Yours Truly (3 page)

“Start with
Guards! Guards! It’s brilliant and hysterical.”

“Suh-WOON,” I said. “Sold!” And I pulled my phone out to make a little note to look up the book later. “You sure know how to sweep a booknerd off her feet, Josh.”

The bottle poised at his lips, he said, “Never claimed I didn’t.”

A text popped up while I was typing.

SUMMER: What are you doing right now? (If you notice, I didn’t say WHO since you waged the Trojan war earlier. And lost.)

ME: SO sweet of you. I’m drinking on the roof.

SUMMER: HIIIIIIII, JOSH!

“Summer says hi.”

“Hi, Summer.” Josh leaned his head back and stared up at the sky again.

ME: You nearby? Wanna come up?

SUMMER: Noooo. Went to see a friend’s show, and am out with all these hot actors now. Wanna come play? Maybe even get lucky after all? Unless you’re already getting lucky with Josh…

ME: FUNNY. And you know that’s not a possibility. I like him too much.

SUMMER: To subject him to sex with you? How bad ARE you in bed?

I laughed out loud and Josh glanced over at me. I just shook my head, sending up a little thanks that he couldn’t see my phone screen from where he was sitting.

ME: Shut up.

SUMMER: I’m just saying it seems you’ve had PLENTY of practice if your columns are to be believed…and if your skills are lacking…

ME: I’m MAGNIFICENT, okay?

SUMMER: THAT’s my girl! You’re too much for him to handle, right?

ME: Something like that.

SUMMER: So, you coming out or what?

I glanced at Josh next to me, silently studying the stars again, and realized I had no desire whatsoever to be anywhere else.

ME: Thanks, but I’m gonna stay here.

SUMMER: Boo. But I understand. I mean, you’re sitting next to Hot Neighbor Guy. I’d stay put, too.

ME: See you tomorrow night?

SUMMER: You know it. Love you!

“Summer’s in town?” Josh said as I slid my phone back into my pocket.

“For a few days. Bliss, too.”

“Ah, The Girls are together again.”

“And it doesn’t happen NEARLY enough. I miss the good old days when we all lived here. It kinda sucks having Summer on the West Coast and Bliss always Somewhere Else in the world.”

“At least they come back regularly.”

“True.” I sighed and looked at him. “But it’s not the same.”

“Nothing ever is.”

“Right? I guess that’s life.” I shifted in my seat, feeling it wobble under my weight. We’d brought these chairs up here a couple of years ago—the kind with the ugly striped fabric wrapped over metal rods—and we were going to have to buy new ones soon. Maybe I’d do that next week. Get nicer ones this time as a little surprise for Josh. Ooh, maybe wooden Adirondack chairs. Those would be
perfect
. Of course, Josh could probably make them himself…which reminded me. “You know what else it is?”

“What’s that?” Josh’s eyes were closed, and the breeze lifted the ends of his hair. Little flame-red tendrils of my hair tickled my face, and I tucked them behind my ears again.

“Life’s a broken chair that won’t stay fixed no matter how many times I glue it.”

“You want me to take a look?” He stretched out his long legs and crossed them at the ankle. “I can fix it for you, save you any more hassle.”

“I don’t need saving,” I said. “But I’d love it if you’d show me how to fix it so I can do it myself.”

“Even better.” He smiled, his eyes still closed. “I’ll have to grab some stuff from my shop. Give me a couple of days?”

“Of course. Whenever you get to it. You know where I live.” The night had cooled considerably, and the wind was sending goosebumps skittering over my skin. I stood up, grabbed our empty bottles, and then reached out to squeeze his hand. “I’m calling it a night. See you tomorrow?”

“Always,” he said, his warm fingers grasping mine. He slid his thumb over the back of my hand, still holding on even as I moved toward the door. “Oh, and Will?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad things didn’t work out with the guy tonight.”

I cocked my head to the side, slightly bemused. “Well, that makes one of us.”

