by Anne Jolin
“What if I didn’t want rhubarb pie?” I say, snottily cocking an eyebrow at him.
“You’ve always wanted the rhubarb pie, Beatle. You just don’t want to want it.” He chuckles, winking at me again.
He really is handsome. He stands a good few inches taller than I do, even when I’m in heels, and tonight, he looks dressed to impress in a white button-down shirt open at the collar, grey slacks, and the large, black dress coat that does nothing to hide his muscular frame.
When he laughs again, I look up to find him staring at me with raised eyebrows.
“Are you sure there isn’t something else you’d like to order?” he asks.
I roll my eyes at him, but before I can answer, I hear a whiny voice behind me. “There you are, Jamison. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Over my shoulder, I see Malibu Barbie in all her orange glory. She’s pouting like a child and her high-pitched voice instantly gives me a headache.
Her eyes are darting back and forth between us when I realize that Jami is still holding my hand. I pull it out of his like it’s on fire and turn fully around to face Kelsey.
“Oh it’s you,” she pouts, narrowing her eyes at me. “What are you doing here?”
It’s the grocery store, sweetheart. What do you think I’m doing here?
She looks me up and down before scoffing and directing her attention back to Jami. “I can’t find that thing you wanted me to look for,” she says, stomping her foot.
It takes everything I have not to roll my eyes at her ridiculous behaviour.
“The truffle oil?” Jami asks from behind me.
She nods before tossing her bleach-blond hair over her shoulder.
There’s no doubt about it—Barbie hates me. I’ve had just about enough of her stink eye, and I really don’t want to get in a pissing match with her over Jami, especially in the baked goods isle at the IGA.
“Well, I have to go. You guys have a good night. Merry Christmas.” I take off towards the front of the store before they have a chance to answer. I weave through all the last-minute shoppers until finally I’m outside.
Everywhere he touched feels like it’s on fire. My hands are shaking and not because I’m cold. I’m completely rattled. Seeing him with her absolutely derails me.
I’m halfway across the parking lot when I curse. “Motherfucker!” I forgot my stupid, supposedly absolutely delicious rhubarb pie in the goddamn store. I stand in the middle of the parking lot and blow out a breath of air. Momentarily, I consider not going back in, but guilt gets the better of me and I turn on my heel. This pie better be fucking amazing.
I look up from sidestepping around a patch of ice to see Jami walking towards me, sans his Barbie doll. He lifts out a grocery bag to me and smiles.
“I think you forgot something inside.”
“Ah, yes. My ever-elusive pie,” I say, reaching for the bag. “What do I owe you?”
“I got you, Beatle. No worries.” The snow is landing in his dark hair, and it’s impossible not to be distracted when he licks his bottom lip.
“You really didn’t have to,” I reply moving to dig in my purse.
He stretches his hand out to stop my arm. “I got you.”
“Thank you.” I smile at him. This one showing in my eyes.
When he starts to lean in towards me, my heart feels like it’s literally going to burst from my chest in anticipation. Then he moves past my mouth and his lips graze my ear. “Merry Christmas, Beatle.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as his soft lips kiss my cheek.
By the time I open my eyes, he’s already walking back across the parking lot. I whisper after him, “Merry Christmas, Jami.”
CHRISTMAS WAS LOVELY. Mom and I spent Christmas Eve with the Rhodeses, and on Christmas day, we enjoyed our time together. I didn’t have any siblings, so it was just Mom and me. Some people might think that seems lonely, but we’ve been doing it this way for so long, and I love it. Mom always makes us French toast before opening presents, and we build a snowman before cooking dinner. It’s the same way we’ve done it since my dad left.
Now, it’s Boxing Day, and the girls and I are driving down to Seattle to go shopping. I love Rock Falls, but it ain’t exactly shopping heaven if you know what I mean. Beth offered to drive, and since we are going shopping for New Year’s Eve outfits, Peyton has come with us too. It takes about five hours to get to Seattle from Rock Falls by car, so we left really bloody early. The malls are already going to be insane, and we want to be there as soon as the doors open.
