CHAPTER 12 #3
I thought I knew what I wanted to say, that she needs to prepare herself for how this is ends, but seeing how happy she is, I can’t get the words out.
No, I’ll let her have tonight. She deserves that much.
So instead of lecturing her like a mother hen, I give her a warm smile while caressing her arm with, “He’s a lucky guy. ”
And just when I thought she couldn’t be more giddy, her whole countenance lights up. “He is, isn’t he?”
I love seeing her like this. I just wish whatever is happening between her and the big guy had a chance of turning into something. I may be smiling at my friend, but on the inside, I feel sorry for her knowing what happens on Monday.
“How did it go with Riggs?” she asks, snapping me out of my thoughts of doom and gloom.
“Nothing happened,” I answer with a tinge of remorse. By the way she’s practically glowing, I kind of wish that wasn’t true and something had happened. But then I’d be in her position, falling for a guy I’d never see again. No thank you.
Determined to not be a Debbie Downer right now, I give her a playful hip bump with, “You know me, it wasn’t really an option so I’m fine with it.”
She gives me her sad, pity look that I secretly hate, and to make it worse, she pity-rubs my arm with, “Maybe you just need more time.”
When it comes to getting over what Jake did, there’s not enough time in the universe.
“You’re still going to have fun this weekend, right?” she asks with her lower lip protruding out like I’m the saddest thing she’s ever seen.
I look down at the hot tub, then back at her. “You bet your flat ass I’m going to.” Her ass is anything but flat, and she knows it.
With a facetious gleam in her eyes, she turns, arches her back, and gives a little twerk. “Ash didn’t seem to have a problem with my ass. In fact, I think he rather enjoyed it.”
I slap her booty. “Girl, go get changed so we can get something to eat. I’m starving.”
She’s practically floating as she pads off toward the elevators.
Meanwhile, my gaze falls to the empty jacuzzi. “I know, baby, Mama won’t be too long. After dinner, you and I can relax and enjoy the rest of our time together, I promise.”
The hot tub gurgles. I think it’s her way of telling me she can’t wait.
I text Rhonda.
Maddie: I’m going to get us a table.
She responds with a thumbs-up.
I’m enjoying garlic breadsticks dipped in a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar when Rhonda shows up, dressed to party in a super-cute halter-style open-back sexy black mini-dress with killer heels.
I made the dress for her last Christmas.
It goes so well with her thick, black hair.
And I can tell she put a little more effort into her makeup.
That’s probably why I’ve been waiting for nearly an hour, but I don’t blame her.
I’d do the same if I were planning on meeting up with a guy like Ash.
She takes a seat across from me, all radiant and displaying her flawless white teeth with her afterglow grin that makes me a tiny bit jealous.
My feelings aside, I love how confident she is.
She was the opposite in high school, but that was because of Shandra, Vicky, Kim, and Lisa.
They were our school’s version of on-Wednesdays-we-wear-pink girls, and they hated Rhonda.
I think they were jealous of her C-cups and round booty when they were barely B-cups and had shovel butts.
In Sweetbriar, that’s what we call butts that look like the back of a shovel.
It’s not a compliment. Maybe we were a little mean too.
Funny how things change. We’re all friends now.
Pretty much everyone in our small town has to work their asses off just to get by.
I guess it feels like we’re all struggling together, and we all blame the bigs.
It’s another quirky thing we say in Sweetbriar.
It means big banks, big corporations, and big scams, like tens of thousands in student-loan debt for a bachelor’s degree only so you can get a job with pay so low, most months you have to choose between buying groceries or paying rent, and that’s if you were lucky enough to even get a job in your field.
It’s a scam talked about often in our little town, like all the time because people are pissed.
Anyway, it seems like the bigs somehow manage to make life a little harder every year, especially for the farmers and ranchers, and when they struggle, our town’s whole economy struggles.
But one good thing has come from our shared hatred for the bigs, it’s brought us all closer together. A common enemy will do that.
The waitress is about to take our order when Rhonda’s gaze locks on something over by the hostess station. Then I notice the people sitting at the tables around us stop what they’re doing and turn to see it too.
Rhonda leans over for a better look. “What the…”
I turn in my seat and can hardly believe what I’m looking at.
In the lodge’s lobby just outside of the restaurant, Ash and Riggs are kneeling next to what looks like a large, furry weasel they’re holding down against the floor.
The animal’s head appears to be stuck in an old soup can while a dozen or so of the lodge’s staff are running around, acting crazy like it’s some sort of emergency. What in the world?