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“No, no. I should talk about it. He just,” another sigh and another long sip, “We’re not...things aren’t,” she pauses to consider before landing on, “We’re good.” We stay quiet, waiting for her to continue. “He takes care of me. I live in his house. Hetakes me on vacations, and we have all the same friends back home. It’s uncomplicated.”
“Is that all you want, uncomplicated?” Devon asks.
“Not really.” Sadie drags out the word, holding her hands in the air like opposing scales. “I’d like it if he were more interested in the things I am. And he’s honestly not a great listener. And the sex is blah. But otherwise, I have it pretty good.”
Devon’s wearing dark-lensed tortoise-shell designer sunglasses, but I know her eyes narrow into a judgmental glare by the disdain that radiates from her slender frame. It can probably be felt by Jared all the way up in Portland. “Not a great listener? Blah sex? That’s not pretty good. That’s an idiot who doesn’t understand the gift he’s been given by being with you,” she says, slicing harshly through Sadie’s statement.
“Jesus, Dev,” I hiss at her.
“No, it’s fine. She has a point,” Sadie says, resigned. “We’ve been together for so long, and he loves me. Hedoes. He’s a part of me, and I can’t picture my life without him.”
Her heart-breaking confession hangs heavily in the air around us. Sadie fidgets with the edge of her black and white striped towel, clearly uncomfortable.
“Okay, I’m going to say one thing, and then we can move the fuck on,” I say.
“Yes, let’s please move on,” Sadie breathes out, relieved.
“Sade, you are a magical, thoughtful, kind, beautiful person. You deserve everything in the world, and you don’t have to stay with anyone who doesn’t believe the same.” I watch her for a reaction, and she only tugs her lips into a weak smile. “Okay,” I clap my hands, closing the subject for now. “If there was ever a time for tequila shots, it’s now.” I jump up, adjust my cheeky pink gingham bikini around my tits and ass, making sure I’ve at least got the goods covered, and rush over to the bar.
When I return, Devon is filling Sadie in on the latest updates forFriday West Interiors. “I signed a lease for an office. We start moving things over the middle of next month.”
We went to check out the building last week. It’s in a sweet little office park with a courtyard in the middle, close to a few design showrooms. It’s perfect, and it pains me to admit, but it’s better than Station 19 would have been for her. No matter how much my world was rocked by losing the building, at least it was the catalyst for Devon finding her right thing.
“I haven’t told you this part yet, Al. Bea’s going to be my assistant,” Devon says with a rare, excited smile broadening her lips. “We finalized everything after her class yesterday.”
“What? I am obsessed with that!” My voice comes out loud and boisterous, even more so than usual, the alcohol starting to take effect. “I had no idea she did interior design.”
“She’d never mentioned it to me before either, but her portfolio is impressive. She’s precisely what I’ve been looking for.”
“Dev, she is so fucking cool.” A selfish thought finds its way to my lips. “Wait, is she going to quit teaching barre now?”
Devon tilts her head, giving me a censuring look from behind her sunglasses. “No, she loves that. No need to give it up.”
“Ooh, you know what I want to hear about?” Sadie interjects, a little buzzed herself. “I need more details about sexy ladder guy.”
“Is she talking about Luke?” Devon asks.
I glare at them both and make a show of tightening my lips to indicate that I’m keeping all words on this subject to myself.
Sadie’s straw sputters loudly as she sucks up the last of her tiki drink.
“You know what? I’m getting more drinks,” I say, pushing up from my lounger, and settling my pink bottoms back into place on my hips once more.
“I’ll catch Sadie up,” Devon says as I walk away.
And she does. When I return, she’s deep in the details of me having his truck towed on that first day. Then she continues to spell out every interaction with Luke I’ve told her about.It takes quite a while.Evidently, this man has been taking up more space in my life than I realized. Hearing Devon’s perspective on the whole situation adds to the twisting feeling that I’ve been unnecessarily mean to Luke.Dammit.
“There. Dev’s got you all caught up.” I wave a hand when she finishes explaining why we had to move my patio furniture.
Sadie shifts on her lounger to pull one leg up against her chest, turning toward me with an expectant look in her caramel-colored eyes. “No, I want to hear whatyouhave to say. Let me live vicariously through your work crush,” she pleads.
My jaw drops open. “He is not my work crush. How did you get work crush from,” I tick off each offense on my fingertips, “he stole my entire building, stole my patio, stole my damndreams, and is the loudest work neighbor ever?”
Sadie smirks at me under the brim of her hat. “Sounds like you’d better set me straight.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Fine. But I will require at least one more tequila shot and another one of these sunshine magic tiki drinks immediately.”
“On it!” she squeals and runs over to the bar.
