Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 51827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
But there’s Jules, sitting alone in a seat in the back of the bus that will take us to the airport. She has her laptop out and her headphones in.
When I approach, she smiles and takes her headphones off. “Hey, great game tonight.”
“Thanks.” I look from side to side, keeping my voice low. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Sure, how can I help?”
“Will you tell Blair you’re taking her out for dinner on Wednesday and make sure she sets up a sitter? And then bring her to meet me?”
She gives me an excited smile. “Sweet! The three of us hanging out for a whole evening!”
I open my mouth to speak, then close it again. She bursts out laughing.
“I’m fucking with you. Of course I’ll leave. The childcare will be Aunt Jules, so she doesn’t have to worry about what time she gets home. I kind of live there.”
She winks and puts her headphones back on. I find a seat on the bus, finally thinking about something other than my sore shoulder, my sister’s uncertain situation, or my lack of a contract offer.
I’m thinking about something good. Or rather, someone. I’m ready to have a long-overdue conversation with her.
15
Blair
* * *
Jules gives me a once-over, clapping her hands.
“Ready?” she asks.
I narrow my eyes. “What about you?”
She looks down at her jeans. “These are Frame. Don’t ask how much I paid; it was slightly traumatizing.”
“But why do you get to wear jeans and a sweatshirt to GNO, but you put me in leather pants and a sweater?”
“That’s not just a sweater; it’s cashmere. And I get to dress well every day for work, but you have to wear sad scrubs with cartoon characters on them.”
“I picked those out on purpose.”
She waves a hand. “Anyway. We have a reservation, so let’s go.”
I sigh heavily, shooting her a glare. She wouldn’t let me wear regular underwear with these stupid leather pants, because panty lines, so I have a thong in my ass crack. And I thought she might slap me when I tried to put the fitted ivory sweater she brought me on over a sports bra.
Only a lacy white underwire bra would do, she said. So now I’m uncomfortable and I’m made up like it’s prom night, so I hope she’s taking me somewhere nice where I’ll get tiny little plates with two bites of food. I’m not dressed for pizza and karaoke, which is what I wanted to do tonight.
“Did you tell Noel how to feed Dong?” I ask on the walk to her car.
“Yep. Dong’s covered.”
I pull my black wool coat closed in the freezing February wind, hesitating to open my car door. “You told him where the can opener is? And the Hello Kitty dish?”
“Get in the car, Blair.”
“I feel like Dong’s not getting fed tonight.”
“And I feel like you’re being a control freak and a buzzkill. I can handle the fucking cat, okay?”
“You mean Noel can. Because he’s the one babysitting the boys, and he knows where the can opener and Hello Kitty dish are? Right?”
She pats my knee as she backs out of the driveway. “Right. I’ll have him send you a video of Dong eating, okay? He’ll think it’s perfectly sane.”
“Don’t be so salty.”
“Can you go dress shopping the weekend after next?”
“I should be able to.”
She gets a dreamy look on her face. “I can’t believe he’s going to be my husband. I love him so much.”
“You’ll be the most beautiful bride ever.”
We talk wedding dresses the rest of the way to the restaurant. She wants to look elegant, but not too elegant. Flawless, but not like she’s trying too hard. Modern, but classic.
Whatever she chooses will be perfect. Noel would happily marry her if she wore a paper bag. I don’t tell her that, though. She’s dreamed of a wedding day for so long, and I want her to squeeze every ounce of joy she can out of it.
When we reach a nice sushi restaurant, she pulls up at the front door.
“Have fun.” She’s giddy as she says it.
“What? Why aren’t you parking?”
“Oh, I’m not going.”
I give her a look. “So you want me to eat sushi in leather pants alone?”
“Of course not. Magnus is waiting for you.”
I just stare at her for a second. “Magnus?”
She nods and does the clapping thing again. “He asked me to get you here and arrange for childcare. It’s me, by the way. Well, Noel, too. We’ll both be there, but I’ll feed Dong. And you know I know where the can opener is. So go have fun.”
“Wait. So the boys are with Noel now?”
“Yeah, they’re getting burgers. Then we’ll hang out at home and have fun, but not too much fun so they’re too wound up to sleep; we’ll make sure they brush and floss every tooth, and we’ll send them to bed on time because it’s a school night. Nothing to worry about. And in the morning, I’ll take them to school.”