Page 70 of Tiger Lilies and Tight Ends

The timer on the oven dings, and Sophie rises to go help Jonah. He’s never been a set-the-table type of person but more load your plate up from the kitchen and then go sit down.

Will our life change?

Will my life change?

I like my life just the way it is. I’ve worked hard to set boundaries and live non-descriptive to the outside world. Do my neighbors know who I am? A few of them. But mostly no one knows anything. I trust Lily, but now I feel a level of anxiety that I didn’t before. Not with her, but with this unknown they’re telling me I should be prepared for. Red flags are rising, but I need them to dull down to yellow. Feeling on edge after this conversation, I send Lily another text to keep her talking to me.

How’s the beach today?

Lily: Good, but I’m ready to be back. We’re almost through Morgan’s list, and I swear she’ll have enough to post for at least the next two months, and that’s not including graphics with images of the book, the release, and things like that.

She’s ready to be back. This calms the sudden tightness in my chest. She can do that, she somehow magically makes everything better. And I’m ready for her to be back.

Sophie asked about that, and I told her that’s what y’all were doing. She pulled up your account, and I saw the reel of your feet.

Lily: She wasn’t wrong about the reel getting traction, but really, who wants to look at my feet?

I do. I want to look at your feet and everything attached to them.

I’d like to look at everything, preferably while she’s naked.

Lily: You’re biased.

Indeed.

Chapter 30

You’ve Been Caught

Every Thursday after our walk-through practice, it's become a thing that marketing is standing in the hallway with their whiteboard and cameras. Danica and Ross, who we’ve all gotten to know a little bit better, are standing there smiling, waving anyone and everyone who comes out to swing by and answer the question. Today it’s, “What’s one thing you hate that others do not?”

“Don’t be shy,” Danica teases as she waves her hand over the board like she’s presenting a prize in a game show.

“Oh, I’m not shy. I don’t like the smell of ground beef,” I tell her.

“Bro, that’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard,” Ryder says, as he moves to stand next to me.

“No, it’s not. I think a lot of people don’t like that smell.”

“Lies,” he declares. “Hamburgers, tacos, Salisbury steak, sloppy joes, meatballs, meatloaf—makes my stomach growl just thinking about it.” He rubs his stomach.

“I like all of those things. I just don’t like the smell of ground beef.” I prop my hands on my hips and stand a little taller.

“Bro, you’re weird,” he spits out.

“Fine, what’s yours?”

He thinks about this and then shivers. “Seagulls.”

“What?” I bark out a laugh as Sully comes to stand next to us.

“They’re nasty. People at the beach think they’re all cute, feeding them and shit, when really they are dirty birds. Think rats with wings.”

“Interesting, because the sound of the seagulls' call is soothing to me. When I hear it, my brain instantly slows down my central nervous system. My body thinks it’s on vacation.”

“We live in Florida. There are seagulls everywhere at all times.”

“Exactly,” Sully says, nodding as if Rico is just now solving one of life’s great mysteries.