“Oh God. Can we please change the song? What the hell is this weird-ass techno shit, Beth?” Hannah groans from the passenger’s seat.
“I feel like I’m going to have a seizure,” I agree from the back seat.
“It’s DJ Tiesto, you losers, and it’s good. If you two hillbillies listened to anything other than the country radio station, you’d know that,” Beth snaps. “But whatever. Change it then.”
You don’t have to ask us twice. Han takes the cord out of Beth’s iPhone and puts it in hers. A few seconds later, Sam Hunt’s “Leave the Night On” is pumping through the car.
“I love this song!” Peyton squeals from the back seat, and Hannah turns up the volume.
We’re all singing along and laughing. Such a catchy song. I’m glad we decided to do a girls’ day. I need to loosen up. My emotions have been all over the place after I bumped into Jami on Christmas Eve.
Something about this felt different. It was as if I suddenly felt like I was in a fight I was about to lose. My heart usually managed to settle into a dull ache after seeing him, but two days later, it still hurt like hell. I know I miss him, and I know I care about him, but to be honest, I try really hard not to think about it most of the time. It’s like window shopping when you know you don’t have the money to buy anything. Why torture yourself?
A few more songs and lots of car dancing later, we pull up outside the outlet malls. We stopped at a Tim Hortons before the border to get breakfast—or as Beth likes to call it, “shopping fuel”—and now, we were ready to go. The mall is packed even though the stores have just opened, but Beth is on a mission to get us all “hot as fuck” outfits for the black-and-white party.
Her first victim is poor Peyton. I probably should have warned her about Beth. She takes shopping very seriously, and if you’re not used to it, quite frankly, it can be a little intimidating. Peyton is a very modest girl. Although she is petite and has the body of a supermodel, she hardly ever wears revealing clothing. Beth talks her into buying a black, lace dress with dainty sleeves. It cinches around her tiny waist before flowing gracefully around her legs, suiting Peyton perfectly.
Next up is Hannah. She is used to her sister’s particular form of bossy shopping, and given that Beth can only choose between black and white, we figure that the result can’t be too awful. Hannah looks angelic in a white halter dress that ties behind her neck and dips low in the back. The entire thing has specs of gold running through it, and the material fits loosely around her body. Greyson is going to die when he sees her. Not only because she looks amazing, but because every other guy there is going to think the same thing.
“You better not let Hunnam see that until the day of the party.” I laugh as she’s paying at the till.
“Maybe I like it when he gets worked up.” She winks at me.
“Of course you do,” Beth snorts.
“Possessive, jealous Hunnam.” Hannah shudders. “Lord have mercy. I tell you.”
We all laugh—even Peyton and the store clerk.
Beth found a dress for herself in the same store and it is HOT. I have no idea who she is wearing that bad boy for, but she is going to be beating the men off with a stick come New Year’s Eve. It’s a black-and-white dress that fits her like a glove. Just under her chest, it has two large cutouts on either side, and it finishes dangerously close to the bottom of her ass. If any one of us could rock that dress, it is her.
Beth finishes p
aying before turning around to look at me. “My last victim.” She giggles, grabbing me by the hand and dragging me out of the store.
We shop for almost another hour, each of us buying a few things here and there that are on sale, but still no dress for me. It’s not even that I’m overly picky or anything, but as Beth would say, I just haven’t found anything that ‘spoke to me’ yet. I’m about to give up and decide to wear something I already have when Beth abruptly grinds to a halt, causing me to crash into her back.
“What the hell, Beth?” I say, picking up the bag I dropped during our collision.
“That’s it,” she declares pointing into a store window. “Holy fucking hell. That’s it.”
I turn to see what she’s so damn excited about, and when my eyes land on it, I grin. Beth might be a little much, but the girl can shop and she’s hardly ever wrong. Sitting on a mannequin in the store window is the dress—my dress.
