14. Julie #2
As for the other aspects…well, again, Hope and I could pass for sisters, maybe that’s why we bonded so fast. But Joy is one of the grumpiest people I’ve ever known and that’s saying something, seeing as I grew up with Luke Colson who is the king of grumpy.
And ironically, Grace is the sweetest sunshine ever known.
The girl curse in Harry Potter terms, for Pete’s sake. It’s adorable.
Zoe is different looks-wise with her long blonde hair, but the bombshell body and prickly personality matches her friends.
“Hey, you,” Hope greets me first, getting up from the couch for a hug. “How was the shop this morning?”
“Its usual, busy self.” I walk around, giving hugs to all the rest.
“Lily there to take care of business for you?” Joy asks, and I nod.
Recently, my mom decided she was too bored with the million hobbies she already has and asked if she could help at the shop from time to time. I was reluctant to give my baby to someone else, but Sip of Love is safe in her hands. Plus, it gives me a few free mornings to myself.
“This is amazing,” Zoe says, breathing in the fresh, salty air as she slouches back against the cozy cushions. I don’t know much about her story but what little I do know sounds like a part of soap opera, not real life.
I mean…to not only find out your boyfriend is sleeping with your boss—aka Joy—as well and hiding it from both women, but also to get pregnant from the bastard who wants nothing to do with you or the baby? Yeah…she needs Loverly Cave like no one else.
“Tell me about it,” Joy says wistfully, and I chuckle softly when Zoe ping-pongs her gaze from Joy to Hope to Grace who all watch the ocean with those heart eyes.
I’m used to it, it’s nothing new for me, but not Zoe.
“Jesus, you guys are insufferable,” she grumbles and gets up from the couch.
“Where are you going?” Joy manages to take her eyes from Jacob’s ass to her. “The show just started.” She points at the men like they are literal eye candy.
To be fair, they are, but I can’t seem to notice them. Not when I’m strung up as tight as a wire, waiting for him to join in as well.
“And I bet it’s a good one, but even the sight of men makes me want to puke right now.” Zoe makes a gagging noise, and I’m pretty sure she’s not faking it. “I’m going to the bar.”
“It’s ten a.m.,” Joy deadpans in that no-nonsense tone of hers.
“Better late than never.” She shrugs and looks over at me. “Want to come along?” she asks, clearly seeing my own internal struggles but I’m not sure I want to be surrounded by Willa and the rest of Love Hive right now.
They’ve been trying to pair anything that moves since their great success with the Levine sisters.
I’m about to decline when the air shifts, and Griffin rounds the corner, his body clad in that wetsuit, sticking to every inch of him like second skin with a board under his arm.
It hasn’t been nearly long enough for me to get my emotions—and other things—under control for him to show up so soon again.
I suck in a sharp breath, sinking into the couch to hide in hopes he simply passes by and that will be the end of it. But no, Griffin stops dead in front of us, his eyes immediately locking with mine.
I have no idea how long we just stay like that, watching each other.
I have no idea why either, but eventually, as if sensing four sets of curious inquisitive eyes on him, he clears his throat. “Ladies,” he says, nodding at them for a moment before finding me again, “Jules.” Another nod, and with that he speed walks on the sand toward the ocean and the guys.
If he was going for nonchalant, then speed walking on the sand was the worst idea he had because it looks comical and a dead giveaway that something is off.
I almost yell after him, almost demand to know just what in the whole universe is off ? What is going on?
“Um, Julie?” Hope says. “Is there something we don’t know?” Her voice cuts me off, and I realize I’ve been staring after Griffin’s retreating form this whole time.
“What?” All eyes are on me and if I wasn’t already flushed, I sure would turn bright red right about now. “Nope. Nothing at all,” I tell her, rolling my lips nervously.
With all the craziness that was their life these past three months, my strange situation with Griffin never came up. And we mostly stayed away from each other, so no one felt the tension that was so palpable now.
I just had to see him half naked earlier…ugh.
“Sureeeee,” Gracie draws out. Case in point. “Because we all just got a special greeting.”
“He’s just friends with my brother. That’s all.”
“Keep telling yourself that, sister,” Joy snorts. “That man did not look at you like his friend’s little sister.”
Don’t …I almost scream. Don’t say that.