Though that little voice inside said,
No, that makes two of us
. Because if my date had worked out, I wouldn’t have gotten to spend the evening with Josh.

three

“W
illow Truly, get your ass over here right now!” Lucky waved as I slowly threaded my way through the throngs of people crowding the restaurant’s bar, scouting out tonight’s prospects.

The Girls were all here—Ever Vaughn, Lucky Noble, Bliss Sullivan, Summer St. Claire, and Harmony Daniels. The six of us were like stars in a constellation. Together we were something greater and more beautiful than we were on our own. We fit brilliantly together even though we were light years away from each other in personality and life choices.

I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without them. I never wanted to.

These girls were my chosen family, and I could feel my shoulders relax just at the sight of them. Being all together always made me feel better. Grounded. Recharged. We made a point of getting together on a regular basis, but as we each got busier in our careers it became harder to pull off. Thank god it was important to all of us.

Who needed a man when you had girlfriends like these?

Not this girl.

“You guys!” I threw my arms around my best friends and almost toppled them to the floor. Laughing, we let go and gave each other the once-over. “You all look amazing…which means I’m going to have to work extra hard to get any guy’s attention tonight.”

“Shut up,” Summer said. “You look gorgeous and you know it.”

It was true. My thick, auburn hair hung silky straight—and as long as it didn’t rain tonight, it would stay that way. In hopes of meeting my next victim—I mean, date—I was wearing my favorite forest green, slinky dress. No sense in letting a good bar scene go to waste.

And yes, I did approach my job with a certain
expectation
—that the guy would screw up in some way, eventually show his true assholic colors. Could I help it if they never disappointed on that front? Some took longer than others, but I’d come to realize it was inevitable.

Not that I didn’t hope for more. There was a small part of me that did—that little girl who’d fallen in love with fairytales at five years old, she was the one who always had a smidgen of hope. Of course, she’d also grown up to realize that fairytales didn’t exist in real life and that she’d be better off relying on herself than waiting for some mythical Prince Charming to come save her.

She had to make her own Happily Ever After.

Experience didn’t lie. But men sure as hell did.

I let my eyes scan the bar in case anyone stood out, but got distracted by the click of Bliss’s camera. That girl never went anywhere without it. As she swung the lens toward Summer—who totally struck a pose, then stuck her tongue out at the camera—I noticed a leather string circling her neck with a small white shell hanging from it like a pendant.

“I’m LOVING this.” I reached over, fingering the shell which felt water-smooth in my hand. “Is it new?”

“A gift.” She nodded, lowering her camera, the hint of a blush blooming on her fair face.

“Oooh,” Summer said, leaning forward. “Who is he?”

“Who said he was a he?”

Lucky laughed. “You just did. Now stop taking pics and spill.”

Bliss sighed in exasperation, but was clearly resigned to her fate. She knew she wasn’t getting off that easy with ANY of us. She lowered her camera and set it on the table.

“He’s no one,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Is he famous?” Harmony tucked a honey gold wave behind her ear, her brown eyes dancing. “Is that why you don’t want to tell us? Oh my god…is it Bono? Your aura has been glowing for months, ever since you did that photo shoot.”

“It’s NOT Bono. Besides, he’s been married forever.”

“And OLD.” Ever shuddered.

“He’s not THAT old.” Bliss smacked her shoulder. “And, oh my god, is he sexy when he sings.”

“Agreed,” Ever said, then shook her head. “But still, it’s like dating your
father
. Or one of his old-man
friends.”

“EW.” All of us shuddered this time. Lucky, Ever, Harmony, and Summer each took a swig of their drinks as if rinsing out the nasty imaginary taste of old man.

Bliss held up her hands. “I’m not talking about it, you guys. Not yet.” She picked her camera back up.

“But when you’re ready?” I said.

“You guys will be the first to know. As always.” She pointed the lens at me, focused, then said, “Now enough about me, tell us about the guy last night.”

I smirked at her. Click. Click. Click.

“You sure you don’t just want to wait and read about it? Don’t you want to spend more time imagining sex with old men?”

