AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I have enough crazy in my life. No need for more.” I couldn’t help grinning at her, and she couldn’t hide the light in her eyes. Not from me.
Allie groaned. “You two are entirely too much, and I love it. I don’t think Yael was ever this openly affectionate back in college. You must have done something to her, Murray.”
I looped my arm around Yael’s shoulders, pulling her close. “We were childhood friends. When you know someone forever, it’s easy to be comfortable with each other. At least, that’s the case for me and my Boo.”
That was how it should have been for Yael and that shit-stain, Harris. Almost two years together and they were never openly affectionate? That didn’t sound right. Yael was reserved, but come on. She’d been set to marry the guy. If a few whispered words and light touches were more than Allie ever saw between the two of them, something had clearly been lacking between those two.
Part of me wanted to gloat. All right, internally, Iwasgloating. But I wouldn’t look like much of a confident, I-got-the-girl boyfriend if I made a big deal of it in front of these women.
A few women in spa uniforms came into the room, escorting each of us away for our treatments. Before I left the room, I caught Yael’s arm.
“You good?” I asked.
Her mouth was stiff, but she nodded. “It’s all good. I’m ready to get all buffed and polished. See you on the flipside.”
The first woman I went to see—I’d call her Helga—removed at least three layers of skin from my entire body. The next woman, whose name reallywasHelga, massaged muscles I hadn’t known I possessed. She dug her shockingly strong fingers so far into my body, I got scared she’d start massaging my damn spleen. After that, I met Eileen, who did my facial, and goddamnwas I a disgusting human being, based on the mountains of dead skin and I-don’t-want-to-know she removed from my pores.
Somehow, through all the poking and prodding, I relaxed. The soft music mixed with the sounds of a trickling stream and the light scent of orange hanging in each room probably had something to do with it. I suspected Helga had pushed on some magic button deep within the tissues of my body that released some kind of hormone that carried all my troubles away.
By the time I found Yael again, I was stupidly relaxed. She could’ve asked me for a million dollars right then and there, and I would have given it to her.
Yael and Allie were side by side in pedicure chairs, Arden on Allie’s other side. The rest of the group was getting their manis. When I walked into the room, Arden not-so-casually parted her robe to expose a whole hell of a lot of leg. I swore I saw the shadow of her pubic hair.
Stifling a laugh, I took the empty chair beside Yael. She held a glass of champagne, soaking her feet in a whirring tub. Her hair was pulled away from her face, held back by a terrycloth headband, and her skin was shiny and pristine. Pretty as always, maybe more so without her usual tension and faint scowl pointing in my direction. Seemed I wasn’t the only one who’d gotten nice and relaxed.
Allie leaned forward to speak to me. “Have your muscles turned to jelly?”
I picked up my own glass of champagne, raising it up. “I’m not sure if I even have bones anymore.”
“Did you have Helga?” Yael asked
“I sure did. We might be married now. Sorry, boo.”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “Helga massaged my butt for a good ten minutes. In many countries, we’d be considered married.”
“Damn, a ten-minute butt massage? I feel ripped off.” I clinked my glass against Yael’s. “Cheers for making me come to this. I pity the boys for spending their day on a fishing boat.”
“It’s been scientifically proven most boys are dumb.” Yael handed me two bottles of nail polish. “Which should I choose?”
One bottle held dark gray paint, the other flaming red. “I like the gray. Your soul is pretty much Wednesday Addams, so why not channel her on the outside too?”
She snatched the bottle from me, considered it for a beat, then handed the gray to the woman setting up to do her pedicure. “Comparing me to Wednesday Addams is the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
I nodded to the woman who’d sat at my feet, then turned back to Yael and spoke under my breath. “I could say a lot of nice things to you if you’d let me. Like your girl Arden basically flashed her pussy at me when I sat down and I didn’t even look.”
She snickered at the same time she sipped her champagne, causing her to sputter and cough. I patted her back, laughing as she cried and attempted to catch her breath. Finally, she swatted me away and put her champagne down.
Arden peered around Allie. “Are you okay? Do you need to go back to your room? Allie and I can take care of Murray.”
That sobered Yael immediately. Her fingernails curled into the cushioned armrest. I’d seen her drag a girl by her hair for insulting Michaela. She’d taken on three-hundred-pound bouncers when they got rough with girls she’d never met and protected female fans from handsy dudes in the audience of our shows. I was interested to see how she’d deal with this chick. For scientific reasons—not my own morbid curiosity.
“Hey, Arden?” Yael’s voice dripped with sugar, which was disconcerting as hell. “Alex is very well taken care of. But it’s sweet of you to offer.”
Huh. My honor was a little insulted at that poor showing.
Arden winked, and it was most definitely directed at me. “Of course. That’s what old friends are for.”
Yael brought her fingers to her mouth. “Oh, were we friends? I didn’t realize friends jumped on other friend’s ex’s jocks the second they were available.” She snapped her fingers. “Oooh, wait, you must have been taking care of Harris. It was purely altruistic.”
