Chapter 09
Hayley stared at me with wide eyes, as I expected, while I whispered the details to my photoshoot, and then some, to her and her wife.
“You fucked a random stranger in the back of your car?“
She asked.
Kathryn rounded the counter and cupped my face. She kissed my forehead and grinned.
“I am so proud of you.“
She squealed.
“Shut up.“
I tried to shove her away.
Hayley raised her brows at me.
“Yes. I did.“
I answered. “But we went to dinner first, and it was honestly nice, and hot, and . . . and very hot.”
“What was her name?“
Hayley asked.
“Their name was Noah.“
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “Is this weird? Should I not be talking about this with you?”
“What? Of course you should be!“
Kathryn leaned into the counter. “We’re your only friends.”
“But it’s . . . it’s not Parker.“
I looked pointedly at Hayley as her posture softened. “I don’t want to be rude.”
“My brother drove drunk, El.“
Hayley reached over and touched my hand. “He was a shit husband, a lazy father, and a drunk. You have grieved, you’ve focused on Kendall, you should move on.”
“But—”
“Did you get his number?”
“Their number.“
Hayley corrected her wife.
“Their—Did you get their number?“
Kathryn asked.
“Um—“
I winced. “No.”
Both women groaned.
“You have got to be fucking with me.“
Kathryn crossed her arms over her chest. “Eloise, seriously?”
“What was I supposed to do? Hey, thanks for scissoring me, can I have your number?“
I mockingly asked.
“Yes.“
Hayley chuckled. “That’s exactly what you should have done.”
“Maybe you can ask Sadie!“
Kathryn suggested.
“I don’t know.“
I rubbed my arm and stared down into my coffee. “There’s no telling if it would go anywhere. I mean, I have Kendall.”
“They said they were a teacher, right? Why wouldn’t they want kids?”
“Why would they want kids after working with them all day?“
I countered. “I’m thirty-eight. I have a teenager about to go to high school. That’s not exactly a chore people want to hear.”
“If anyone sees you as a chore, they’re not worth your time.“
Hayley said, sipping her coffee. “But this is a sign, and I think you should take it. Download an app. Try dating.”
“Who’s dating?”
I nearly choked on my coffee as Kendall came around the corner with his backpack over his shoulder.
“Your cousin.“
Kathryn quickly came up with an excuse. “James apparently has a girlfriend now.”
Kendall set his backpack down and grabbed the box of cereal by the stove.
“Ew. Who would date James?” He asked.
Hayley side eyed Kathryn as she sipped her coffee.
James was Taylor’s oldest son. Taylor was Parker and Hayley’s older sister, who made an effort to be considerably vague about everything that went on in her life. She lived on a ranch in Texas with her husband, Aspen—Kathryn liked to call him Ass after he made a fuss at their wedding for being too gay . . . yes, the lesbian wedding—where everyone was mighty fine with them keeping their distance.
“Oh, Mom.“
Kendall dug through his bag with a spoon hanging out of his mouth. “Miss Debbie said you signed up to chaperone our first few games, but you didn’t respond to her emails.”
I frowned.
“I didn’t sign up for any games. I’d prefer to watch you, not the whole bus.“
I took the paper from Kendall and sighed at the outlined dates on the page that were not in my handwriting. “Looks like someone signed me up during band camp.”
Kathryn whistled and looked around the room.
“Well, would you look at the time!“
She kissed Hayley’s cheek. “Gotta go bring home that bread. See you all later. Have fun. Don’t get into any trouble.”
“I hate you!“
I called after her as Kathryn rushed toward the doorway. “You could have warned me!”
“I’m bad under pressure!“
Kathryn yelled back, disappearing out the front door.
Hayley tapped the side of her coffee cup.
“That bitch doesn’t have work for another three hours.”