“You’re going to see him. If this all bothers you too much, talk to him. Ask him if this is just a fun time in bed for a while, or if he wants more. And if his answer makes you happy, go for it. If it doesn’t, don’t see him.”
“You make it sound simple.”
“It is, Addie. It’s really simple. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.”
She’s right. I don’t know if I want to have that conversation with him, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.
“I need to have my roots done,” Cami says with a sigh as we both stop our machines and climb off to head to the showers.
“Let’s call Cici and schedule a girls’ night for this week.”
“That sounds like heaven. There are few things better than being pampered by Cici.”
Being pampered by Jake Keller doesn’t suck, friend.
“YOU WENT TOO long between cuts,” Cici scolds Mia as she trims her hair. “You should have been in here weeks ago.”
“I don’t know if you know this,” Mia replies sarcastically, “but I have a kitchen to run.”
“That’s no excuse to neglect your scalp.”
Cici is short and stick thin, despite having four kids. She keeps her bleach-blond hair in a pixie cut, and her makeup is always flawless.
Her makeup was flawless when she gave birth, for crying out loud.
“When did you get the new Chanel bag?” she asks me.
“Last week.” I pet the black leather with pure joy. “Isn’t she pretty?”
“I prefer Gucci,” Riley says as she reads People magazine, waiting for the color to do its job on her head. “There are some new brown heels out this season that I’m dying for.”
Kat is lying on a facial bed with a mask on her face and cucumber on her eyes. Her hands are folded over her stomach. “Y’all spend too much money on accessories,” she mutters.
“You enjoy tattoos,” Cami replies, snuggling Cici’s youngest baby in her arms. She is only three months old, and we all love snuggling her. “They like bags and shoes.”
“What do you like?” Mia asks Cami.
“Saving my money,” Cami says with a grin, then kisses the baby’s head.
“Mom! Mom! Mom!” Two little boys come running through Cici’s basement, wielding foam swords. Their faces are smeared with chocolate. “Daddy won’t let us stay up to watch TV!”
“You’re supposed to stay upstairs,” Cici says with a scowl. “Where is your sister?”
“On the phone. As usual.” The boys shrug, have a long, dramatic sword fight in the middle of the room, then run back upstairs as quickly as they came down.
“You know I love you, Cici,” Kat says. “But the best birth control in the world is one night a month at your house.”
“Oh please, learn from my mistakes, friends. Not that they’re mistakes, and I wouldn’t trade any of them for anything, but they’re a handful.”
“I’ll just come over and share your handful for a while,” Cami says with a soft smile on her pretty face. She looks so at home with that baby in her arms. Cami’s going to be an awesome mom someday.
My phone pings in my hand with an incoming text. I grin when I see that it’s from Jake. I haven’t seen him since Sunday morning, but he’s texted me several times a day, every day. I never know what they’re going to say. Sometimes he’s flirty. Sometimes he sends silly selfies, and sometimes he’s just sharing something that happened that day. It’s only Wednesday, but I miss his face.
Thinking of you. What are you up to tonight?
“Who’s that?” Mia asks with a frown. “All of us are here.”
“Is it Jake?” Cami asks innocently, but I narrow my eyes at her.
I’m getting pampered with the girls this evening. What are you up to?
“Why would Jake be texting you?” Riley asks. “What aren’t you telling us?”
“And why does Cami know and the rest of us don’t?” Kat asks as she peels the cucumbers off her eyes.
Good. You deserve to be pampered. I’m writing a song with Max tonight. Take you to dinner tomorrow night?
“Addie. Start talking,” Mia demands.
“Can’t I have two minutes to respond to messages?” I bite my lip, and type my response.
Okay, but don’t get any ideas about me being attracted to you or anything.
“Is she seeing Jake?” Riley finally asks Cami.
“Not my story to tell.”
“Addie!”
Stop fawning all over me. I’ll go out with you. Geez. Have a good night.
“Everyone calm down.” I shove my phone in my pocket and take a deep breath, then relay the same story I told Cami the other day. Everyone has stopped what they were doing to listen to the story. Cici has even stopped trimming Mia’s hair.
“I haven’t even seen him since Sunday.”
“When are you going to see him again?” Kat asks with a grin. “And also, I approve of this. I like him.”
“He’s taking me out for dinner tomorrow.”
“And after-dinner sex.” Riley does a happy dance, then fist-bumps Kat.
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?” Cici rolls her eyes and snips at Mia’s hair. “Girl, he’s gorgeous. And sexy. And a rock star. You better hit that.”
“Hit that?” I laugh out loud. “Since when do you speak like that?”