“I’ve been waiting way too long and I need the details,” she said, coming toward me and pointing an accusing finger. Her nails were even painted with tiny mushrooms; it caught me a little offguard. “I just saw Garrison Nash walking out of here smiling like a kid on Christmas, and the only common factor isyou.”
“Common factor between what?”
“Every day,” she said. “Especially that one day, the day after your breakup? He wasgrinning.That man does not grin, Maggie.”
My face flushed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about?—”
“You are blushing, ma’am, you areblushing!”She shook her head, then let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, Maggie—I know you’re private, I know this is your business, but I also…”
She paused.
“Yes…?”
“I’m new here,” she said. “You’re new here. The only other folks here are married locals, tourists, or old people. Come on…pleasegive me the gossip, I’m begging.”
I frowned…a little overwhelmed but also dying to talk about this. She was right; I didn’t have anyone. The only person in town who ever really talked to me was Mrs. Petersen, and she clearly had some beef with Nash. I could always call my little brother Lucas, but he lived halfway across the country and he also obviously didn’t want to hear about me hooking up with the local bartender…
“We had sex,” I blurted out.
Delia’s eyes went bigger than I thought possible. “Maggie Laine—you—and you’ve been sitting on this?!” She shook her head. “Okay…I guess this isn’t the only thing you’ve been sitting on.”
“I already regret telling you?—”
“When?!”
“The night Bryce and I broke up.”
Delia stared.
I glanced toward the door to make sure there were no kids or parents coming in—but the event seemed to be winding down, people leaving and hugging.
“I wandered into Rick’s Bar that night,” I said. “I didn’t know he owned it. I just saw the light on and I needed a drink and then he…well, we?—”
“You hooked up with the hottest dad at Juniper Hills Elementary in a legendary act of revenge sex, yeah,” she said.
“It really wasn’t revenge sex,” I said. “Bryce wasn’t even on my mind by that point?—”
“That’s even better! That’s worse for Bryce. He broke up with you and you forgot about him within the same evening. That man should be absolutelyhumbled.”
“Delia, please?—”
“And you just did it again right?”
My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my skull. “Delia,we are at school.”
“Tell me you don’t think that would be hot,” she said. “Actually—don’t, you would be lying?—”
“We didn’t have sex,” I said. “I’ve been in here trying to clean cider off my dress, and we bumped into each other.”
“Carnally.”
“No.”
The door opened, and we both looked over to see Mrs. Petersen leaning in from outside. She gave us a quizzical glance.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you two,” she said. “We’re starting teardown. I got a few parents to stay and help.”
“Coming,” I said immediately, probably too quickly, stepping forward.
