Marlee lifted him from her purse. “This is Lothario.”
She held up the little guy.
“Sweet fuck,” Brek said.
Velma glared at him.
“I think cussing is allowed in this situation,” Brek said, defending his word choice.
Dean moved to pour himself a few fingers of whiskey from Brek’s stash. He paused near Eli.
“You got new ink,” Dean said. He pointed to the heart on Eli’s arm.
“We both did.” Marlee turned her ankle to display her matching heart. “We were drunk.” She pulled a you-know-how-it-goes face.
Dean played by all the rules, though. He’d never get inked and married in Vegas.
“You know what I think?” Velma asked. “I think that you guys should go start the grill and we’ll stay here and get to know Marlee.”
“And Lothario,” Heather added.
“We’re grilling?” Eli asked. And suddenly, the world looked better. Shinier. Give him a cut of meat and a cooking surface and he could make magic. Magic that didn’t involve any conversation about marriage. He knew the word. Knew what he’d done. He was dealing with it all on an hourly basis.
Brek grabbed a stunning tray of beef tenderloin roast from the fridge. All laid out and ready for Eli to escape into cooking. He looked at Marlee.
He wouldn’t leave her if she wasn’t good, wasn’t okay with being left alone with the wives and fiancée of his best friends.
“Go do your thing,” she said. A blessing that would get him out of the awkwardness and into his element.
“That’s mine.” Eli took the tray from Brek, heading toward the grill on the balcony.
He had a load of explaining to do to his friends. And a cut of meat to cook.
Thank God for meat and friends.
* * *
Marlee could tellthese ladies were the real deal. Like Becca, Kellie, and Sadie…they were authentic. Looking back, her so-called Denver friends hadn’t been warm in the beginning. Not until they learned what she had to offer. Namely, money.
Heather had a fun vibe to her that Marlee knew could get them both in trouble—the kind of trouble they’d have a heck of a lot of fun doing. Heather’s long brown hair was pulled tight into a ponytail. She was a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl with wicked cute pink ballet flats.
Claire had dark hair and a body that Marlee would kill for. Not that she’d actually work out to get a body like that—way too much effort would be involved in that project. But she could appreciate it on someone else. Claire was not a jeans and T-shirt girl. She was the cute dress and strappy sandal girl. And probably sweater dress girl when it got chilly.
And Velma? Velma had blonde hair and a warmth that Marlee hoped would stay genuine. Velma was super pretty. She had curves and she rocked them. Her dress wasn’t as casual as Claire’s, but it wasn’t a full business suit either.
She’d slipped off to the bathroom after Eli headed for the grill. She wanted to check her lipstick, and she wanted to check in with the girls.
Marlee: I’m making new friends. Eli’s friends.
Sadie: …
Becca: How goes the de-Eli-ing?
Marlee: Good. He’s grilling a roast. Happy.
Sadie: I can’t believe he took u tonight! That’s amazing.
Marlee: Divorce papers, new friends & a breakthrough. Yay me!
