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But also a little unsure. What happens next? Well, besides food. Do we pick positions for tomorrow? Does Gavin join us again? Was this a one-night-only foursome? Was this even technically a quartet?
Four people got off, girl. It was a foursome.
With a strange new burst of nerves, I pad down the hall, turn into the kitchen.
“Dude, that is not how you make an omelet. Stop, just stop. You’re hurting my eyes,” Gavin says to Hollis.
They’re both at the stove. Gavin has changed into gym shorts and a T-shirt. Hollis is shirtless and sporting basketball shorts.
“This is fine,” Hollis insists, pushing the eggs in the pan with a red spatula.
“The pan is too hot. Your omelet is going to be overcooked. It’ll be browned and burned and overdone.”
“I like well-cooked omelets,” Hollis fires back.
From the other side of the kitchen, Rhys scoffs as he washes blueberries in the sink. “No one likes well-cooked omelets.”
“You’re siding with Worthy?” Hollis asks, faux aggrieved.
“Yes, Bouchard. Because you, sir, are just plain wrong.”
“Facts,” Gavin says, then pushes Hollis aside to take over the pan.
Amused at the scene, I lean against the wall then play my ace. “I like well-cooked omelets,” I announce.
Gavin hisses. Rhys shudders.
Hollis just grins, smug and cocky as he gestures proudly to me. “See? There you go. Our guest prefers my omelets.”
Gavin lifts the spatula my way like he’s going to make a point. “We’re going to do a taste test then, Briar. My perfectly cooked fluffy omelet and his overcooked one. They’ll be ready in five.”
“Fair enough,” I say, then head to the couch to wait for them to serve me.
Feels fitting.
I settle in, pick up my phone to open the novel for Trina’s book club as they chat about tomorrow, mentioning they don’t have to do the obstacle course in the afternoon, and I pipe in that I only have yoga in the morning. Then I yawn as I swipe on my e-reader and return to the chapter where I left off. It’s a good story, but as the heroine debates the merits of banging her boss, my eyes flutter closed.
I rustle awake to the sun shining brightly through the window and Donut licking my face.
As I stretch, I glance down. There’s a blanket covering me, and I’m not on the couch anymore. I’m on my bed.
I fling off the covers, scoop up my dog and walk around the cottage, but it’s silent and I’m all alone.
43
A COUPLE OF ADDENDUMS
Hollis
I race up the steps, tapping the wooden railing on the porch, breathing out hard and victoriously.
“How’s that for a streak?” Spinning around, I hold my arms out wide. “But really, I don’t even need to gloat. It’s too easy beating you guys every single time.”
“And yet you gloated anyway,” Rhys remarks as he flies across the yard, joining me seconds later.
Gavin’s next, finishing the Saturday morning run, which turned into a race, naturally. A race I won, since I always do with them.
“It’s okay,” Gavin says dryly. “Men who need to gloat…”