“Bar, you said? I’d love to come along,” I squeak out, jumping from the couch and grabbing onto Zoe’s arm like it’s my new lifeline.
“I have so many questions right now,” Hope says with concern and more than a healthy dose of curiosity. She, more than others, can tell how off this whole situation felt.
But that’s a worry for another day. After I spend the rest of today weeding in my garden.
“Do not drink any of the local cocktails! Not that you can anyway, but still. Don't,” Joy calls out to Zoe.
“What’s wrong with those?” Zoe shoots back.
“They lead to bad decisions,” Joy answers but her lips also curl up wickedly on the sides.
Grace laughs in answer, clearly remembering exactly which decisions the Eros Spell cocktail brought her sister to when she first arrived here. Aka, my best friend, Jacob.
Zoe furrows her forehead but then just waves Joy comment off and we disappear out of sight.
“Want to talk about it?” she asks me gently.
“Nope, not particularly. You?”
“I’d rather drink,” Zoe adds dryly. “And I wish it could be something a hell of lot stronger than lemonade.”
“Don’t underestimate the power of water in this town,” I warn her, and a second later a body collides with mine from the back.
“Jeez, you two are fast. I barely caught up with you guys,” Hope says, panting from running as she intertwines her hand on my other side.
“Um, what are doing here? Don’t you have the sexy surfer boyfriend show to watch?”
“Eh.” She shrugs. “I get that show every night in bed. I’d rather keep you company. You don’t mind, do you?” Hope asks sweetly, batting her eyelashes. Too sweetly, and I stop, halting all of us.
“Uh, I’m getting a distinct impression this is some sort of intervention.” Zoe glances from me to Hope.
“It absolutely is,” Hope adds in that same sweet tone, and I fight a squirm and a groan all at the same time.
“Okay then,” Zoe says. “Good luck.” She pats my shoulder with a sympathetic smile and heads to the bar all by herself. Leaving me to the wolves.
“My place or yours?” Hope asks.
“Neither?” I ask, sounding hopeful.
“Not an option.” She must read the pained expression on my face because she adds, “I won’t leave you alone in this!
You were there for me when I was a mess and I’m not saying you are a mess.
Not at all. You’re hiding it all very well.
It’s impressive, really. But something is clearly off and I’m here for you now. ”
See what I mean about us being the same? I smile softly, some of the tension bleeding out from my shoulders.
I’m not used to this girlfriend stuff. Jacob and I just give it straight to each other and if I don’t feel like talking, he leaves it at that but something tells me that won’t fly with Hope.
“Definitely my place. Yours will be invaded with surfers soon enough.”
Hope flashes me a wide grin but we barely make one step when another voice stops us.
“Wait up! Don’t start without us!” Gracie shouts, and I shoot Hope a look.
“Don’t look at me like that.” She lifts her hands up. “That’s not my fault.”
“Okay, let me get this straight,” Hope says, tearing off another piece of the lavender cream croissant I brought up to my place from downstairs. “You’ve been in love with him since you were eight. He’s in love with you, but neither of you have told the other?” She frowns.
“No! No, no, no. I am in love with him. Or rather, was in love. I’m tuning those feelings out as of recently.
Again.” I sigh. “But he was never in love with me. We just had that weird moment when he came back. But that’s it.
He needed a friend and there I was. Nothing more, nothing less, and then he stopped coming by at all. ”
For the past hour and a half, I’ve been telling them all about my obsession with Griffin from a young age. I told them how I felt, what I overheard and what happened when he came back.
They all just blink and then Grace asks Joy, “Is delusion contagious?”
“Highly,” Joy deadpans. “Have you met her ducking best friend?” She raises her eyebrows in a don’t-be-an-idiot look.
“Look whose duck is quacking,” Hope snorts. “Weren’t you the one in denial about your feelings for Jacob?”
“Oh, because you were so honest with yours for Alec?” Joy counters, and Gracie shouts “Ladies!” getting their attention. “We’re getting off-course here.”
“Nope, please, continue,” I add with a smile.
“Julie,” she warns me, and I sigh.
“No delusions here. Did I think there was something between us—a spark—when he came back? Yeah, I did. But once again, that was just me because when I invited him to come see my radish, he didn’t come.
Now, can we talk about something else?” I ask with desperation at the same time as Joy chokes on her iced tea.
