Love Unrehearsed
Page 53
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“You never did specify the terms of the bet. Ten, twenty? Decide quickly. Stretch Pants Lady is fumbling with her purse.” Marie looked confident but slightly bashful. I noticed she rubbed the finger that used to have a wedding ring on it. There was nothing there now but bare skin and the hopes of a fresh start.
“How about dinner?” she tossed back. “If you win, pick out anything in the store and I’ll cook for you. But if I win, you’re wearing the apron.”
Mike laughed, surreptitiously placing his body between Ryan and some older man coming down the aisle. “You may want to rethink that, unless you really love mac-’n’-
cheese and ramen noodles and want to see me in an apron. Then who am I to disappoint?”
Nothing but an apron, I amended silently for her. Yeah, she’s smirking. Dirty minds think alike.
She quickly recovered. “Not much of a cook?”
“Well, I have tried to make celery-rock soup once before. It probably wasn’t as good as yours, though.”
Ryan grabbed a jar of spaghetti sauce. His arms were piled with things. He walked up to Mike. “Wait, I thought we planned on taking them out to dinner tomorrow? That’s what you said you wanted to do.”
Mike looked like he wanted to throttle Ry-an on the spot, that is, until several customers started leering down the aisle. One girl pulled out her cell, aiming it to take a quick snapshot.
Son of a . . . why, people? Do you think that famous people don’t eat or shop? Come on! I darted to Ryan’s side, bumping shoulders with Mike and blocking Ryan as much as possible. He couldn’t be left alone for two minutes without someone taking a piece of him.
Marie whipped out her phone and aimed right back. The girl quickly started to back up. “Wait! Where are you going? I need to update my Facebook page.”
Ryan frowned, showing his disapproval.
“Don’t do that. Just let them take their pictures. You start saying shit and that gets recorded . . . Just do me a favor and don’t.”
“Sorry,” Marie said quickly, not looking sorry at all.
Mike gave her an elbow nudge. “Trouble-maker! Seems as though you need a keeper, too.”
I was starting to wonder if he was volunteering.
I smiled at Marie. No matter what Gary thought he could do to hurt her, I had no doubt she’d bounce right back on her feet.
The following evening, Marie and I shared the bathroom mirror to get ready. She was in a much better mood after we spent a full day shopping with a nice, leisurely lunch in between.
I was still a bit peeved that Ryan hadn’t returned my personal credit card, leaving me no choice but to use our joint card. I knew it was his way of making sure he was taking care of me, but I didn’t like being at someone’s mercy. I figured some new risqué bras and panties were a nice way of saying thank you.
Marie tugged at her new top and then abruptly stopped to hug me. “Thank you for buying this outfit for me. Once I get financially stable again, I’ll pay you back. I swear.” I rubbed my hand over her back. “Not necessary. You’re the one who told me I’d have to get used to spending my future husband’s millions, remember? Consider it a gift from the ‘Ryan says he owes you big-time for what you did for us’ fund.”
She dismissed my words with a wave of her hand. “I still feel bad, though. I hate not being able to afford the things I want without relying on Gary’s money. This totally sucks.” I looked at her knowingly.
“Okay, okay, I get it now,” she said. “I won’t tease you about spending Ryan’s money anymore. You and I weren’t raised that way. We’re used to earning our keep.”
I put my makeup away, straightening up the counter. “Exactly. Oh, I’m sure there are millions of women out there who wouldn’t even blink at becoming a pampered little house pet, doing nothing but gossiping and shopping all damn day. But that’s not how I want to live. You remember Melanie’s favorite saying?”
Marie smirked.
“‘I don’t owe you shit,’” we said in unison.
A second later Marie huffed, tucking her extra cleavage away. “Cripes. Mike is going to take one look at me in this getup and think that I’m some sort of desperate psycho ready to pin him to the wall. I just wanted a break from the stress to get my head together, not force the first warm, completely gorgeous body I come in contact with into an uncomfortable situation.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t view it that way.” At least I hope not. “No one is forcing either of you into a situation here. And by the looks of it, Mike seems more than willing to spend time with you.”
