Kellie: I hope you enjoy Eli’s meat! :p
Becca: Leave it to Kel to go there.
Sadie: Can we not? He’s my b-r-o-t-h-e-r. Insert vomit emoji.
Becca: Sadie is voice-texting again.
Sadie: Damn it. It’s supposed to actually put the emoji.
Marlee: GTG
She tucked the phone away and headed back to the kitchen, settling on a barstool next to Claire and Lothario.
“You married Eli?” Heather asked. “And he just went along with it?”
“That doesn’t sound like something Eli would just go along with.” Claire reached to pet Lothario. He immediately nuzzled her hand. Marlee kept her eye on him in case he got any dirty ideas.
“We screwed up. That’s all,” Marlee said.
“I have literally never known Eli to screw up.” Velma multitasked, somehow managing to fix a salad and potatoes and prep dessert all at once. “Frankly, I think a good screwup is just what he needs.” She paled. “I didn’t mean that like you’re a screwup. I mean—”
“She didn’t mean how that sounded.” Claire giggled. “She means Eli needs his life shaken up.”
Marlee chuckled. She liked these ladies. They were kind, and they probably didn’t expect her to pay for everything. “I totally agree. I hadn’t had a chance to hang out with him for a while.”
What with all the wedding planning and the like. And the fact she only really got to see him when Sadie came to town.
“Can I help with that?” Marlee asked as Velma worked.
Not that she’d be much help in the kitchen, but she could certainly do something to help out.
“Nope.” Velma flashed her a smile. “I’ve got it.”
“You two met in Vegas then?” Claire asked. Lothario had made himself at home in her lap.
“Oh no. I’ve known Eli since we were teenagers. His sister is my best friend.” Better just explain it all at once so they understood that what happened didn’t mean anything permanent. “I was supposed to get married, but my fiancé decided not to go through with it at the last minute. My friends decided to get me out of town for the weekend. Eli came along with us on the wedding-didn’t-happen Vegas trip. And then this happened.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder. Eli hadn’t appreciated the amount of time it had taken her to blow it out. But the results were worth it. “It wasn’t planned. Hence the divorce.”
“And now you’re living with him?” Velma confirmed.
Marlee wiped a line of condensation from the side of her glass. “Things kind of went south for me when we got back.”
Velma stilled mid-salad-toss. “The Medford account.”
Marlee paused. Eli had said Velma worked with Dean in finance.
“You probably work on my parents’ accounts.” Marlee lifted Lothario onto her lap. “It’s okay. It’s not a secret. They cut me off because I made a bad choice and got married. That’s why Eli is letting me stay with him.”
Velma and Claire shared a look that held a whole lot of conversation without any words.
“Don’t worry,” Marlee added. “I’m not taking advantage or anything. He said it was okay and I promised to pay him back once this whole thing is over.”
“That’s not what we were thinking,” Claire said. “We’re all actually really excited that Eli brought someone around.”
“He’s never brought anyone before?” Marlee asked. That didn’t seem right. Eli was a great guy. He deserved to be happy. Not that one had to be in a relationship to be happy. Eli just didn’t seem like a guy that should be alone all the time.
Sure, he acted like he preferred it. She didn’t buy the act. How many times had she noticed him texting his sisters? His mom? His dad? Calling Sadie?
“I guess our next party will be a wedding shower for you and Eli,” Velma said.
