Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
ALLIE
SO FAR SO GOOD?
Okay, Levi had survived everybody arriving. A solid win for him.
Since we had a little down time before dinner, I did some important things. Responded to a few work emails and thought about Levi holding me against the wall having his way with me. Sigh.
I jumped into my jeans, black wrap around top, and black boots. I applied every cosmetic in my overnight bag and even used the false eyelashes I never wear. After nearly blinding myself with the glue, I finally had lashes and the perfect cat eye thanks to a tutorial on YouTube. Cheers to me.
I roamed the empty downstairs, had a candy cane cookie, and shot of chocolate milk. I sat by the Christmas tree hoping to get a minute with Levi. Yes, closure was over, but what can I say, I like me some good eye candy.
Lexi came down holding a version of Kristina I hadn’t seen in a long time. At the bottom of the stairs, she did a spin. Is flabbergasted still a word? If so, that was the vibe of the room.
Lexi sailed down the stairs like a super model in her shredded jeans and red scoopy shirt, while Kristina sported black jeans, cheetah print shirt serving up some serious cleavage, and high heeled black boots.
On her eyes she sported Lexi’s signature false eyelashes and her make up pallet neutral except for the red lip.
She looked nothing like she did an hour ago. The way Lexi did a little jump at the astonished face in front of her told me her goal was achieved.
“Okay, I’m going to crack open a bottle of wine.” She walked toward the kitchen.
Levi entered from the hall, and it was like the sun rose in the living room. He stopped in front of Kristina.
“Hey, I’m Levi. We weren’t officially introduced earlier. You look nice.” He winked. “Good to see you gave those Cookie Monster sweats a rest.”
Like any woman standing before Levi, she giggled as her cheeks pinked up. “Thanks.” She spoke in a hushed tone that I could barely hear. “Don’t worry, I won’t poison you.”
Levi leaned in closer. “Is someone trying to poison me? Did you hear something?”
Why was this tickling my funny bone?
“Nah, I don’t think they’d do that.” She nodded and straightened her shirt. “Too traceable.”
With that she turned on her heel and headed to the kitchen as Levi walked toward me while doing a quick peek over his shoulder.
“Your friends better not poison me. You tell them I’ll haunt every one of them, and I’ll be ruthless.
I’ll hide their mascara every day. I’ll slam doors at two in the morning and crack all the eggs on the shelf of the refrigerator so they have messes all the time.
And I’ll have pure ghost glee when I toss a few red socks into the white load.
” He let out an evil laugh that made me want to run my tongue up the side of his neck.
“Dead Levi leads to mayhem for their entire lives, they’ll be praying for death by the time I’m done with them. ”
“Wow, you came up with that fast.”
“Yeah, survival mode’s kicked in.”
“A man with a plan; I did not see that coming.”
* * *
Once the gang was together Rachel grabbed her coat from the closet. “Where to for dinner? How about Italian?”
Lexi strutted over and grabbed her black coat. “Y’all, I have the perfect spot.”
Evan helped Rachel with her coat. “Where to?”
Lexi fluffed her hair. “Oh, Cosco for sure.”
Eyes darted about, and I cleared my throat. “Cosco? For dinner?”
“Oh, hell yes.” She pointed to me. “Allie, do you know they have hot dogs for a buck fifty and a twelve-ounce soda for seventy cents? Can you believe that shit? I go there twice a week.”
“So, it’s just you and the geriatric patients out on a day pass from the nursing home?”
Rachel wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know if I’m in a hot doggy kind of mood.”
“They have Italian, Rach. And it’s good pizza.” Lexi whispered. “I was raised to be thrifty with my coins. We’ll eat cheap and drink like queens later.”
Who could argue with that?
The room was an inferno because with every glance in Levi's direction, I’d find his glimmering eyes locked on me.
But closure was over. It was time for new beginnings.
Yes, we both agreed, got it freaking tattooed into our flesh, and it felt great.
Did it leave me with a little hole in my being that would likely never be filled by another because nobody was him?
Yup. Were the memories of being in his arms hijacking my ability to string two thoughts together?
Yes. But the bottom line was I'd leave Colorado in a few days with a peace throughout me.
The past was reconciled, and I could go home and live my life never looking in the rearview mirror again.
You can build a teepee with your lies…
“Y’all, I’m starving. Let's get dinner and we can check out some clubs.”