Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
“Care about you,” Gigi added.
“And don’t judge you,” said Caley. Ari nodded with a smile.
Eden leaned forward. “So don’t forget we’re always here for you, Charlie. No matter what.”
“I won’t,” Charlie told them, blinking back her tears.
The doorbell rang and Clint’s voice boomed through the house. “I’ll get it.”
Everyone started giggling, breaking the moment. But Ellie still leaned against her and Abby squeezed her hand tight.
And she knew they were right. Family was a choice. And she chose them.
Turned out, Marisol, the girl who came from the spa to do their nails and facials, was an absolute sweetheart. They’d ended up all getting their nails different colors from Ellie’s bright pink to Daisy’s buttery yellow to Ari’s classic red.
Charlie had opted for a very pale pink which she thought would look nice with her wedding dress.
“Would you like jewels on them? Or glitter?” Marisol asked her.
“Glitter?” Caley asked. “I’d like glitter.”
“Ooh, me too,” said Gigi.
Charlie shook her head, though. “I think mine look perfect the way they are.”
If Marisol thought she and her friends were a bit over-exuberant about glitter, she didn’t say anything. She didn’t even blink at the way they often bounced around or how Daisy had stuffed herself with candy until she was now lying on the floor, groaning.
She simply smiled and quietly moved around, doing everyone’s nails while they sat with gunk on their faces from mud packs.
Charlie wondered if Marisol was a Little. But no, she was just being kind and sweet. Didn’t mean anything.
She was so grateful she was feeling better. To think she might have missed all this. She wasn’t usually one to get her nails done or put mud packs on her face. But she was really enjoying this. Mostly because all of her friends were here.
“Shall we put on some music?” Ari asked, moving to the stereo.
Marisol hadn’t even blinked at Ari’s appearance. Either she didn’t know who she was, or she had an excellent poker face.
Ellie clapped. “Dance party.”
Charlie groaned.
“We can’t dance with all this gunk on our faces,” Abby said.
“I can’t even move,” Daisy proclaimed, her hands on her tummy. “Jed is gonna kill me. My ass is toast unless I can process this sugar.”
Charlie looked to Marisol but she didn’t react. She noticed Caley watching the other woman as well. Last thing they wanted to start was any rumors. Especially with Ari being so high-profile. But Marisol seemed really professional.
Gigi brought Daisy a bottle of water and rubbed her back soothingly as the other woman sat up to sip at it.
Marisol was currently painting Eden’s fingers a pale blue.
“Can we rub this gunk off now, Marisol?” Ellie asked.
“Ellie!” Abby scolded.
“What?”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to call it gunk.”
“Oh.” Ellie gave Marisol an apologetic look. “Sorry! Can I take this mud stuff off my face?”
Marisol smiled. “Don’t worry, I call it gunk too. Go ahead. You’ve had it on long enough.”
Gigi came over with a glass of pink lemonade and set it down by Marisol’s knee. She was currently kneeling in front of Eden’s chair.
“Thought you might be getting thirsty,” Gigi told her. She’d already washed her face clean.
The curvy dark-haired woman looked at Gigi with a smile. She had an olive complexion with big, round eyes. She was gorgeous.
“Thank you. That’s so kind.”
“Did you come straight here from the spa?” Eden asked. Eden went to the spa regularly so she probably knew Marisol.
“I did.”
“Did you stop to eat anything?” Gigi asked. “Would you like a cupcake or a cookie?”
“Oh, thank you, no. I’m trying not to eat too much sugar.”
“There’s probably something healthy in the kitchen,” Charlie said. “Clint could find you something.”
“Just don’t let him make you a smoothie,” Eden whispered. “He’s absolutely shit at making smoothies.”
“Eden!” Charlie protested, trying to stifle a giggle.
“The last one he made me had avocado, banana and soy sauce in it,” Eden told Marisol. “I couldn’t even stand the smell of it let alone taste it. Luckily, Zeke poured it in a potted plant when Clint wasn’t watching.”
Marisol gaped at Eden.
“Oh no, is that why that plant in the dining room died?” Charlie asked.
Eden grimace. “Yeah. Sorry about that. That plant was ugly anyway.”
Yeah. That was true.
The others all came back, their faces clear.
“I’m fine. Thank you, though. I really ought to get going before the rain starts. Do you need help washing off the gunk?” Marisol’s lips twitched as she said that. Charlie was the only one left with goop on her face, since Eden had declined the mud pack.
“We’re good. Let me get you some money.” Charlie made to stand, but Eden reached out a hand grabbing onto her. “No, you don’t. This is your party.”
“And your fiancée has already paid me,” Marisol said softly.
But she needed a tip. She frowned then saw Ari giving her a thumbs up. She grabbed something out of her handbag by the door. Charlie settled back. She’d get Clint to pay Ari back later.