“Yeah, Monkey?” My eyes linger on Liv for a moment longer before I turn back toward Mo’s.
“Can we get ice cream?”
I sigh. “Alright. Flowers first, then ice cream.”
Twenty
TALK SPICE RATING TO ME
Liv
With a little buzz and mildly full bellies, Viv and I head off to some stores we didn’t visit yesterday.
We stop in front of a shop called “Beach Babes” with bright bikinis, one-piece suits, large floppy beach hats, and cover-ups displayed in the windows. Surrounding the hot-pink door are leafy green plants that resemble palm fronds. The vibe is tropical—nothing like the little town it lives in—and yet, it just works somehow.
The bell chimes as we step inside. From somewhere in the store, we hear “Hello!” but can’t see the source. Calypso drums play over the speakers in the ceiling, and the fresh scent of the ocean fills the air. We wander through the racks, passing the checkout counter with a woman behind it who looks to be about Viv’s mother’s age. With her nose in a book, a long brown braid drapes over one shoulder, and she’s in a fabulous linen outfit that looks both comfortable and professional.
We scour the racks for a few minutes. I find a bathing suit and cover-up. Viv lands on an oversized hat and a new bathing suit too. We peruse a bit more before wandering over to the counterwhere a candle named “Ocean Breeze” flickers and dances against the shifting air from the ceiling fan.
“Hi there—” I begin, but I’m cut off by a pointer finger held in the air, forcing me to wait. Viv cuts her eyes to me and smirks. The moments pass in uncomfortable silence, and the woman—Fran, her nametag says—lays a hand flat against her chest, sighing as she dog-ears the book page.
“Sorry about that. Who needs real-life men when we can have hot shadow daddy book boyfriends, am I right?”
“Does he have wings?” Viv asks.
“Oh yeah. Big ones.” Fran flicks her eyebrows up.
“And when she touches them, is it orgasmic?” I ask, leaning in slightly.
“If he doesn’t shudder and growl, telling her if she doesn’t stop he’ll do all sorts of dirty things to her, then is it even worth having the wings?” Fran asks.
“Nope.”
“Oh! And when he uses the wings to protect her?” Viv says. “I love that.”
“I read one where the guy gets his wings shredded in an effort to shield her from harm,” I say.
Fran considers this and sighs heavily. “I do love that level of devotion.”
She grabs our items and begins scanning mine first. “Staying at the Huffman House?” she asks.
“Yup,” I say. I don’t care how often I’m forced into it, I’ll never be comfortable with small talk.
“Sounds about right. I can’t imagine you traveled from a neighboring town to visit our little humble abode. I love that family. Good boys, Luke and Josh. Don’t see his sister Zoe much anymore since she married Roger.” Fran rolls her eyes. I get the sense that Roger isn’t her favorite person. “Holly comes out and about sometimes, though. Good kids, all of ’em.”
I pay, nodding my agreement, and step aside so Viv can make her purchases.
“Lived here long?” Viv asks as Fran scans her hat.
“I bet this hat looks fabulous on you.” She glances up at Viv and then stuffs it into the bag. “Yup, been here just about my whole life. I left for a while once. Went on some kind of spiritual journey, you know? Turns out I didn’t need that as much as I needed just some time to disassociate with a good book. Sexy dragon shifters just do it for me.”
Fran catches me peering around the side of the counter to steal a peek at the title. It’s one I haven’t read before.
“Hey can I take a picture of the cover or jot the title down? I’ll add it to my list.”
“Oh, I’ll just give you the book when I’m done. I can probably get it to ya tomorrow.”
“Oh no, I can’t take your book. I’m happy to?—”
