Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
No worries. Monica is here. She’s visiting. Thanks, though. Love you.
Monica was Danny’s sister. He had two, but he and Monica were the closest. If you’re sure. I’ll text and check on you later. Love you too.
My class began coming in, so I put my phone away and got busy. The hour flew by like it always did, and it wasn’t until the end of my second lesson of the day when it hit me that I hadn’t gotten that fluttery feeling in my chest when Danny said he loved me. We’d been saying it to each other for ages, so in a way, I was used to it, but over the last year it had come to mean something different to me, and I’d transformed into one of those characters in the Regency romance novels I read.
Only I hadn’t gotten that fluttery feeling today… This was the second time I was unaffected by something Danny did that usually would have made me swoon.
My phone buzzed again, and this time, I figured it was Shaw trying to find some new way to torture me, but it was Brooklyn. Lunch?
Oh my God, yesssss, I replied.
Cool. I’ll be there soon.
I had a break before my afternoon sessions began, so I changed, then took care of paperwork and billing stuff as I waited for Brooklyn.
When the door opened, I looked up and saw her standing there. “Damn, girl. I like the hair.” I went over and hugged her. She had blue micro faux locs.
“Oh, these old things? Had them done over a week ago, but someone has been too busy for my ass.” She crossed her arms and stared me down.
Ugh, she was right. I hadn’t hung out with Brooklyn in too long. “I’m sorry. I’ll get lunch and tell you everything, and there is a whole lot of shit to tell. You don’t even know.”
“Forgiven.” She winked, and it was a reminder of why I liked her so much.
I grabbed my shit, locked up, and we walked to Dee Dee’s Kitchen, the only Southern restaurant I ate at.
It was small but always busy, the tables covered with red-and-white-checkered cloth. It was seat yourself, and there was a free booth, which we sat at. Neither of us grabbed a menu as we knew what we’d get.
“Spill,” she told me.
I didn’t even know where to begin. I didn’t want to lie to her, yet I couldn’t tell her exactly what Shaw and I had done or how we’d started hanging out in the first place. But I needed someone to talk to about some of it, so I was strategic in what I said, or you know, I opened my mouth and let whatever fall out. “I’m taking a ballroom-dancing class. Well, I haven’t yet, but my first one is this Wednesday.”
“With Danny?”
“Um…no…” I rubbed a hand over my face and mumbled, “Shaw.”
“Who?”
I sighed. “Shaw. My neighbor.” Then I waited for her to lose her shit in three…two…one…
“Shut the fuck up! He’s gorgeous—and bi. Smart guy.” Brooklyn was bisexual also, which I assumed was why she’d called him a smart guy after mentioning his sexual orientation. “I thought you hated him?”
“I do,” automatically fell out of my mouth. Only, I didn’t. “He’s ridiculous. And annoying. Oh, and cocky as fuck. Did I mention annoying?”
“So logically, you’re taking a dance class with him. You’re gonna have to back up here because I’m lost.”
Luckily, the waitress showed up, giving me a reprieve. We ordered sweet tea, fried fish, mac and cheese, and fried okra. I’d have to work my ass off after this meal.
As soon as she was gone, Brooklyn eyed me, waiting for a response.
“Okay, so…we hang out now? We fight all the time, and we basically spend time together because we enjoy making fun of each other, but he had dinner with me and Danny last Tuesday, and it was weird, and Danny was acting jealous. Then Shaw mentioned a dance lesson, and as soon as he did, I realized how much I wanted it, but I knew he didn’t really want to take one with me. And then he left, and Danny said he didn’t trust him, and Shaw avoided me, until finally he didn’t, and I was at his apartment and asked him if he really wanted to take the class with me, and we are. Again, just so I can show him I’m better than he is, and well, he thinks he’s going to do the same, but I’m right.”
Brooklyn sat there, mouth agape, staring at me. I’d word-vomited stuff that probably made no sense whatsoever, but this was Brooklyn, so I could get away with that.
“Okay…I have no idea what half of that meant. All I got out of it was that you, my friend, have a crush on Shaw. Congrats. You’re over Danny.”