Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Chelsea
“It sounds like they took that better than I thought they would,” Sadie said, her eyes wide. “Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. They seem full of pent up violence.”
“All the best people are.” I gripped her ankle and touched up the nail polish on her big toe before moving onto the next one. She was so ticklish, she’d pull away from me if I let her. “I like this shade of red.”
“It’s pink,” she said.
I squinted at her nail. “No, it’s definitely red.” It was a bright shade, just lighter than the colour of fresh blood.
She laughed and picked up the bottle. “It’s definitely pink, look at the colour name.”
I glanced over and read out loud. “Infinite purple. Who comes up with these names? It’s definitely not purple.”
“Yeah, but it’s also not red.” She cut me a sly smile.
“I think what you meant to say was it’s not pink.” I dipped the brush into the bottle and swiped it a couple of times before starting on her third toenail.
“I think we can both agree it’s not green,” she said with a laugh.
I glanced up at her and grinned. “I think I want to say it is green, just to see what you’ll do.”
“You’re such a brat,” she teased. “Speaking of, how many boyfriends are you up to now?”
“We still haven’t discussed the whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing,” I said, with a hint of frustration. “I’m seeing four of them, currently. But when Dallas and Atlas find out what’s going on, I might be down to two.”
“You poor thing.” She clicked her tongue.
Playfully, I swiped the brush across the top of her foot, leaving a line of polish.
“Hey!” she protested. “You’re supposed to paint my nails, not my foot. That tickled.”
I glanced up. “Sorry, not sorry.” I started on the fourth nail, careful because the last two were so small.
“That was what I figured,” she said. “Did I mention you’re a brat?”
“It’s one of the things you like about me,” I retorted. “And vice versa. Now, would you keep still? I wouldn’t want to accidentally get nail polish where it shouldn’t be.”
She used to finger quotes while saying, “Accidentally.”
“Exactly,” I said as though being literal. “You want me to do a good job or not?”
“I do,” she said. “No one does my nails like you do. You might have missed your calling. You should have been a nail technician.”
“I’ll bear that in mind, if this medicine thing doesn’t work out,” I said.
It wasn’t a bad idea if things went to hell. There was no way the guys were going to let me go back to dancing. They’d probably tie me up in Frost’s cabin for the rest of my life before they allowed me to strip for strangers again.
“Painting my nails must be much more satisfying than saving people’s lives,” she joked. “If I could afford it, I’d pay you to do them every couple of days.”
“If you could afford it, I might let you,” I said. “Then I could spend the rest of my days on the couch with a good book.” Or on my bed with one of the guys’ faces buried between my thighs. There were worse fates.
She sniffed. “I’d have to find something else for you to do. You could be my personal physician and nail polisher.”
“Where do I sign?” I lightly blew on her drying nails before grabbing her other ankle and starting to work on those nails.
“I’ll speak to my team of lawyers.” She leaned against the couch cushion. “We should do these spa days more often. It’s so relaxing.” She took a sip of champagne from the glass in her hand.
“It’s a nice break from how hectic everything has been for the last while,” I agreed.
I only had a week left in my practical training before final exams. After that, the real work started. Applying for jobs while hoping like hell the Smashers hired me. Or searching around for a practice I could work in while I waited for an opening on a team somewhere.
“What are you going to do if you can’t find a job in Dusk Bay?” she asked. “Will you be looking for somewhere to set up a nail salon?”
I snorted. “Maybe. I think I’d have to go back to school for that though. How long does it take to get a qualification in nail technology?”
“Probably less time than medicine,” she said. “That was your first mistake. If you’d gone straight to nail school, you’d be an owner of your own salon by now. Knowing you, you’d have a chain of them.” She held up a hand in front of her. “I can see it now. Chelsea’s Nails, in pink neon.”
“Or red neon,” I said, nodding towards her nails.
“Being colour blind might be problematic,” she teased. When I made to wipe polish across her other foot, she laughed and held her hand over the top of her foot. “I’m kidding, kidding. It is close enough to both pink and red to be confusing.”
I gave her the side eye. “Let’s go with that. In answer to your other question, I don’t know what I’ll do. Maybe go and work with my brother.”
“You always say you wouldn’t do that,” she said softly.
“I don’t want to,” I said. “I love him and all, but I’d prefer to leave the killing to other people.”
“You really think Storm and Frost are those other people?" She kept her voice down like we might be overheard in our own apartment.
“I know Frost is,” I said. “How did Divina take the news about what happened to Ivy?”
Sadie pressed her lips together. “She’s organising a memorial for her. And raising funds for Ivy’s family. I don’t think she misses her, exactly, but she respected her. You know?”
