine statement because she’s a smart woman and has learned well over the years. “When you’re ready to talk about him, you know where to find me.” She blows me a kiss and heads up the stairs.
I sit in the darkness on my own for several minutes before I can finally admit it, if only to the yellow roses on the counter. “I think I like him too.”
Nine
Sadie Jane, ifyou don’t put down that phone right now, I swear to god!” Nick throws this empty threat at me while he’s waist-deep in the calm bay water.
I flip him off from my spot in a beach chair under an umbrella and return my attention to my phone. After posting another photo of a recent arrangement, I check my DMs. There are a couple of inquiries, which I answer, keeping my fingers crossed that at least a few of them turn into orders. My sales have been growing, steadily but slowly. Really slowly. And even though it’s a holiday and I’m sure most people will be away from their phones, I want to make sure I address all potential customer questions as quickly as possible.
But I know Nick is probably just a few seconds from throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me into the water like the caveman he is deep down inside, so once all DMs have been answered, I click off my phone, holding it tightly in my hand like some kind of millennial rosary, praying for some good business news.
“Sadie!” This time the scream comes from my three so-called besties and my roommate—the traitor—who apparently all have little to no regard for my entrepreneur life.
“Okay, fine! You imbeciles!” I toss my phone into my straw beach bag, making a mental note to put a bouquet in it later and snap a beachside photo.
I tug off my flowy dress, revealing my very hot, hot-pink bikini underneath. Turning up my bestBaywatchimpression, I slow-motion run down the sand and into the water, diving into the cool blue and resurfacing at the little circle the gang has created. And yeah, I might throw a glance Jack’s way to see if he’s watching.
He’s definitely watching.
Nick pulls a canned rosé from the floating cooler and cracks it open before handing it to me. “Did you really just trade one job with endless hours for a different job with endless hours?”
I take a long sip of the sparkling wine, letting it cool the heat flushing my cheeks ever since I noticed Jack noticing me. “Yes. But these are working-for-me hours, so it’s different.”
Harley bumps me with her hip. “I’m proud of you, girl. I know it hasn’t been easy, but things are starting to pick up.”
“As evidenced by the constant array of flowers all over my house.” Jack gives me one of his half-cocked smiles and little bubbles float up into my chest.
But that could be the rosé.
“Maybe one day I’ll actually be able to open my own shop.” Assuming I don’t go bankrupt first.
Nick flicks a tiny splash of water at me. “It’s been two months, let’s have a dose of realism here.”
“It’s been twoand a halfmonths. And I’ve never been a fan of realism.” I argue with him not because he’s wrong, but because he’s Nick.
Gemma, currently perched on a giant flamingo-shaped raft, paddles back over to us after having drifted off on the current. “You’re one of the realest people I know, Sadie Jane.”
I push her back away from the group. “I just like talking shit, that’s all.”
Nick raises his beer in the air. “And we love you for it. As long as we aren’t the subject of it.”
“You guys are perfect, what shit could I possibly have to talk about you?” I send an air kiss to each of them.
Harley links her arm through mine. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to any of us.”
“What can I say? I’m a giver.” I chug the rest of my rosé and hand Nick the empty can. “Now give me some more wine. Please.”
Nick sticks a can in a pineapple-shaped floating coaster and sends it my way.
Popping the top, I hold up my can. “I can’t say I’ve always been proud to be an American in the past few years, but one thing is for damn sure, I’m proud of all of you. Happy Fourth, bitches!”
