Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Probably because I’ve been shacking up with Lance instead of helping Adele at the shop. The guy spent every night this week making sure I’m thoroughly and well-satisfied sexually both before bed, and every morning before work. And the rest of his hours are spent offering me food, or showing up in wolf form on my mail route. “I’m good.”
“You look great. Are you wearing makeup or something?” Tabitha peers at me. “You’re glowing.”
“Yes, you are,” Adele agrees, and arches a brow at me behind Tabitha’s back.
I touch my cheeks, hoping the low light from the lava lamp hides my blush. Fortunately, Tabitha doesn’t pry. She dips a chip and takes it to the yoga/sex couch, where she sprawls out on the curved surface. “Oh, before I forget, Adele, I saw your business partner the other day. He looked like he had a black eye.”
I shoot a worried glance at Adele. Bing didn’t have a black eye when I saw him, but she doesn’t look surprised by the news.
“Oh?” Adele’s voice is neutral.
“I called his name but he must not have heard me.” Tabitha shrugs. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I called him earlier, but haven’t heard back from him,” Adele says slowly. “Thanks for the update, Tabitha. I’ll see if he calls back.”
“No problem.” Tabitha seems oblivious, so Adele must not have shared everything with her yet. “Charlie? What’s new with you?”
“Um…” Should I catch them up now, or wait for Sadie? I can’t decide. My pause goes on for too long, and I realize my two friends are staring at me expectantly. “I do have some news.”
Adele hides her smile in her wine glass. She thinks she knows what I’m going to say.
I open my mouth, and the door swings open.
“Hey ladies,” Sadie trills. “You ready to be godmothers?” She’s carrying a big Tupperware container—the one she uses for baked goods—and a bag full of clinking bottles. “I figured we can celebrate. I made cupcakes! And brought stuff for mocktails!”
Adele straightens so fast, Winston Churchill the cat goes flying. He lands on his feet with a thump and struts away, tail in the air. Adele doesn’t notice. “Godmothers?” She eyes Sadie as if looking for a baby bump.
“Mocktails? Tabitha wrinkles her nose. She turns to me. “Is that your news? Are you detoxing?”
“Oh no,” Sadie gasps. I grab the plastic container of cupcakes before they go flying, too, and get them safely to the coffee table. “You haven’t told them yet?” Sadie’s aghast.
Adele’s hazel eyes widen as they switch from Sadie to me. “Charlie?”
“Surprise,”' I say weakly to Tabitha and Adele.
Adele puts a hand to her mouth.
“Wait, what?” Tabitha asks, looking from my face to Adele’s. “What’s going on?”
I clear my throat. “I'm pregnant.”
“Congratulations,” Sadie bursts out, just like the first time I told her. “Sorry. I’m just so excited.”
“Oh my God, really?” Tabitha asks. I nod, and she pumps her fist in the air. “Rizzo's got a bun in the oven!”
Oh my God.
“Charlie, are you okay?” Adele asks.
“Yes?” I answer. “I mean, I’m getting there. It’s still a shock.”
“It'll be okay.” Sadie sinks into a beanbag next to me. “That's what we're here for.” She pats my knee.
Tabitha makes a beeline for the cupcakes which Sadie made with pale blue, pink, and yellow frosting.
“Yes,” Adele says. “We're here for you. Whatever you need…”
I wilt a little, weak with relief.
“Wait, I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone.” Tabitha licks blue frosting off her finger.
“I wasn’t.” Gah, I have to catch Tabitha up on everything.
“So what happened? Who's the lucky guy?” She grins and adds mischievously, “Do you know?”
“Stop.” Adele frowns at Tabitha.
Tabitha winks at me.
“Yes, I know the guy,” I snark back. Tabitha and I like to pretend-fight. “It's Lance Lightfoot.”
Tabitha pauses before biting into a cupcake. “Wait, who?”
“One of those bikers,” Adele says.
“Deke’s friend,” Sadie puts in quickly.
I can’t read Adele’s expression. I’m not sure she’s going to approve of Lance.
Tabitha’s mouth falls open. “The blond playboy? That's your baby-daddy?”
“Yes, and we really hit it off. We're going to try to make it work.”
“Yay” Sadie claps her hands and starts pulling bottles of fancy seltzers and syrups from her bag.
Adele looks skeptical.
Tabitha comes over and sets a cupcake in front of me. “Back the baby-mobile up a second,” she says. “I feel like I'm missing a lot. Let me get this straight: you are with Lance? The guy who hit on an entire cluster of coed ski-bunnies in front of us?”
I wince. We had watched Lance do that. And all of the girls had given him their numbers. One squeezed his muscles and asked if she could ride his bike. He assured them all he'd take them for a long, hard ride.
I groan and put my face in my hands. Immediately, my friends surround me. Three gentle hands fall on my back. Even Tabitha is here for me.