“How about dinner?” she tossed back. “If you win, pick out anything in the store and I’ll cook for you. But if I win, you’re wearing the apron.”
Mike laughed, surreptitiously placing his body between Ryan and some older man coming down the aisle. “You may want to rethink that, unless you really love mac-’n’-
cheese and ramen noodles and want to see me in an apron. Then who am I to disappoint?”
Nothing but an apron, I amended silently for her. Yeah, she’s smirking. Dirty minds think alike.
She quickly recovered. “Not much of a cook?”
“Well, I have tried to make celery-rock soup once before. It probably wasn’t as good as yours, though.”
Ryan grabbed a jar of spaghetti sauce. His arms were piled with things. He walked up to Mike. “Wait, I thought we planned on taking them out to dinner tomorrow? That’s what you said you wanted to do.”
Mike looked like he wanted to throttle Ry-an on the spot, that is, until several customers started leering down the aisle. One girl pulled out her cell, aiming it to take a quick snapshot.
Son of a . . . why, people? Do you think that famous people don’t eat or shop? Come on! I darted to Ryan’s side, bumping shoulders with Mike and blocking Ryan as much as possible. He couldn’t be left alone for two minutes without someone taking a piece of him.
Marie whipped out her phone and aimed right back. The girl quickly started to back up. “Wait! Where are you going? I need to update my Facebook page.”
Ryan frowned, showing his disapproval.
“Don’t do that. Just let them take their pictures. You start saying shit and that gets recorded . . . Just do me a favor and don’t.”
“Sorry,” Marie said quickly, not looking sorry at all.
Mike gave her an elbow nudge. “Trouble-maker! Seems as though you need a keeper, too.”
I was starting to wonder if he was volunteering.
I smiled at Marie. No matter what Gary thought he could do to hurt her, I had no doubt she’d bounce right back on her feet.
The following evening, Marie and I shared the bathroom mirror to get ready. She was in a much better mood after we spent a full day shopping with a nice, leisurely lunch in between.
I was still a bit peeved that Ryan hadn’t returned my personal credit card, leaving me no choice but to use our joint card. I knew it was his way of making sure he was taking care of me, but I didn’t like being at someone’s mercy. I figured some new risqué bras and panties were a nice way of saying thank you.
Marie tugged at her new top and then abruptly stopped to hug me. “Thank you for buying this outfit for me. Once I get financially stable again, I’ll pay you back. I swear.” I rubbed my hand over her back. “Not necessary. You’re the one who told me I’d have to get used to spending my future husband’s millions, remember? Consider it a gift from the ‘Ryan says he owes you big-time for what you did for us’ fund.”
She dismissed my words with a wave of her hand. “I still feel bad, though. I hate not being able to afford the things I want without relying on Gary’s money. This totally sucks.” I looked at her knowingly.
“Okay, okay, I get it now,” she said. “I won’t tease you about spending Ryan’s money anymore. You and I weren’t raised that way. We’re used to earning our keep.”
I put my makeup away, straightening up the counter. “Exactly. Oh, I’m sure there are millions of women out there who wouldn’t even blink at becoming a pampered little house pet, doing nothing but gossiping and shopping all damn day. But that’s not how I want to live. You remember Melanie’s favorite saying?”
Marie smirked.
“‘I don’t owe you shit,’” we said in unison.
A second later Marie huffed, tucking her extra cleavage away. “Cripes. Mike is going to take one look at me in this getup and think that I’m some sort of desperate psycho ready to pin him to the wall. I just wanted a break from the stress to get my head together, not force the first warm, completely gorgeous body I come in contact with into an uncomfortable situation.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t view it that way.” At least I hope not. “No one is forcing either of you into a situation here. And by the looks of it, Mike seems more than willing to spend time with you.”