We all follow Beth into the store. Then she grabs the dress in my size and hands it to me. Oh yes. I wasn’t joking about her being a shopping queen. She knows all of our sizes, including shoes and rings. If you can get past the controlling, creepy aspect of it, it’s actually quite impressive.
I take the dress from her and step into the change room.
“Do you need help?” Beth asks from the other side of the door. So impatient.
I finish doing up the last clip before opening the change room door.
“Fuck me. I’m good!” Beth squeals and claps her hands together.
I roll my eyes at her and turn towards the mirror. Well, fuck me. She’s right. She is good.
The dress is silver studded around the sweetheart neckline, and it makes my full breasts look amazing. The soft, white fabric flows out from underneath and stops barely at mid-thigh. On the backside, a small, silver band runs across my back almost like a bra strap, and the rest of my back is exposed. I’m staring at myself when Beth comes running back into the changing area. I didn’t even notice she was gone.
“Put these on,” she says, shoving a pair of silver-studded pumps in my face.
I don’t have to ask to know they are my size, so I slip them on.
“You look amazing!” Peyton gasps from her spot on the couch.
“I’m glad I’m not single,” Han says, fanning herself. “I would not want to compete with all that.” She waves her hands up and down towards me, blowing out a whistle.
“This is it, Len. This is totally fucking it,” Beth says, and I meet her eyes in the mirror.
“Totally fucking it,” I repeat, giving her a grin.
As we make our way back to the car, Hannah and I both stop and turn around to face Beth. “You’ve outdone yourself again, our little shopping queen,” I say, giving her a mock bow. “It might feel like torture, but you always get the job done,” Hannah agrees. When we laugh, she flips us the bird.
“Yeah. Yeah. Yuck it up, buttheads,” she says, arching a blond eyebrow at us. “You’ll be thanking me when you’re the hottest skanks in Bill’s.” We all burst out laughing. “Now get in the car, losers. I’m done shopping.”
“Well I’ll be damned.” Hannah laughs.
“I think Hell just froze over,” I quip.
We climb into the car to head back home. Today was awesome. I feel lighter than I have in days, but still, somewhere in the back of my mind, I find myself wondering what Jami will think of my dress.
IT’S THE EVENING of New Year’s Eve and all the girls are getting ready together. Greyson dropped Hannah off an hour ago before going to meet the guys for dinner. We ordered in pizza—Lots of carbs to soak up the alcohol—and are slowly taking our time primping. The living room looks like a bomb went off. There are clothes, makeup, hair products ,and mirrors everywhere. We only have one bathroom, which means that when there are this many girls, we get ready everywhere.
I did Peyton’s hair before the girls came over. We curled it and pulled it up off her neck in a low, loose bun. It looks lovely on her. Peyton curled Hannah’s long, auburn hair and then braided it off to one side. I am just wrapping up flat-ironing Beth’s hair, and then I need to do my own. I always go last because if anyone needs to be rushed, I’d rather it be me than my girls.
A couple of hours later, we are looking hot to trot. As expected, I ran short on time and simply curled my hair loosely down my back. I have on black mascara that accentuates my already long lashes and red lipstick.
I join the girls in the living room to gossip until we hear a truck rumble out front.
“Greyson’s here. Get your shit!” Hannah yells before heading out the front door. Always the eager beaver.
I slip on my coat, grab my clutch, and lock the door behind us. Greyson decided to drive us girls there and leave his truck overnight. Getting a cab home was going to be expensive enough, and he didn’t want us to have to pay for one there as well.
He’s growling something at Hannah when we reach the truck and I have to supress a giggle. It’s no doubt about her flimsy, little dress. I told her he’d have a conniption when he saw it. He swats her on the ass, and she laughs before he takes turns helping each of us into his monstrous truck.
It really is huge. I swear, even if Beth took a running start, she wouldn’t be able to get in it by herself.
Twenty minutes later, we’re parked in town and headed towards Bill’s. The town is busy with activity. People are on their way to parties and bars, and some are just drinking in the street. I’ve buttoned up my coat all the way, and even then, I’m still freezing. I’m always bloody freezing.
