The town of Rosewood was abuzz, and for once, the gossip mill had nothing to do with me. Well, not directly anyway. You see, the last time the town was this riled up, it was because George had carried me out of Beth’s coffee shop after I left him stranded in his own bed alone. Let’s just say he didn’t like that one bit and then proceeded to show me exactly how he felt. After that, the good folks of Rosewood hadn’t let me live it down. But now, they had a new source of entertainment: the awakening of Calvin ‘Trip’ Hall from his coma.
I’d admit, I was curious about this Trip character. I’d never met him, but the tales I’d heard made him out to be quite the character. Apparently, he was known for his larger-than-life personality and his penchant for trouble. But despite my intrigue, I had no desire to be the center of attention, so I kept myself busy with the ski lodge and the upcoming wedding of my dad and LeeAnn.
Not that I was really doing anything to help with that matter. LeeAnn had that fiasco well in hand and barring any last-minute interruptions, the wedding was still a go.
So, while everyone enjoyed the merriment, I kept myself busy with the daily running of the ski lodge and making sure I was out of sight. Mainly, I was sitting on my ass and pining about my own romantic blunder.
Yes. I knew I’d messed up when I told George we should stay friends.
Was that what I really wanted?
Nope.
In a moment of post-orgasmic haze, I had suggested we just be friends.
Friends!
What was I thinking?
It was clear as day that I wanted more, but how could I take it back now? I couldn’t exactly blame my sudden change of heart on brain fry from too much pleasure. It wasn’t like I could walk up to George and say,‘my bad! The orgasms overloaded my circuits and fried my brain. I didn’t know what I was saying.’
Or could I?
Shaking off the thought, I tried to concentrate on the pile of invoices before me when my office door slammed open.
“You stupid bitch!”
Blinking, I stuttered as Devlyn marched her ass into my office, along with Morgan and Bailey, who plopped her ass in a chair and glared at me.
“Excuse me?” I gulped, looking at the women before me.
“And after everything we’ve been through.” Bailey grinned, shaking her head. Her eyes glittering with mischief as she hinted at the incident that was strictly never to be mentioned again.
Before I could respond, Devlyn snarked, “Josie. What the hell were you thinking? You finally get a real guy and you let him slip through your fingers?”
“Seriously, Jo,” Morgan groaned, sitting on the edge of my desk. “You’ve been dreaming of Dr. Feelgood for months. What the hell happened?”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, feeling my face flush under their scrutiny.
“It’s not like that—” I started, but Devlyn cut me off.
“Then what is it like, Josie? You’ve been pining after George for ages, and now you’ve friend-zoned him? Again! What gives?”
I bit my lip, unsure how to explain my mixed-up feelings. “I just... I don’t know, I panicked.”
Devlyn rolled her eyes and groaned, “She panicked.”
“Told ya it was something stupid.” Bailey chuckled.
The women weren’t wrong. I had been a fool to friend-zone him again, but the words had tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. Now, I was left with the aftermath—my friends’ disappointment and my own confusing desires.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled, feeling my face grow hotter. “I just freaked out, I guess. With everything going on, then Freddie showing up, it was all too much.”
Devlyn sighed, rolling her eyes again. “Josie, you need to swallow that dick and fix this. Go talk to him; explain what you really want.”
“But what if he doesn’t feel the same?” I asked, my heart sinking at the thought.
Bailey waved my concerns away. “Please. He’s a man. Throw on something sexy. He’ll forgive you, especially if you apologize with a little hot monkey sex, which I know you two are more than capable of.”
