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>>Emergency meeting tonight.
Gilly responds right away.
>>Oh my god. How exciting. Are you already pregnant?
>>Very funny. Can you come up to the shop? It’s really, really important.
>>We’ll be there.
God, I love those girls. I put my phone back in my pocket and force myself back to work to take my mind off things, and begintalking to a customer looking for a lighthearted romance that takes place at a beach. I lead her to our ‘summer reads’ section, even though it’s not summer, and she immediately piles four books in her basket.
Another satisfied Twisted Hearts customer. It’s what I live for.
Well, one of the things I live for.
40
PETAL
I shoo thelast customer out of the store, explaining we closed a half hour ago, lock the front door, and shut down the lights.
Lucy and Gilly are already here, sitting in our little reading nook way in the back, flipping through books from our sales table.
“This one looks really good. I think I’m going to buy it,” Gilly says.
I take it from her and put it in my ‘to buy’ pile so I can get her a discount. “That’s awesome, Gill. But look. I am having a crisis. That’s why you guys are here.”
They set aside their books and look at me, nodding dutifully with wide eyes. I’m not usually so snippy, so they’re well-aware by now this is serious shit.
“Guys, you know how my marriage to Rake has been in the news?”
They look at each other. “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask you about that. But you’ve been so… busy,” Lucy says. “I figured you were just having a good time with your new hubs. You know, lotsof honeymoon sex or whatever they call it. You guys just boning day and night?”
Gilly moves to the edge of her seat. “Yeah, are you? Does he have a big?—”
Lucy cuts her off. “Or… is what they’re saying in the news true? That it’s all fake?”
“First of all,” I say, “we’re not here to talk about my sex life with Rake, although, to feed your curiosity a tiny bit, I can tell you it’s pretty fucking awesome.”
At least, itwas.
Gilly’s eyes glow and Lucy licks her lips as they nudge each other. These girls love nothing more than some good scoop about a zesty session.
“But look, first, I want to apologize,” I say. “I let you think my marriage was real. We did get married in Vegas on a dare, when we were on that date I won at my mom’s fundraiser. It was all a joke and Rake was going to take care of undoing it when we got home?—”
Lucy frowns. “What do you meanundo? You don’t justundoa marriage.”
Oh for chrissakes.
“Can I tell my fucking story?” I snap, drumming my fingers on the arm of my chair.
Indignation washes over Lucy’s face. “Day-um. We venture out of the city, come all the way up here, and you’re being bitchy? I blew off babysitting my sister’s kids for you.”
Gilly looks at her. “You hate babysitting your sister’s kids.”
I hold my hands up. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be snippy. Well, I guess I do. I just have to get this story out, so you can help me figure out what to do. Anyway, you’re right about ‘undoing’ a marriage. That’s not really a thing. If you want to get technical, it would be divorce or annulment.”
My voice shakes when I say those words out loud. I take a deep breath to get my shit under control.