We’re almost at the start of the line when I see Jami and Jay walking towards us. My heart literally skips a beat from just looking at him. He’s wearing a black, fitted dress shirt and black slacks. His hair is wild and I have to fight the urge to run my fingers through it. He’s laughing at something Jay is saying, which isn’t uncommon. Jay’s a funny son of a bitch, but the sound of his laugh makes my heart squeeze.
Jay is the first to notice us, and he let’s out an embarrassingly loud catcall. “Well if it isn’t the sexiest motherfuckers in Rock Falls.” He blows kisses at each of us girls, and when he gets to Hannah, Greyson growls before she swats him in the stomach. Jay drapes an arm across Peyton’s shoulder and winks at her. “You girls know I love it when you bring me fresh meat,” he teases, and she blushes hard.
“Leave the poor girl alone, you fiend,” Beth says, pulling Peyton out from under him.
“Don’t be jealous, baby. You know there’s always room for two,” he coos suggestively wrapping an arm around her waist.
She slips out of his grasp, shakes her head, and laughs. “Ugh. As if.”
The girls all bust out laughing at her use of the famous Clueless line. The Rhodes sisters have a thing for quoting movies. You get used to it after a while. In fact, I think it’s almost rubbing off on me.
Jay moves down towards me and picks me up in a massive bear hug. “John, you’re looking smashing this evening,” he says in what I assume is supposed to be an English accent. Then he gives me a kiss on the cheek and I laugh. Not because I’m interested in him, but just because he’s without a doubt the funniest person we know.
“Looking quite dapper yourself, Mr. King. A tattooed James Bond if you will,” I tease back as he releases me from his hug. I turn to say hello to Jami, but when I meet his eyes, the anger behind them catches me off guard and my words falter. “Uh… Hi…Jami.”
He looks at me but doesn’t answer. Instead, he turns his attention to the rest of the group. “Are we going inside or what?” he snaps.
“Is this everyone?” Hannah asks.
“Of course it’s everyone,” he answers back a little too harshly, earning a glare from Greyson.
I don’t want to be the one to say anything, but Beth saves me from my growing curiosity when she asks, “What about Malibu Barbie?”
Jay starts to laugh. “Who the hell is Malibu Barbie?”
“Kelsey,” Beth clarifies, rolling her eyes and gestu
ring to Jami.
“That’s done,” Jami answers shortly before he starts walking towards the door.
“Well, alrighty then, grumpus!” Beth shouts after him, and we all follow behind them.
I try not to take note of the little happy dance going on inside my head that began when I heard him say that they’re done.
Even with tickets, it takes a while for us to get inside. Bill’s looks like a completely different bar tonight. There are black and white balloons covering every square inch of the ceiling, their strings dangling down. Everyone is dressed in formal black-and-white clothing, and all the beams are wrapped in white twinkle lights.
The place is almost at capacity and it’s only ten thirty, so we decide to split up. We take the boys’ coats and send them inside to find us a table. It’s a long shot, but what the heck?
It takes us girls almost twenty minutes to check all the coats before we actually head into the bar. I don’t usually like to toot my own horn or anything, but even I’m well aware that the four of us look smokin’ hot.
Greyson had texted a few minutes ago that they found a small table in the back, so we weave our way through the crowd, dodging a few handsy assholes along the way before we finally reach them. I’m shocked to see Jackson, Hannah’s ex, at our table, and I’m double shocked to see that the person he’s talking to is Greyson. I raise my eyebrows at Hannah and she shrugs. I guess she didn’t know he was coming either. It’s an odd turn of events considering that, the last time they were in this bar together, Greyson used Jackson’s face as a punching bag just for talking to Hannah.
We walk up to the table and stand around it. There are only three high-top chairs, so the rest of us have to stand. I try not to notice that Jami isn’t at the table, but it’s useless, and a few minutes later, I find myself scanning the crowd for him.
I guess I’m not being very subtle because Peyton leans over and whispers in my ear. “I saw him at the bar. He’s just getting drinks. He’ll be back.”
