“Anytime. Now let’s go get your war paint on before you change your mind again.”
“I didn’t change my mind.”
“No? What was that then?” she asked, waving her hand around the cabin as she pulled her bag strap over her shoulder.
“A bump in the road.”
“Big ass bump.”
“I’m not that easily swayed, honey. I would fight tooth and nail for that man. I’m just not confident I deserve him.”
Libby mumbled something I didn’t quite catch and flashed me a smile as she pulled on the handle and hopped out of the door. If it had been any of the other whores, I would have assumed they were agreeing with me, but there was a mischief in her eyes that told me it was the last thing she thought. In fact, I was pretty sure the wiggle of her eyebrows was sayingthe exact opposite.
“What’s that?”
“What’s what, sugar?” she asked, spinning in a circle and trying her hardest to hide the amusement.
“That look,sugar,” I said in the same tone. “What did you just say?”
“I said I’m pretty sure he’d disagree considering that smile he was wearing this morning.”
“You,” I said, pointing at her, “are just like Deeks. You’re too intuitive and you see too much.”
“That man gossips like those old hens in the salon, Ayda. A girl picks a few things up listening to old men who don’t realize they’re there.”
“You’re a dangerous woman.”
Libby shrugged and pushed the door closed, tipping her head in the direction of The Hut, kick-starting me into grabbing the bags and following her lead. We both got stares as we walked through the bar area. Drew was nowhere in sight, but there was an abundance of whores lounging around with some of the guys, their eyes like lasers on the two of us. I could feel every one of their gazes following us until we were out of sight in the corridor, which was exactly when Libby started singingRenegadeand walking with a renewed bounce to her step.
“Seems like you’re persona non grata.” I sighed with amusement, opening the door to my room so she could go inside.
“Damn. Who the hell is gonna run around after them now?”
I couldn’t help my small laugh as I pushed my freshly fixed door closed. She was eighteen, but she was smart andshe was fierce. I couldn’t imagine having that mindset when I was her age, and I actually admired her for it. For the first time since I’d caught them in Tate’s room together, I was really starting to understand what he saw in her. If she kept him on his toes and in school then I would never so much as complain about them sharing a room.
I’d never really had many female friends growing up. I had my best friend, but other than that, high school had pretty much been exactly like The Hut. It was an order of hierarchy. I had acquaintances, of course. The girls in the drill team and I got along because we had to. There was a level of sisterhood there, but it wasn’t as though we spent much time together outside of school or practice hours. There were the rest of the girls in my grade, who I would exchange pleasantries with, but a true, honest to God friend? I only had one of them that was a girl.
That made Libby something of an anomaly, but to my surprise, she was more knowledgeable than any of my friends had ever been about fashion. Most of them had been happy to go to the nearest store and grab a pair ofRockies. I think I spent half of my teenage years laid flat on my back trying to zip them up. Libby, however, went a step further.
As I stood staring at myself in the mirror, tipping my head from side to side in wonder, I realized exactly what I’d been missing out on.
The jeans I was wearing could have been a second skin. They hugged every curve I owned and made them more voluptuous in a way that was complimentary. The sweater she’d picked out for me was much the same, the v-neck revealing the lacy, push-up secret under it when I leaned forward just so, the bottom of it clinging to my hips andass. Then there were the heels. I’d never really been one for wearing heels in the past. Jacob’s idea of a date night was pulling me out into an old field or hayloft so he could get to third base. I was older and wiser, it was true, but I was still fully prepared to make Drew work for dessert. Being a little closer to his height was just one of those added bonuses I hadn’t put much thought into before.
“Damn. You should do this more often, Ayda.”
“Yeah?” I asked, spinning on the balls of the heels and squeaking at my ass prominently on display, accentuated by the nude pumps I was wearing. I was suddenly feeling nervous for a whole different reason. The last thing I needed was Drew to pull some guy’s arms off and beat him with them.
“You’re missing something.”
“Oh, I don’t need jewelry,” I said, tugging on the hem of the sweater when she turned her back on me, only to pull it back up when I saw lace peeking out over the top of it.
“It’s not jewelry,” she said, grabbing the one bag she’d come home with. “I bought this as a peace offering between us, and a thank you of sorts for being so understanding about Tate and me.”
She thrust the ball of leather at me and pulled her hands behind her back, her hips swinging from side to side, making her look her age for once. Shaking the thing out, I almost squealed in excitement. It was the vintage 80’s leather jacket I’d been admiring in the thrift shop next to the salon. I hadn’t thought anything of it when I’d finally been called by the stylist, but it had been gone when we headed back to the car, and now I knew why.
“Remind me to never cross you.” I laughed, pulling her into a hug. “You’re smart and stealthy. I didn’t even see youleave the salon.”
“I didn’t really have to pee. They have a back door,” she replied, her voice muffled from my hair.
