Calm the fuck down, Jackson, he thinks, a pep talk to himself.
“You all right?” Charleigh asks, her own voice quaky. Why isshenervous?
“Yes, why? I amdelightedto be here!” He grins at her like he’s lost it.
A sharp elbow to his torso.
“Owww!”
“Shut it. I don’t wanna be here either. Trust me,” Charleigh grumbles. “Drinks at the Boat House afterward on me, okay? We’ll be in and out.”
In the pasture in front of them, at least twenty cars are wedged into spots.
In and out, my ass, Jackson thinks. This shindig will last all goddamn day.
“Jesus. She drew quite the crowd.” Charleigh sucks in a breath, exhales sharply.
“Who knew Vagina Day would be so popular?”
Charleigh snorts. She puts the car in park, shakes her hair over her shoulders, primps her bangs, then snaps her visor shut. “Shall we?”
39
Charleigh
Oh, the things a mother will do for her daughter. And, if she’s honest, for herself.
Like tromping across a pasture in heels to attend some bizarro workshop. But there are all her “friends” clumped in a row, seated in front of Abigail, who’s holding court over them, barefoot in a flowing white dress with an honest-to-God daisy chain resting on top of her head like a crown.
Annoyance blasts through Charleigh. This woman thinks she’s the second coming of Christ, and Charleigh’s friends are drinking the Kool-Aid. She grips Jackson’s arm, grateful that she’s dragged him out here with her.
“So, friends,thisoil,” Abigail trills, “you’ll want to use it sparingly and”—she motions in a circle over her pelvic region—“down there. Like, notonit, but just above the root chakra.”
“Chakra Khan,” Jackson whispers in Charleigh’s ear.
“Stop it, God damn it, don’t make me start laughing.”
“Oh,hi!” Abigail greets Charleigh and Jackson dramatically. “Glad you two could join us!” There’s a flash of pity in her voice that Charleigh detests, a note ofI know I’ve captured all your friends’ attention, and I am so sorry.
“Please find a seat. Anywhere.”
They sink into the grass. Monica turns around to face them, shoots Charleigh a smug grin. As soon as she swivels back around, Charleigh gives her the bird. “Bitch,” she says to Jackson under her breath.
“And this oil is ylang-ylang blended with lavender and crushed rose quartz. I grind it down to a powder so fine, you won’t even feel it. But yourbodywill. It’s one of the stones used to awaken the divine feminine within us all.”
Sweat streams down Abigail’s neck, a slow-moving river that trickles down between her full breasts. Her blue eyes dance with mirth; she’s grossly lapping up all this attention, even though Charleigh’s never seen or heard anything more ridiculous in all her life. She cannotstandthis woman, has to unclench her fingernails, which are digging into the soles of her palms.
“I want everyone now to take a deep breath. Draw the breath in all the way down to the root chakra, hold it for a few seconds, then release.” Abigail shakes her head at the crowd, as if they’re dumb schoolchildren. “Let’s try that again. This time, close your eyes. Now breathe.”
Jackson’s eyes are dutifully shut, but Charleigh keeps her cracked open; she’s not big on following rules, especially these, here. She peers around at all her brownnoser friends, whose eyesare closed tightly. Their chests rise and fall with the breathing exercise, but Charleigh’s own breath is tight, taut. She can’t help it—a chuckle bubbles out of her.
Abigail’s eyes fly open, narrow at Charleigh.
Charleigh lifts her shoulders into a shrug to express,What’s the big deal?
From behind Abigail, the sound of a saw buzzes to life. Irritation flashes across her plain, makeup-free face. The instant the buzzing dies down, Abigail barks over her shoulder: “Ethan! Can you cut that out until I’m finished?”
Ah. So all is not well at the Walton house, Charleigh thinks to herself.Ms. Abigail needs to use some more of her own love potions.
