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“River
Hills.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. All that money and no taste.”
“As long as some of that money is coming to me, it’s not my problem.” Candy adjusted the white feather wings hooked onto Abigail’s shoulders. “Ready to go downstairs? She’ll be here any second.”
“I’d rather hide.”
“I know. Wait, I need one more minute.” Candy peered in the mirror and fixed onto her head the tiara decorated with rhinestones and red glass hearts. “These are definitely the tackiest outfits I’ve ever had to make.”
“What about the Always-a-Bridesmaid party that woman gave? Those brown-and-green dresses with puffy sleeves and no waists?”
“A true fashion nightmare.” Candy gave her hair a final pat and pulled the bra down a little lower to make sure the red heart “tattoo” on her right breast was visible. “But at least those were supposed to be horrible.”
“Anything more from Justin?” Abigail started downstairs.
“Not that you’d dare not tell me if there was.”
“Nothing.” Candy was startled by the abrupt question and annoyed when her voice thickened. “Which is fine by me.”
“Uh-huh.” Abigail turned at the bottom of the steps and folded her arms across her pregnancy-bountiful chest.
“What?” Now Candy sounded upset and defensive. Why bother trying to pretend? Abigail wouldn’t miss a trick.
“Look, I admit he’s behaved sort of…erratically. But I still, I don’t know.” She frowned, looking absurdly lovely in the ghastly red-and-white costume. “I have a strong feeling this isn’t the end. That he’s going to show up again.”
“Oh, please.” Candy took the last few steps down and brushed past her friend, nearly knocking off her wings. “I don’t even want to think about it. I have another date tonight at Firefly Café with Sam, the guy I liked so much last time.
I’m looking forward now.”
“Oh, yeah! I remember Sam! In particular I remember how you could barely stay awake describing the date.” Abigail rolled her eyes. “My first dates with Ron, I was flying. I couldn’t wait to see him again. And not just because he spent more on me in a month than my family spent on me my entire life. There was this something when we were together, this spark.”
Candy knew exactly what she meant. Damn it. “Marie said hormones are a completely unreliable way to choose someone.”
“Marie is single.” Abigail put a hand to her abdomen, a tender, nurturing gesture Candy wouldn’t have expected from her friend only a few months earlier. “I’m just thinking you might have jumped to conclusions about Justin. That there’s something going on you need to talk out.”
Candy blinked. Had pregnancy softened Abigail’s brain?
Since when was Ms. Scream Until She Gets Her Way understanding and forgiving toward men? “He ignored me at his party all night. And said no to a blow job after.”
Abigail’s face stretched into incredulity. “Are you serious?
You didn’t tell me that part. You asked if he wanted one and he turned you down? ”
“No, but I was on my knees ready to go and he stopped me.”
Candy heard Mrs. Abernathy’s car pulling into her driveway and hurried to the front window. “She’s here. Come on. We’ll pose by the door and I’ll fling it open when she arrives for the big surprise.”
Abigail groaned. “This is so embarrassing.”
“You’ll never see her again.” Candy tipped her head seductively, pushed her chest out and positioned one foot in front of the other, making sure her bright red wings were on straight.
“Do something like this.”
“Oh, for— You look like a mythological hooker.”
“Perfect,” Candy said wryly. “Though Chuck would have a heart attack.”
Abigail blew a long and heartfelt raspberry. “That’s what I think about Chuck not wanting you to look sexy.”
“It wasn’t that.” Annoyance made Candy break her pose.
“Around him I didn’t need a Cupid costume to be sexy.”
