I make it to Oak Ridge in time to see them setting two cups of coffee on the table in front of our favorite green velvet sofa at Chapters and Brews. We meet here once a week to debrief.
The bookstore is the stuff of fairytales, complete with a rolling ladder and shelves lined with new releases and old favorites alike. There’s a small cafe at the back of the store, and the scent of espresso and fresh pastries mingles with the smell of ink on parchment. I could stay here forever and never grow tired of it. Bury me in the historical romance section, somewhere between Lisa Kleypas and Tessa Dare.
I settle onto the sofa and wrap my palms around the oversized ceramic mug that could double as a soup bowl. “What’s with the face?”
Mo hides a smile behind their massive coffee. “What face? There’s no face.”
“There’s definitely a face.”
“Fine, but you first. Did you save any horses last night?”
I scrunch my nose, trying to make sense of their ramblings. “Are you ok? Did you hit your head?”
“For a librarian, you can be very obtuse sometimes. You left with the cowboy last night. Did you knock boots? Get railed six ways to Sunday? Lose your V-card? See stars? Fu?—”
I place my palm over their mouth to stop the tirade. “Oh my god. You need help.”
I glance around the bookstore, ensuring we don’t have an audience. While I’m distracted, they lick me. The gesture is uncalled for, but admittedly, not unprovoked.
I grimace and wipe my hand on my skirt. “I didnotdo any such thing last night. I went back to my—home—and slept.”
Luckily, they completely miss my near slip-up. Mo’sexpression shifts from amusement to one of disappointment. “Oh. Well, that’s a bummer.”
The sweet scent of vanilla latte wafting from my cup is too enticing to resist, and I take a premature sip, scalding my tongue.
“And where didyouend up last night?”The words come out muffled as I suck in cool air to dull the sting.
“Funny you should ask. I had my face buried between a very lovely pair of thighs when your giant cat decided to vomit up the biggest hairball known to man in the middle of my hallway.”
“Did this pair of thighs come with a human attached? Perhaps a name?”
“Mia? Leah? Something like that.”
“Please tell me you did not go home withNialast night.”
Mo snaps their fingers and points at me. “That’s the one. Gorgeous woman, terrified of cats. She ran from the apartment and left her panties behind.”
“Great. Now I won’t be able to get a pedicure without thinking about you…” I pause, trying to come up with the appropriate words.
“Eating Pussy? Use your big girl words, Callie. You know, the ones in that coloring book I bought for you last Christmas.”
I narrow my gaze at them and blow on the hot liquid. “Remind me why we’re friends again?”
They shrug. “Because you love me.”
“No. That doesn’t sound right.”
She makes a vague gesture with her hands. “Because I know all of your secrets, and I come with free coffee.”
I take another drink of my latte, licking the foam off my top lip. “That makes way more sense. How is Atticus?”
Mo snorts. “How do you think? He runs the building. He has all the tenants bringing him treats like royalty.”
I smile. “That’s my boy.”
We spend the next hour catching up on gossip and planning the next book club meeting. Mo took over managing the club after one of the original planners got pregnant, and the other left for her book tour.
For the fifth week in a row, I leave our meetup feeling like a royal piece of shit. I hate lying to Mo about my living arrangements, but I know they’d make me move in with them if they knew. The sooner I find a new place, the sooner I can stop lying.
