Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
The Apartment
“Freckles?” Brooks called out twenty minutes later, closing the apartment door.
“Still in here,” I called back from the bathroom. “Deciding whether or not to drown myself out of humiliation.”
He pushed the bathroom door open with his free hand. With the other, he held several bags.
“That was fast,” I said.
“Lucy was opening General Merc. I took a chance that she had what you needed. She did. I wasn’t sure what to get, though, so I got one of everything.”
I raised my brows. “One of everything?”
He set the bags on the counter. “Pads. Light, medium, heavy, super. With wings. Without wings. Tampons, moon cup—though I’m not sure what the hell that even is.”
I groaned. “Leave it all.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Okay.”
He left all the bags except one as he was about to step out.
“What’s in that bag?”
“Steak.”
I raised my brows. “Excuse me?”
“Lucy said the first day of your period, I’m supposed to cook you a steak. For the iron and stuff.”
“Okay, I’m officially about to die of mortification.”
“Why?”
“Brooks, this is—embarrassing.”
“Being a human being is embarrassing?”
“Yes.”
He sighed. “We’ll talk about this when you come out.”
“Never coming out. I’m dying in here. Bury me in here, please. Oh, but can you bring me a pair of underwear first?”
“Granny panties, yes?”
I groaned again.
Brooks chuckled and then closed the door behind him.
While I was showering, Brooks brought the underwear and left them on the counter.
I spent a few minutes stewing and finally decided; if Brooks wasn’t embarrassed, then I wasn’t going to be either.
He was right. This stuff happened. We were people. It was normal.
The smell of sizzling steak in cast iron greeted me when I came out of the bathroom, still wrapped in a towel.
I discreetly shoved my clothes into the pile of soiled sheets and tried not to sigh about it.
“How do you like your steak?” he inquired. “I probably should’ve asked before starting to cook it.”
“Medium rare,” I said. “But I can’t eat steak first thing in the morning.”
I went to the dresser and pulled out a pair of comfortable sweats.
“Try,” he suggested. “I’m also making eggs. Steak and eggs are common and besides, I’ll eat what you don’t.”
I went to him and embraced him from behind. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For taking care of me.”
“You don’t have to thank me for that.”
“Then thank you for not being all weird about stuff.”
“Back up a second, will you?” he asked. “So I can stick the steak in the oven.”
When the oven door closed, he turned and pulled me into his arms. “I don’t get why people are weird about this kind of stuff.”
“It’s the early stages of the relationship, you’re supposed to be . . .”
“What?”
“On your best behavior.”
“On what authority do you have that?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Everyone knows that.”
“Hmm. Or, hear me out—we just bypass all that bullshit.”
“Well, we kind of did. It wasn’t my first choice, but I think that’s exactly what happened.”
“Freckles?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re going to get sick one day. You’re going to be sweaty and have a fever. And you’re going to throw up. A lot. And I’m going to see it.”
I pulled back so I could stare up and glare at him.
He smiled down at me and cradled my cheeks in his hands. “I’m going to take care of you then, too. And I’m still going to find you the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
I swallowed.
“This is for real, Poet. This is all part of it. Yeah?”
I nodded.
He pressed a kiss to my forehead and let me go. “Now sit at the table and let me take care of you.”
“Where the hell are you?” Salem demanded the moment I answered my phone.
“Hi, Salem,” I said. “Back in town, are ya?”
“You’re not at the Ridge. You’re not at Sweet Teeth. You’re not in your apartment. So, what gives?” she demanded.
“I’m at the Fluff ’n’ Fold in Silver Springs,” I explained.
“The laundromat?” Hadley asked. “You’re on speaker by the way.”
“Yeah, I gathered that.” I shook my head. “Yes. I’m at the laundromat.”
“Why aren’t you doing laundry at the Ridge?” Salem asked. “You know you can, right?”
I was not about to have a conversation with two of my best friends on speaker phone about why I was at the laundromat.
“We’re getting in the car and we’re on our way,” Salem said.
“Perfect. By the time you get here, the dryer cycle will be done,” I said. “It saves me from having to call Brooks to come pick me up.”
“We have so much to talk about,” Hadley said.
Girl, you have no idea.
