Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Britta’s head tilts like she’s considering something. And then she smiles. “Oh, you’re one of the construction people. Well, I was about to tell you to stay away from my fiancé, but I guess he’s not your type.”
Ah, yeah. Like I haven’t gotten that before. The tomboy probably doesn’t like men. Well, I don’t right now, and it’s a low-key heartache that my sexuality is so hardwired. Reid wants to play games? Well, I can win by refusing to take the bait. I gesture down the hallway I came from. “He’s the third door on the left. You kids have a great time.”
I hurry down the stairs before Sonja can make another nasty remark.
When I get to my room, I close the door. And do what I promised not to do.
I cry and vow it’s the last time I give that man an inch.
Chapter Seven
“Okay, now I’ve got you trapped in a small tin can flying thirty thousand feet above the ocean,” Ivy says as she settles in across from me, “we’re going to talk.”
Damn. I was hoping to avoid this but then I should have flown commercial and not taken CeCe up on her offer to fly us all back to New York. But at the time I didn’t realize I would want to avoid my best friend so I didn’t have to talk about how spectacularly I made a fool of myself the night before. I even took the seat next to Darnell, who will not care about my awful taste in men in any way. Unfortunately, he and Heath are now sitting together arguing about hobbits or something.
Flight Attendant came by to take our lunch orders. Ugh. I have to stop thinking like that. “What’s her name?”
Ivy’s lips curl up like she knows exactly what I’m thinking. “Jane. I know. I make sure to ask because it’s way too easy to fall into the whole CeCe, call-everyone-by-their-place-in-your-life thing. She can get away with it.”
That’s what happens when you’re an outrageously wealthy older woman. Which I’m not. “Thanks, Jane,” I call out as she goes to get our lunch. “She seems nice. I hope Anika’s flight is even better.”
“Well, it’s CeCe’s smaller jet.” Ivy frowns. “Does she need two? How many private jets can one person own?”
“Three, darling.” CeCe turns in her chair. This particular jet’s cabin is something of an elegant living room, complete with chairs that swivel so the occupants can configure the space into conversational settings. She’s sitting with Heath’s grandmother, Lydia, and Ivy’s mom, Diane. We call them the moms, though CeCe’s only child is a series of overly privileged Maltese dogs she always names Lady something. “I have them for different occasions, of course. This is the large jet. I call her Big Bertha. She gets the job done when I have to fly a group of obnoxious hedge fund managers places. I like to leave out a single parachute to let them know I can eject them at any time.”
“I prefer Jackie,” Lydia offers. “That’s the small jet we use when we go on our adventures.”
“It’s got a big screen we watch movies on, and I even managed to talk Stick Up Her Ass to put in a microwave so we can make popcorn.” Diane looks so different than she did when we were growing up. She’s…smiling. Joking. I suppose I never saw her before she’d gotten lost in grief and depression. She is in therapy now and has a much better relationship with, well, everyone.
“I do not look this good by eating carbs,” CeCe shoots back.
“No, she does it by drinking the blood of the innocent,” Lydia says with a grin.
CeCe waves them off with an indulgent shake of her head as she pets the dog in her lap. “Angelica is my love jet. I purchased it when I thought I should join the mile high club.” She wrinkles her nose. “It turns out I prefer my physical relationships without the turbulence. But I’m glad I kept her because I think Anika and the king are going to have a lovely time.”
Ivy’s grin lights up the room. “I’m glad she kept it because it’s, like, tricked out. I still don’t know what half those things are for, but Heath and I tried them all.”
Diane’s hands cover her ears and she hums.
“I’m the one with a stick up my butt.” CeCe’s eyes roll but then they’re laser focused on me. “I’m not the only one today, Harper.”
Shit. She used my name. Like my actual, real name. I’m usually something like Girl with the Tool Kit or Ivy’s Friend who Needs a Manicure. She’s serious if she’s using my name.
Up until now I wasn’t sure she knew my name.
They’re all looking at me. All the moms and Ivy.
“Hey, do we have some Sprite hidden…” Darnell begins, and then all eyes turn his way. His hands come up like he knows he’s walked into a potential danger zone. “I’m good. I’ll just…” He backs up. “Return to my assigned seat. I didn’t realize this was a meeting of the moms. Good luck, Harper.”