“When I was five. In his eyes, I’m pretty sure I’mstillfive,” she said. “And okay, let’s say hypothetically I manage to buy the house and Faith throws me the housewarming party that I know she’s dying to plan—”
“It’ll be glorious,” Faith said. “No male strippers, I promise. Just lots of booze and dancing. Something tasteful.”
Thea ignored her and continued. “So let’s say Aiden miraculously decides to come to this stripper-free housewarming party, and while he’s there suffers a head injury of some sort that makes him think that he’d be interested in dating me. Can you even picture us together?”
Thea held her arms out wide and dramatically gazed down at herself. When she looked up, the glamazons were frowning in confusion.
“Not really getting your point,” Faith said.
“Look at me! And look at you two! You’re the women he goes home with. You’re both blond and your tits are magnificent—”
Mabel sputtered. “I’m sorry, have you been possessed by a thirteen-year-old boy?”
“Meanwhile,” she continued as if she hadn’t been interrupted, “Aiden has his pick of women in town while I’m just hanging out over here alone. Good ol’ Thea. Amazing personality, always smells nice, but no boobs to speak of. Ever wonder what Aiden looks for in his hookups? Here’s your answer: not these.”
She’d stood and slapped her hands against her chest to emphasize just how flat she was compared to the bombshells on either side of her, squeezing her slightly-larger-than-A cups for emphasis, when a fourth voice joined the conversation.
“I’m pretty sure I’m paying some of you to at leastpretendto work, no?”
She froze as Brandon Lowell, the station owner, propped a shoulder in the doorway and tipped his head to study the three of them curiously. An excruciating few seconds ticked by before her brain sent the command to her hands: let go of the ladies. Face burning, she plopped into her seat and tucked her fingers under her thighs.
“We’re at lunch,” Mabel snapped. “Women only.”
Thea winced at the other woman’s sharp tone; Mabel had taken a dislike to Brandon from their first meeting and hadn’t seen any reason to change her mind since. But he was barely a blip on the scale of bad bosses Thea had experienced in her colorful work history, so he’d never bothered her much.
Not much bothered him either, and that included Mabel’s out-and-out rudeness. “Oh, I clearly interruptedsomekind of female-empowerment session.” He turned to Faith with his toothiest smile. “Apologies if it was your turn next. I don’t think we’ve met. Brandon Lowell.”
“Faith Fox,” she said coolly, lifting her chin to study the blond man in front of her and somehow managing to look self-possessed and in command from her seated position. “I’ve heard…thingsabout you.”
He didn’t even flinch. “Hope it was from this one”—he pointed to Thea—“and not that one.” His finger moved to Mabel, who narrowed her eyes.
“If I promise to cut that new Abrams Motor commercial this afternoon, will you leave?” she asked.
Brandon pressed a hand to the expensive suit covering his chest. “Why Mabel, I’m overjoyed to hear that you plan to do your job. Thea, let me know when that fax comes in from corporate. Delighted to make your acquaintance, Ms. Fox.” With one last smarmy smile, he disappeared.
“He’s the worst,” Mabel seethed.
“He’s not so bad,” Thea chided her.
“He still gets faxes?” Faith asked.
“I don’t even know why he’s here so often on site visits.Your actual office is in Minneapolis,” Mabel called to the empty door. Then she brushed her hands together as if she were knocking off the Brandon dust. “Anyway, I want to get back to your weird Aiden issues.”
“Agreed,” Faith said. “So you’re on the slender side. Audrey Hepburn was slender. Lots of guys dig that.”
“Not Aiden.” Thea crossed her arms over her chest. “He always goes home with the Marilyns.”
“Since when are you an Aiden stalker?”
She dropped her head into her hands at Mabel’s questions. “I’m not! He’s just alwaysaround, you know? Everywhere I go in town, he’s there with his”—she waved a hand helplessly—“with his smile and his tallness and his charisma.” God, she wasn’t doing justice to the overwhelming hotness of Aiden Murdoch. “It’s hard to miss where he goes and who he’s with.”
“Aww, kitten, I’m sorry he never took you home for a night of mediocre sex before forgetting to call you,” Faith crooned, stroking a hand down Thea’s back. “I know how special that is for a girl.”
“Oh, shut it,” Thea snapped. “And anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’ve got to go send an email explaining that I can’t afford his services, so it’s all moot. I’ll go back to being that girl he sees around town sometimes and stops to chat with when he’s got nothing better to do.”
With that, she turned her attention to the rest of their woman-only lunch, or tried to at least. But the drumbeat at the base of her skull refused to let up: No house. No hookups. No changes to her life.
“Maybe I should get a dog.” The instant she blurted out the nonsense idea, it took hold of her brain, but Faith and Mabel merely stared at her with identical looks of confusion. “No really, should I get a dog?”