“I do,” I agreed. “Ivy was good at what she did. She was gorgeous and the clients adored her.” I remembered watching her and Frost step out of the private room. There was no hint of jealousy. We weren’t together yet, and it wasn’t as though he could ever fuck her again. He made sure of that. It was just a thing that happened in the past, that was all.
“Yeah, they did,” Sadie agreed. “Even though I got the impression she thought she was better than everyone else. I never really got that. All of the dancers there are different, with different looks and different talents. The kind of guys who went for you usually weren’t the kind who went for her. There was plenty to go around.”
“I guess some people feel the way they feel, even if it makes no sense.” I blew on the other nails and put her foot down before checking the first set of nails to see if they were dry.
“I suppose so,” she agreed. “It’s a shame, because you two might have gotten along if she gave you a chance.”
“We’ll never know,” I said. I screwed the cap back on the nail polish before setting it aside on the coffee table.
“That’s true,” Sadie said before we swapped spots, her on the floor and me on the couch. She picked up the colour I’d chosen for my nails. A deep red that couldn’t be confused with any other colour.
She cocked her head and peered at the bottle. “Nice shade of blue.”
I picked up a cushion and threw it at her. It hit her on the arm before plopping to the floor.
“I’ll give you blue,” I growled playfully. “As if I’d ever have that on my nails.” I’d wear blue, sure, but not painted on.
“That sounds like a dare to me.” She opened the red and started to apply it to my toenails.
“Remind me not to play truth or dare with you,” I teased.
That reminded me of Storm, who kept bringing the game up. It was fun, but I was never going to answer that question. I’d take it to my grave first. Not that I was ashamed of it, but it was private. A night between two people, not something for the world to know. Not even guys I cared about.
“Next thing you will say you won’t play Kink Or Drink with me,” she pouted.
“I’ll absolutely play that with you,” I assured her. “As long as you bring your own men.” I didn’t need to remind her what would happen to her if there was any drama between me and her over my guys. Just like she wouldn’t have to remind me to keep my hands off anyone she was seeing. Sisters before misters and all that.
“You’re on,” she said. “Remember the time we played that at Flirts with a bunch of clients and staff?”
“That was fun,” I said. I earned a fortune in tips that night. And had a lot of fun with the raunchy card game. Invented at Brutham Academy by the Brantley twins, it was a particular favourite with me and my friends.
“Are you sure you won’t come back to Flirts?” Sadie asked. “You look like you miss the place.”
“I miss the people and I miss dancing,” I said. “I don’t miss anything else about it. It’s my past now and I want to focus on the future. Right now, that consists of sitting still so you can finish my nails.”
“It’s unfair you’re not as ticklish as I am,” she complained. “Why do I have to suffer?”
“You’re just unlucky in that regard,” I said. “You’re lucky in other ways. You’re smart, beautiful and cute. And most of all, you have me for a best friend.” I batted my eyelashes at her.
“That last one almost makes it worth being ticklish,” she said sweetly.
Together we said, “Almost.” Then we laughed.
“Seriously though, I’m glad we’re friends,” she said. “You’re pretty awesome. And I’m looking forward to all those free tickets to the Smashers’ games.”
“I knew you were my friend for a reason,” I teased. “You were waiting for footy tickets.”
“That’s what they call playing the long game,” she said. “I knew if I hung around long enough, I’d get free tickets to something .”
“Remind me to only apply for jobs with cricket teams,” I said, knowing she didn’t like the sport.
“If they were free, I’d go,” she said. “Anything that involves guys playing with their balls. Or a puck. Or a shuttlecock. I’m not that picky.”
“I figured that out about you,” I said. “That might bring us back to you choosing me for a friend.”
“When it comes to friends, I’m very picky,” she said. “Nothing but the best for Sadie. Sadie has the best taste in friends.”
“Does Sadie often talk about herself in third person?” I teased.
“In her head, she does,” she laughed. “Now it sounds like I’m weird, or crazy.”
“If you are, you’d fit in perfectly with me and everyone I know,” I said. No wonder there were so many psychology practices in Dusk Bay. They must be making a fortune from people like us. Like a cottage industry that grows up around various professions. Maybe they should have named it Fucked Up Bay.
“Finally, I get to fit in.” She pumped a fist in the air in triumph.
“If I ever made you feel like you didn’t fit in—” I started.
“You didn’t,” she said quickly. “You’ve always made me feel included and loved. Like you do with everyone around you. It’s one of your superpowers. Mine is the ability to chain pour twenty drinks in a row.”
“That’s a useful skill,” I said. “Especially on a Saturday night.”
She laughed and leaned down to concentrate on painting my nails.