Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
“Oh, honey, not just facials. Fredrick does my Botox too,” Diane adds, and Neil just sighs.
“Good grief,” Neil mutters. “It’s a wonder we have any money at all.”
“You should be thanking her, Daddy,” Avery counters. “I can guarantee Botox with Fredrick is cheaper than with Dr. Franks, which is who I go to.”
“Well, thank everything for that,” Neil says through an amused laugh. “Wouldn’t want to get hosed on Botox for my daughter and my wife.”
Avery and Diane dive into a conversation about some of the other services Fredrick’s spa now offers, and I go back to eating my steak that Chef Stone cooked to perfection before leaving us to our dinner.
I’m not thrilled to be going out with Avery tonight, but I don’t think it’s a terrible idea either. Things with Beau and me really got out of hand a couple nights ago, and then it kind of—definitely—continued in that same dirty, orgasmic fashion ever since. If I sat at home tonight, there’s no doubt I’d end back in the Midnight app at some point.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of that, but freaking hell, things are really starting to get complicated.
“Really, Avery,” Diane comments around a bite of steak. “A weekly HydraFacial, I’m telling you, will revolutionize your life. You may not even need to keep up with the Botox for now and can just start back up in a couple of years.”
I suck my lips into my mouth as steam builds in Neil’s brain. His eyes ping-pong back and forth as Diane and Avery continue. My phone vibrates in my pocket just as I’m about to get dragged into their planning, so I pull it out and focus on it in my lap.
Anything to save myself from a conversation about filler.
There’s a text message from my mom about her next stop in Thailand, and then an extensive list of social media notifications, but at the bottom of them all, a Midnight chat notice taunts me.
Not only is Beau in the chat, but he just sent a message too, and I’m sitting at a table with his sister, mom, and dad, for Pete’s sake. I can’t open this right now, no matter how badly I want to.
Panic damn near seizes my throat, and a small piece of steak gets lodged. I have to cough my way through the trauma until it starts to slide down with hearty sips of water.
Neil and Diane both jump up to help, and Avery passes me her glass of water across the table. For as close to actually dying as I am, I still expend an awful lot of energy to make sure no one can see my phone from behind, flipping it over and tucking it under my leg on the chair.
I raise a hand over my shoulder to Neil as he rubs my upper back and nod at Diane as she hovers in front of my face.
“Eat much, June?” Avery teases, now that it seems like I’m going to survive.
“Just went down the wrong pipe.” My voice is hoarse from coughing, my eyes are wet with unshed tears, but I’ll be damned if I end up with Neil trying to give me the Heimlich. “I’m fine.”
They eye me closely for a long moment, but after another wave and a thumbs-up, the two of them slowly retake their seats.
I know I shouldn’t. Goodness, I know I shouldn’t. But I can’t stop myself from taking a quick peek in the Midnight app.
ThunderStruck: Big Saturday night plans?
A small smirk lifts just the corner of my lips as I think about the truth. Beau himself would be here with me if he hadn’t gone out for his buddy Maverick’s birthday, but because I’m still a secret, in his mind, I could be anywhere. I don’t want to taunt him exactly, but I’ve never felt this powerful before—our dynamics haven’t allowed it.
ElizaBeth: Oh, you know, just having a wild night on the town. What about you?
ThunderStruck: I’m at a bar in South Beach. So…if you’re out…maybe you should consider coming to say hi.
Ah, how easy that would be if I weren’t who I am. As it is, I have so many lies going, I’m considering changing my name to Charlotte and spinning a web.
ElizaBeth: I’d love to, but I can’t get out of my current plans.
You know, just having dinner with your freaking parents and sister. No big deal.
ThunderStruck: That sounds ominous. Is there a man involved in these plans?
I look across the table at Neil. Oh yeah—your dad, in fact. I’d probably laugh if it didn’t feel like such a clusterfuck waiting to explode all over the place.
ElizaBeth: And if there was a man…would you be jealous?
ThunderStruck: That depends.
ElizaBeth: On what?
ThunderStruck: On whether or not you talk to him like you talked to me last night.