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“I’ll deal with you later, baby. Lil, I’m busy. Why are you calling me?”
“Did you or did you not buy an entire city block in Western Springs?”
“Baby, did you tell Lily about that?” Jacks says, clearly not talking to me.
“No. I just told her to call you. It’s not my fault if she figured it out,” Selena says in the background.
Jacks grunts. Then I hear some rustling noises. And then Selena is giggling again. Those are sounds I never needed to hear. Sounds I’ll never be able to un-hear.
“You two are going to be the death of me, do you know that? Can you please remember that one of you is my wife and one of you is my best friend? Mine. I don’t need you two talking to each other all the time like you do. And why the hell did you tell her to call me right now, baby? You know I’m busy. Doing serious work.”
Selena giggles again. “I figured it was a good time because you’re in such a giving mood right now, Nugget. Ask him, Lily!”
Selena calls her movie star fiancé Nugget, of all things. I have no clue why, and she didn’t give me a genuine answer the one and only time I’ve ever asked. I assume it has something to do with balls. And I definitely don’t want to know anything about my best friend’s balls.
“First, you’re not even married, yet. Second, you two are so obsessed with each other, it’s gross. And third, please never pick up when you’re having sex ever, ever again. I really do not need that visual, or the sounds, or just any of it. And fourth, can I please—pretty please—rent the old thrift store from you, best friend forever?”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“You know how I always talked about opening a shop? Like a florist shop that also sells botanical body products. I always pictured doing it in that exact shop. It’s finally available. So… I want to go for it.”
I do. I’m ready to go for it. Finally.
“Oh my god, it’s going to be so great! Just like in Practical Magic! That’s the dream.”
“The shop. And the being able to curse men.”
“Only the ones that deserve it,” Selena agrees, and then gives a damn good witch’s cackle.
“You couldn’t have just told her yes, baby? While you were apparently texting her when I was going down on you? You had to have my best friend call when we’re having sex to ask me something both of you know I’d say yes to in a heartbeat?” Jacks does not sound happy.
Not my problem. Selena can take care of that. Please, please, only once I’m off the phone.
“Yup! I’m so excited! Lily and I are going to be shop neighbors! And Nugget, how could I be sure that you didn’t have plans for the place? I keep telling you that a Raven’s Ravine merch shop is a brilliant idea. It’s almost like you don’t listen to me!”
Raven’s Ravine is the insane supernatural teen show that made Jacks a household name. I mean, I watched it obviously. Every single episode. And there were so many seasons. My best friend was one of the stars. I’ve seen everything he’s ever been in. But Raven’s Ravine was crazy. It’s a cult classic now with conventions and everything. Selena’s a superfan, even if she didn’t like Jacks’ character as much as his vampire brother on the show.
“Baby, I listen to every single word out of that pretty mouth. I just have enough sense not to act on all of them.”
“Again, you two are adorably gross. One last question. Why the hell did you buy an entire city block?”
“So, no one could compete with Selena’s bakery,” Jacks tells me, not hesitating for even a second.
“Right, because that makes total sense. I don’t see a flood of new bakeries opening in Western Springs anytime soon. Okay, I’m going now. Thank you best friends! I love you both. But please never, ever pick up when you’re having sex ever again. I don’t care if it’s an emergency. I’ll wait. Do not pick up! And I’m not telling you to have fun because I know you already are! Come back home already! I miss you! Later, besties!”
Selena is screaming bye, bestie into the phone when I hear what sounds like a growl and the call ends.
I’m going to need several showers after that conversation. Jackson Waters might be three-time America’s Sexiest Man Alive, but he’s just Jacks to me. Our moms were best friends and had us within a few months of each other. My parents named me Lily Juniper Wilson after Jacks’ mom, June. They bathed us together when we were babies. There is photographic evidence of it. A lot of evidence. The thought of him having sex is just a big no thank you, not interested.
I thought I was never really attracted to anyone except Gunnar, actually. Not really. Not until Jameson stormed his way into my bed the other night. There have been other guys. A healthy amount. A normal amount. But nothing was ever really serious. Nothing ever got past casual dating to an actual relationship that looked like it could last. And nothing was as hot as the night I spent with Jameson.
And now I don’t know what to think. After that mortifying breakfast at the diner yesterday, I haven’t seen him. So, despite what he said about finding a way to pay me back for stealing my apple and next times, I guess that’s not happening. Which is a good thing, I swear. Even if it doesn’t much feel like it right now. And even if that feels really freaking weird. Because of course, Jameson and I can’t have sex again. And we certainly can’t do more than have sex.
Why the hell am I even thinking about Jameson? He’s the last thing I need to worry about. Because I just rented myself a shop.
Oh, my god.
I just rented myself a shop.