Silver Springs was Huckleberry Hill’s sister town. It was off beat, a little bit frayed; a little more grunge. It had an East Village vibe . . . but toned way down.
A pang of grief suddenly blasted through me.
My New York chapter was closing. I wasn’t sure I was ready for that, but it was happening just the same. And it all started because I’d quit my job.
But when two of my best friends entered the laundromat, all my feelings of regret and anxiety vanished.
I smiled wide and rushed to embrace each of them with one arm.
“Oh my God, you are both gorgeous,” I commented. Hadley was a few months further in her pregnancy than Salem, but both sisters had the prenatal glow.
Hadley’s chestnut-colored locks were thick and shiny. Salem’s red hair looked even brighter than the last time I’d seen her in person.
“Us? Look at you,” Hadley said with a wide grin. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”
“I know we’re supposed to wait to talk until tonight so Wyn can join in, but I’m dying here,” Salem said.
The door to the laundromat opened and I peered around my friends to watch a harried, tired mother with two young children enter, carrying several laundry bags.
“I’m over here,” I said, pointing to the dryer that was finishing up its last cycle.
Salem and Hadley waddled to a set of chairs and immediately sat down.
“I’m dragging,” Salem said. “We’ve been up since five.”
I snorted. “You should’ve called me. I was awake.”
“You were?” Hadley asked in surprise. “Good God, why?”
“We’ll get to that in a bit.” I gestured with my chin to the stressed woman unloading all her clothes into washers. “How was the flight?”
“I slept, Hadley didn’t,” Salem said.
“I had to pee every fifteen minutes,” she grumbled. “Declan finally switched seats with me so I could be on the aisle.”
I smiled. “And Cas? How did he do?”
“Placed first, of course.” Salem beamed.
“You’re really going to let him retire?” Hadley asked her.
“Let him? It’s his idea.” She shook her head. “He can’t be talked out of it.”
I noticed the frown furrowing her brow as I leaned against the warm dryer. “You think he’ll regret it, don’t you?”
“Who wouldn’t?” she asked.
“Do you regret leaving New York?” I asked pointedly.
“No,” she said.
“Then maybe it’s the same for Cas,” I suggested.
She shook her head. “Time will tell, I guess. Now let’s talk about you.”
The door to the laundromat opened again, pulling my attention from my friends. Brooks strode inside, filling the space with his wide shoulders and cowboy hat.
I smiled at him in surprise and smiled even wider when Salem and Hadley’s mouths gaped as Brooks came to me and put his arm around my shoulder, tugging me into his side.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him.
“I set my phone alarm before I dropped you off,” he explained. He looked at Salem and Hadley. “Hello.”
“Uh, hi Brooks,” Hadley said, a slow smile creeping across her mouth.
“They got back to town and tracked me down,” I explained.
“We can give her a ride back to town,” Hadley said.
“We will give her a ride back to town,” Salem commanded. “We need some Poet time.”
Brooks smiled and nodded. He kissed the top of my head. “I’ll see you back at the Ridge then.”
“For dinner,” Salem said. “You’re coming to dinner tonight, too. Right?”
“Do I have a choice?” Brooks asked.
“Nope,” Salem said with a grin.
“Didn’t think so.” He kissed my lips and then released me. “You feeling okay?”
“Fine,” I said, my cheeks heating.
He lifted the thermos that was on the vacant dryer next to the one that had our sheets. He gently shook it. “You said you’d drink it.”
I snatched the thermos from him. “I will. Go. It’s girl time now.”
He cocked his head to the side and then sauntered toward the exit. The frazzled mother was currently at the machine that dispensed laundry detergent and pushed the button. Only the machine didn’t release the detergent. She pushed the button again and then began pounding on the side of it.
I watched Brooks say something to her. She stepped back. His hand slid up the side of the machine and then he hit it with his fist.
The detergent dropped down into the tray.
She beamed up at him in appreciation and he dipped his cowboy hat before leaving.
“Okay,” Salem said. “Full stop. I need coffee and pastries while we talk.”
“I’m not talking about any of this in public,” I said.
“It’s juicy, isn’t it?” Salem said with a grin.
I sighed. “Super juicy.”