Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 40969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
“Ugh, I wish the spa weren’t open today and that I could come over to spill the tea. I’ll keep this short and sweet since you’re on your way to get Von, which, by the way, give him an extra squeeze from Auntie Celeste.” I take a breath, hearing the engine of her car turning over, knowing the Bluetooth will connect and lose my voice.
“Well, that goes without saying,” Tyra says once she’s settled. “This weekend, we’ll get together, have dinner, and you can give me the full story. For now, summarize it quickly because you’ve got me for ten minutes max.” God, I love my best friend even if she is in total mom mode right now, totally understandable, by the way. It just cracks me up how she can go from crazy to stern in two seconds flat.
“Wylder Hayes kissed me last night. It was amazing, and absolutely dumb because hello, he’s my boss, well, our boss, but Jiminy Cricket, I’m still pinching myself wondering if it was real or not. No, I know it was real, but that doesn’t mean it’s allowed to be real. You read that ridiculously obnoxious rulebook. No fraternization between employees of any kind.” One breath, I get it out without taking a break, needing her opinion. And wouldn’t you know it, there is complete silence on the other end. Tyra isn’t saying a single freaking word, which totally doesn’t help the way my chest is tightening right about now. I mean, sure, I can hear her hmm, as if she’s trying to figure out what to say, along with the hum of the tires as she drives down the road.
“I’m fucked, aren’t I?” I ask, breaking the silence.
“I wouldn’t say you’re fucked. I’m insanely jealous you kissed the Wylder Hayes, the one who we’ve researched, checked every single place, never seeing him in a lip lock with anyone else on these dates. His sex life is non-existent because for whatever reason, he either is a monk or the previous girls know to keep their shit quiet. And where did you kiss him?” Tyra asks. I mean, that’s all she has to say? Maybe I need to start taking best friend applications.
“His private elevator, but we walked through half the hotel, and his hand was on my lower back for the majority of the time. If it wasn’t, our hands were touching. Oh shit, this is so bad. Everyone is going to know, and they’ll think I’ve slept my way to getting the spa open.” I’m sitting on the foot of my bed, ready to head to work in my black-on-black scrubs, black shoes, hair up in a ponytail, minimal makeup, ready to make myself a cup of coffee, grab my things, and head out the door. Even if it’s entirely too early to be functioning after barely a wink of sleep.
“Okay, first of all, get that out of your head about sleeping your way to the top. That’s so late nineteen-nineties. Everyone uses someone somehow. Yes, I know that wasn’t the case with you still, what person doesn’t use someone as a steppingstone these days? Anyways, the proof is in the pudding the minute they step into the spa, if they were actually thinking that to begin with. Now, I’m almost to Mom and Dad’s. Damn it, if only I weren’t such a deep sleeper, I’d have heard my phone go off, and this conversation could have happened earlier.” Yeah, right. I may sleep in late, but Tyra can sleep through a freight train passing outside her bedroom window.
“We can talk about this later. It’s Sunday; the spa closes at three. I’ll call you once Von is down for the night,” I offer. Her boy is basically my nephew since I’m an only child and will never have the luxury of spoiling a niece or nephew. Von is mine in every way possible, but Tyra still is all hands on deck when she’s with her boy. Her phone is put away, and life outside of their time together doesn’t exist. I love that for them both.
“Yeah, that’ll have to do. There’s a little boy, dark hair, and green-eyed rug rat beating at the storm door. I will say this, I’m happy for you. It might make things bumpy, but it could also be a start to something amazing. See where things go.” As if she could ever do that herself, yet she’s expecting me to do the same thing. Okay, sure, we’ll go with that.
“They are not going anywhere. It’s sink or swim out there, and I’m not letting all of my hard work die because I want to ride my boss’ dick.” My snarky side appears, making me laugh. Tyra snorts, then I snort, and here we are again, back to acting like teenagers.