“Don’t think so,” I respond lightly. The sales woman takes my information and assures me that my dress will be in before the end of the week. I blow a kiss to a skeptical looking April and skip to the door feeling lighter than I have all week.
Chapter 23
Maggie
Rilla takes a large swig of her wine and slams the glass down on the coffee table. “I hate him. I hate his stupid ideas, I hate his boring voice, and if I ever have to meet him in real life, I’m sure I’ll hate his dumb face too.”
She is several glasses of wine into the evening and on an absolute rampage. Recently, she signed with a publisher who is going to release the fantasy novel she’s spent the last three years writing. Initially she was working with an editor who she really liked, but he took a position with another company. A new editor has been assigned and there has been some tension.
“Maybe you just need to get more familiar with one another,” Betty says sweetly, her speech the tiniest bit slurred. By the time I got home, these two were already tipsy and I’ve been doing my best to catch up ever since.
“If he doesn’t keep his terrible opinions to himself, he’s going to get more familiar with my foot. Because it’s going to be up his ass!” She drains her glass and sets it back on the table. “He doesn’t like the ending of the book. He wants to change it so the elven prince has a redemption arc instead of betraying his best friend. But he doesn’t understand that it’s this betrayal that sets up Damien as the main antagonist in book three!” She throws her arms up completely disgusted. “The betrayal is the beginning of his villain origin story! How does he not see that?”
“But you haven’t written that book yet, right?” I ask, trying to follow her outrage.
“No, but I have it all planned out.” She points to her head where I assume the rest of this fantasy series lives. She picks up a pillow on the couch and hugs it to her chest. “This is a really nice pillow,” she says looking down at it.
“Her name is Carol. She’s my emotional support pillow,” Betty says dreamily and I manage to not laugh. Betty’s anxiety has been put to the test over the last year and that pillow has gotten her through some tough times.
“I love her and want one,” Rilla says, not missing a beat and holding her tighter.
“Who needs a refill?” I ask, standing up. Both women wave their hands in the air like they just don’t care. I grab another bottle of wine from the kitchen and take it back with me to the living room.
“I’m serious,” Rilla is saying, holding out her phone. “The man is a psychopath. Not only does he insist on trying to talk to me on the phone like a total boomer, but he ends his voicemails with ‘best.’”
“Best what?” I ask, confused.
“Exactly!” She yells. “Listen to this.” She presses a button on her phone and a very deep, very male voice fills the room.
“Hello, Ms. Pine. It’s Logan Carmichael calling again. I wanted to let you know that I’ve reviewed the outline you emailed me. I have thoughts. Please call me back at your earliest convenience to discuss them with me. Best.”
“Do you see? Do you understand now what I’m dealing with?” She is about to have a nuclear meltdown over this guy.
“At least his voice is kind of sexy,” Betty says before taking another drink. Rilla’s responding look of disgust almost makes me do a spit take.
“It’s not sexy at all! It’s condescending and arrogant and prickish! Your taste in men can’t be that bad. Oh wait, you voluntarily have sex with my brother. I guess it can.”
“Yeah, I do!” Betty grins and holds her hand up to me for a well-deserved high-five, which I give her. Rilla glares at me and I shrug.
“I couldn’t leave my girl hanging,” I laugh and she tosses the pillow at me.
“Don’t throw Carol!” Betty shrieks and Rilla apologizes profusely to both Betty and the pillow.
“Alright, Mags. You’re up. Fill me in on how online dating is going. Divulge every last filthy detail.” She leans forward and places her chin on her hands as she waits expectantly.
“There isn’t much to tell,” I answer honestly. I haven’t even thought about online dating in weeks. I deleted the app all together after my last date, which while not a disaster like the others, just felt like an epic waste of time. I don’t want to attempt to force chemistry with a stranger just to get a wedding date, especially since I have one now. At least I think I do. “I went on a couple of bad dates. The end.”
“Bad as in the sex was bad?” She asks, confused.
“I didn’t have sex with them.”
“What the hell is the point of meeting up with random strangers from the internet if you’re not going to have sex with them?”
“Maggie wants a boyfriend, not a hook-up,” Betty explains. She’s completely horizontal on the couch now, the last drink I poured her sitting untouched on the table. I discreetly pick it up and she doesn’t notice. Betty does not hold her liquor well. “But it’s okay, she’s got Callum now.”
“Callum?” Rilla perks up. “Josh’s friend Callum?” I forgot that Rilla probably knows Callum already through Josh. She would have met him when they went to college together, presumably. I start to wonder what he was like back then, but then remember I need to set Betty straight on the matter.
“No–”