An exasperated and disgusted chorus of “WILL!” rang out from the rest of them as they sat back down. The waitress appeared next to me and set down a Sam Adams and a glass at the only empty spot at the table.

I sank into the booth, sliding onto the black leather seat. “Haven’t you guys ever heard of delayed gratification?” I picked up the frosty bottle and started pouring the liquid amber down the side of the glass. “It makes everything BETTER.”

“That’s just something you say to make people feel better when they have to wait for something,” Lucky said, smoothing imaginary wrinkles out of her silky, sapphire dress. The combination of her toasted-tan skin and deep green eyes made her look like a walking ad for an exotic getaway—the perfect blend of sun, surf, and endless sky. “Being your friends, we DON’T have to wait. So spill.”

Instead, I took a grateful sip of my beer. They groaned in unison when I closed my eyes, unspeaking, like I was relishing the taste, and then started to lift the glass again. But I just laughed, put the glass back down in front of me, and filled them in on ALL the details.

Fifteen minutes later, they were laughing so loud, people at other tables were turning to look at us.

“Oh, my god,” Ever said, her ocean-blue eyes wide. “Just when you think they can’t sink any lower.”

“Right?” I shook my head. “Can I pick ‘em or can I pick ‘em?”

“Come on, Will,” Harmony said. “You’re not exactly looking for the good ones.”

“It’s because they don’t exist.”

The Girls each raised an eyebrow.

“Seriously, you guys,” I said, then turned to Lucky since hers was the heart most recently broken. “You still think good ones are out there after everything you’ve been through? After
Ben?”

“Hold on.” Summer held up her hands, palms out, mock-confusion on her gorgeous face. “I thought we agreed his name is Fuckwad.”

Lucky ran her fingers along the rim of her glass. “Okay, Ben wasn’t the best—”

“Wasn’t the BEST? He was the WORST guy I’ve ever written about. He not only went over to the dark side, he’s freaking Emperor Palpatine.”

“Okay, see you’ve lost me now that you’re speaking geek.” Lucky’s hair swayed back and forth around her shoulders as she shook her head.

“Don’t worry, honey.” Bliss patted my hand. “I understood you just fine.”

Lucky looked at me. “But they’re not all Bens.”

“Some of them are Austin,” Ever said, her head tilted to one side, a dreamy look on her face. Recently married to Lucky’s brother, Austin, she was clearly basking in that newlywed afterglow.

“Okay…BESIDES Austin,” I said. “He’s the only one.” But as I really took a good look at her, there was something more than just the honeymoon going on. She always looked good—and tonight was no exception. Her light brown hair fell over her shoulders. Her gorgeous lilac pencil dress hugged her curves perfectly. But she’d never glowed like this before. She was radiant in a way I’d never seen. The girl was lit, and it had nothing to do with her mojito. She couldn’t be— “Oh my god, are you
pregnant?”

Ever bit back a small smile, and the rest of The Girls gasped. But before anyone could say anything, she was holding up her hands and shaking her head.

“No. We JUST got married, you guys!” She laughed. “Work is just really amazing.” Ever pulled a business card out of her clutch and slid it across the table to me. Over a watercolor wash of barely-there flowers were the words
Ever Afters
in gorgeous bold script. Then
Everly Vaughn
down in the bottom right corner with her number and website. “Lucky’s Almost-Wedding—don’t roll your eyes at me Lucky, this time it WAS almost—it really kickstarted my new business. I’m sure Olympia Nardini is a putrid shade of green right now.”

I raised my glass. “May she rot in hell.”

“In hell!” Everyone but Ever repeated, and we clinked our glasses together.

“She wasn’t THAT bad,” Ever said, trying not to laugh.

“You’re right,” Harmony said. “She was worse.”

“God, she
was
awful.” Ever tapped her pink frosted fingernails on the table. “But I don’t have to deal with her anymore, so it’s all good.”

Olympia, Ever’s old boss at Nardini Newlyweds, had unceremoniously fired her when Lucky’s dad had cancelled their account—LONG story, but let’s just say that Ever had gotten her own Happily Ever After when she’d been busy planning Lucky’s.