Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
My lip twitched. “Both.”
She smiled. “Okay.”
“So we’re good? No more dumb questions about dumb shit from my past?”
“Actually I have one more.”
I lifted my chin toward the light. “That’s been green for a long time. So make it quick.”
“Do you have condoms? Because I don’t have any.”
“Bought a whole box at the drugstore next to the florist today.”
Josie’s eyes flared. “A whole box? How many times in one night can you…”
I leaned so we were nose to nose. “Until you’re sore, baby. Until you’re sore.”
***
The thought of putting on a suit and driving two towns over to some pretentious restaurant had been balanced by the fact that one—Josie would more than likely wear a dress. I hadn’t expected it to be as skimpy as the one she had on, so bonus points there... And two—it was unlikely I’d run into any of the local Laurel Lake motormouths this far from town. Apparently, I was only running fifty-fifty.
Opal’s eyes widened bigger than the dinner plates when she caught sight of me and Josie at our table.
“Oh fuck,” I grumbled and put my fork down.
“What? Is your steak not cooked right?”
I shook my head. “I wish. My life is about to go to hell at work.”
“What are you talking about?”
I didn’t have to answer. Opal swooped in to do that for me.
“I thought that was you two.” Her eyes sparkled. “My, my, my, look at you, boss. All dressed up in a tie.”
“Go away, Opal.”
“Fox!” Josie’s eyes narrowed. “Be nice...”
Opal waved her off. “Oh, honey, that is Fox’s version of nice. Didn’t you notice he didn’t use a cuss word? He must be in a good mood.”
Josie laughed. “It’s nice to see you, Opal. Isn’t it, Fox?”
I sulked. “No.”
“Fox…”
“Whatever. Yeah, great.”
I mostly zoned out while the two women made small talk—something about dresses and the restaurant, I think. But my attention snagged when I heard the name Frannie.
“You’re here with Frannie Newton?” I asked.
Opal nodded. “It’s her birthday. We treat each other to our favorite meal every year. Frannie likes the slugs in shells they serve here. Me, I never understood escargot.”
Great, just damn great. The only mouth bigger than Opal’s was Frannie Newton’s. She worked at the post office, holding people captive while she sold them stamps and doled out other people’s business. Her distribution network was equivalent to the daily mail. I had no doubt that by ten AM tomorrow, the only people who wouldn’t know what I’d done tonight were the people away on vacation. And she’d fill them in when they came to pick up their held mail.
“Is this the first time you two have been here?” Opal asked.
I said no at the same time Josie said yes.
Opal looked between us, seeming amused.
Josie put her hand on her chest. “It’s my first time here.”
“Get the crème brûlée for dessert. It’s orgasmic.”
While I threw up a little in my mouth from hearing Opal say a word close to orgasm, Josie didn’t seem freaked out at all.
She smiled. “Thanks. Maybe I will, if I’m not too full.”
Opal leaned in and lowered her voice. “Did you hear that Sam from the home-improvement store put his house up for sale?”
“Oh? I hope everything’s okay?” Josie said. “Sam is so sweet.”
“He’s dating Rena Arlo. She asked him to move in with her. They’re looking at buying a condo in Florida and being snow birds with the money Sam gets from the sale.”
“Good for them. I haven’t met Rena, but Sam seems really nice.”
“Sam’s having a garage sale next weekend. His wife, God rest her soul, collected those Hummel figurines my sister who lives in Georgia collects. So I’m going to go early and scoop some up for her. I can pick you up on the way. I’m sure Rena will be working the sale with him.”
“That sounds great. I love garage sales.”
“You’re welcome to come, too, Fox,” Opal said.
“No thanks. Not a fan of looking through used shit people don’t want. I got enough shit of my own I could get rid of.”
“Then you should have a garage sale. I can come over and help you price things…”
I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to do less than open the door for the entire town to come in. I held up a hand. “I’m good, thanks.”
Opal ignored me like I wasn’t there, continuing to yap at Josie. “Heard you ran into your uncle Ray?”
Josie squinted but then a look of understanding crossed her face and she nodded. “I was at Lowell’s, earlier today. Sam pointed him out and introduced us. I expected my uncle to be different than he was. He was actually very soft-spoken and sweet.”
Opal and I exchanged glances. Then our waiter came by with the second glass of wine Josie had ordered. Most people would take the interruption as a segue to say goodbye, but not Opal. She stood there, continuing to yap while my food got cold. I waited a few more minutes, but she still didn’t stop. Frustrated, I picked my fork back up and waved it between my date and my employee.