“I don’t know...”
“Nope. It’s happening. Gives you a chance to let loose in the comfort of your new home and have some fun before you have to get back to work.”
two
After leaningthe last empty box against the wall in the corner so it can go in the recycling bin, I admire my new living room setup with pride and let out a thankful sigh. The house is already starting to look like a home, even if some of my stuff is still missing.
My new house is white, two-stories, with a large front porch facing the woods, and a back deck that looks out over the lake.
The lake itself is only about a five-minute walk, and I can’t wait to go down and do sunset yoga by the water. It’s one of my favorite times of the day. Only two other houses occupy this street besides mine and the one next door, but they are farther down the road.
A chorus of laughter erupts from the kitchen, and I can’t help but grin. Maybe Noia’s housewarming unpacking party wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
“Sash! Get your ass in here!” she calls out. “Claire’s about to deal and you’re missing all the good gossip!”
“Coming!” I grab my glass off the coffee table and head back into the kitchen, where my best friend and my two newest friends are sitting, gathered around my kitchen table.
“I’m already down fifteen kisses, and we haven’t even started yet,” Lizzy grumbles playfully. Her black, blue-tipped hair falls over her face as she stacks chocolate kisses into neat piles.
“That’s because you keep eating your currency,” Claire laughs as she shuffles the deck of cards.
I slide into the empty chair between Noia and Claire, directly across from Lizzy. “Sorry. I just wanted to make sure there weren’t any empty boxes still lying around the living room.”
“Neat freak,” Noia teases, sliding the bottle of Jameson my way.
“Hey, keeping things neat and organized has saved my ass more times than I can’t count,” I say, pouring two more fingers of amber liquid into my glass. “Organization is key when it comes to being in the midst of moving mayhem.”
“Speaking of which,” Claire says as she deals the cards. “How was the move? Did all your stuff make it here in one piece?”
I groan and pick up my cards. “Mostly? Somehow the moving company managed to misplace an entire pod.”
“They what?” Lizzy looks up, eyes wide as she rearranges the cards in her hand. “How the hell do you lose something that big?”
“That’s what I said!” I take a sip of my drink, savoring the burn. “Apparently, it got ‘mislabeled’ and sent to their Portland warehouse instead of being loaded onto the moving truck with everything else. They’re dropping it off tomorrow morning.”
Claire frowns. “Don’t tell me you have to unload it yourself.”
“Unfortunately, yeah. All their movers are booked solid.” I shrug. “But it’s mostly just lighter boxes—clothes, linens, some kitchen and bathroom stuff. Nothing I can’t handleon my own.”
“Maybe I can get Ryder to help,” Noia says, tossing a chocolate kiss into the pot. “I can ask if you want? If I didn’t have to be in Portland tomorrow to meet with my new publisher, I would.”
“Nope. You all have been enough help already.” I unwrap a chocolate and pop it into my mouth. “I can handle a few boxes on my own. How about we ditch this hand and watch a movie instead?”
Lizzy sets her cards face down on the table. “What movie?”
“I just bought the newest Rowan Cole rom-com. ‘Kiss Me At Midnight.’ It’s supposed to be his best one yet.” Already excited, I reach for the remote.
She rolls her eyes so hard I’m surprised they don’t get stuck in the back of her head. “Don’t you think his movies are a little over the top?”
The room goes silent. I freeze with my hand mid-air, and Noia pauses, chocolate kiss halfway to her mouth as Claire’s expertly arched eyebrows shoot up to her purple hairline.
“I thought you liked rom-coms,” Noia says with a gasp. “You even told me you were thinking about writing one yourself.”
“Nah. I’m going to stick with reading them instead. Besides, not only do I have my hands full with my job, I’ve decided to start painting again.”
Too shocked to let what she just said sink in, I start my line of questioning.
“What did Rowan Cole ever do to you?” I ask, genuinely confused.
