Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 135522 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135522 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
While Malcolm and Vince go back and forth, as if to outdo one another on who’s the bigger gossip, I decide to keep my opinion to myself about what I may or may not think about Anthony Myers and what happened at the pageant months ago. No matter what the actual truth about him is, I hope the best for that guy, whether his happy ending is with a group of pals in the guest wing of the McPhersons’ estate, or with a fun-loving woman who just bought him as a best friend for $1,075, or with Cole’s dog Porridge.
Who am I to judge anyone else’s happy ending?
I certainly can’t judge Burton’s. He’s standing by the hotdogs, too, and from the looks of it, he appears to still be attempting to muster up enough courage to approach his lifelong crush Cindy, who stands mere feet away from him, her arms crossed, bored, and likely just waiting on him to finally speak up.
I’m sure he’ll find that courage someday.
Speaking of happy endings, the last I heard about Dean, he has been back and forth between here and Austin to visit his girlfriend Candace. Rumor has it he’s considering moving there, since she’s got a business to run and can’t be too far away from the office for such long stretches of time. I heard through Tamika, who heard through Tyrone and Omar’s daughter Kelsey, that Dean’s in Austin today with Candace and plans to stay through the weekend. One day when Nadine dropped by the Spruce Press building to check on something, I heard she was “so totally over the moon” that the pageant resulted in Dean King finding happiness again.
I also heard she’s totally taking credit for me and Cole getting together at the pageant, too. “No, really,” she was telling Burton’s father in his office, the door wide open, “I knew Cole had his eye on someone. I just couldn’t fathom who. And what better way to push two lovebirds together than to throw a bunch of other birds in the cage and shake it up a bit? No, it was definitely part of a … of a very intricate plan to get them boys together, yes it sure was. And no,” she then added with sudden vigor, “I am officially retirin’ my role as matchmaker, thank you very much. No more.”
Whether it was part of Nadine’s “intricate plan” or just a part of her usual delusion and denial, I’m sure thankful for it.
Cassie Evans, who is known for graciously helping fund Lance Goodwin’s fashion business a couple of years ago and getting it off the ground, is also here with her adorable-yet-cocky son Fabian and sweet daughter Vanessa. It’s no secret that Vanessa is dating Robby, one of Burton’s friends from the choir, but apparently her mother isn’t that thrilled about it. Robby has a past of “running through women like jellybeans”, according to Tamika and Frankie, both of whom are friends with Vanessa’s younger brother Fabian and, I’m told, got the scoop from him. Even after over three years of dating, Robby doesn’t know what else he can possibly do to convince Vanessa’s dear mother that he’s right for her—especially considering that rumor has it he’s been thinking of popping the question, despite Vanessa warning him to never do that without her parents’ approval.
“I think it’s sweet that Robby wants the approval of Vanessa’s parents,” says Bobby thoughtfully when a number of us are sitting around the far end of the Strongs’ swimming pool. He’s kicking his legs in the water. “I mean, they might be his in-laws someday.”
Behind him from an umbrella-covered lounge chair, Jimmy snorts. “You think everything’s sweet.”
“It is sweet. You know,” says Bobby, twisting around, “I asked your parents for their approval before I did my big proposal to you at your dance show in Arizona.”
Jimmy opens his mouth to retort, then twists his face. “You did? Why?”
“Because it was the gentlemanly thing to do!”
“But they love you. Maybe even more than they love me. In what universe would they have said no?”
“I asked because it’s respectful and I wanted to.” Bobby shrugs and continues swirling his legs in the water, then smiles. “Your mama did make me feel silly for asking, but boy, I wouldn’t trade the tears she spilled for the world. Nadine was so happy. I’m quite surprised she didn’t spill the beans, to be honest, considering—”
“She sorta did.”
Bobby spins around. “She what?”
“Hey, don’t get mad, I didn’t know it was a proposal. She just said … well, she hinted … that you always got tricks up your sleeve, and she thought it’s why she liked you so much—your flair.”
Bobby doesn’t seem able to make heads or tails of that. He looks back at the house where Nadine and Cissy—who’ve become much closer since their joint efforts on the pageant—are too busy chatting and laughing away on the porch to notice anything else. For a moment, it seems like he’s considering going up there to ask her himself, but keeps throwing his eyes back to the water, talking himself out of it with a pensive frown.