“Jesus Christ,” she croaks, and Hope slaps her back a few times. “Did you just refer to your vagina as a radish?”
“Psh, look who’s talking. Not the person who literally talks to her vagina as if she were a living separate entity.”
“What can I say, she needs a pep talk from time to time.” Joy shrugs. “She always gets me in trouble.”
“Ladies!” Grace shouts once again, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Off-course again?” She bulges her eyes at them, and they look back at me.
“So, about your radish…” Hope starts but I stop her with a groan.
“No, no, I don’t refer to my vagina as radish. Sweet daisies . I was talking about the vegetable. Actual radishes, you know…red and white, grows in the ground kind.”
All three of them blink at me, confused, until Grace says, “Well that’s…interesting. Also, don’t let Fanny ever hear you say that or the next thing you know, she’ll give you lessons in seduction.” She shudders, no doubt speaking from personal experience.
“I feel like we’re missing something here?” Hope muses.
“You mean something other than why Julie was showing off her radishes?” Joy asks.
“Shh,” Hope interrupts her and looks at me. “What else happened around that time? There must be something, because I’m telling you Griffin has it bad for you! The whole town knows it.”
“Then the whole town is delusional. Not me.”
“Usually, I’d agree with you but not in this case,” Joy adds. “This is definitely a you problem. So, think, give us something to work with.”
I worry my bottom lip. Could that be true?
“Well…there was Owen.”
“Owen? Who’s Owen?”
“I dated him briefly when Griffin just got back into town, but I broke it off soon after.” I think out loud.
Suddenly, there’s a gasp from Grace and the next thing you know she’s tugging Hope and Joy to their feet.
“Come on! I just remembered something important! Vital! We need to go!”
“Go where?” Joy frowns.
“Somewhere. Come on.” She bulges her eyes. “Move it, you two.”
“Um, what’s going on?” I ask, watching as Gracie pushes Hope and Joy out the door. The former still clutching her cup of tea and croissant in her hands.
“Thank you for the tea!” Gracie shouts before the others can say anything. “We’ll see you soon!” And she shuts the door behind herself.
What the heck just happened and why do I have a bad feeling about it?
Love Hive:
Therunawaybride: Emergency meeting in five.
CookieJ: Honey? What’s going on?
Toughtolove: Location? Do I need a body bag?
Therunawaybride: My house. No body bag.
Ninasunshine: Jeez, Fanny! Morbid much?
Toughtolove: Hey, there’s nothing I won’t do for my tootsie roll.
CookieJ: I’d like to use this time to remind you that she’s my daughter! Not yours.
Toughtolove: DNA never meant a thing, Snickers.
CookieJ: Sweet rainbows, you’re like my mother.
Toughtolove: Snickers, you see this body? A sister! A younger one too.
CookieJ: Sometimes I feel like the universe is punishing me.
Therunawaybride: If you two can’t behave, I’ll kick you out and trust me, you don’t want to miss this meeting.
Willoflove: Why? What’s going on?
Therunawaybride: Love Hive assemble! We are about to create another happy union in Loverly Cave!
Toughtolove: There’s my girl!
CookieJ: Ah, I’m so proud of you, Gracie!
Therunawaybride: Can someone include Izzy and Lily in this chat? I’m too busy wrangling Joy over here. She doesn’t want to come to the meeting.
CookieJ: I got you, honey.
*Zizilovingsoul & Infullbloom were added to the chat.
Zizilovingsoul: What’s going on?
Ninasunshine: Emergency meeting at Grace and Luke’s house. She said you both need to come.
Infullbloom: Is this really happening? Is this what I think it is?
Therunawaybride: Yes! And I think I have the most perfect plan.
CookieJ: Happy, proud mama tears over here. We’ll be there shortly. We’re just wrapping up another meeting about Zoe.
Joydon’tpissmeofflevine: What about Zoe? Mother! I told you not to touch my friend.
CookieJ: Oh, poopie crap. Joy, you’re here!
Joydon’tpissmeofflevine: Mom!
Joydon’tpissmeofflevine: Are you ignoring me now?
Joydon’tpissmeofflevine: You deleted me from the chat again, didn’t you?
Joydon’tpissmeofflevine: Sucks for you, I know where you live.