AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Making new friends in her adopted home town was far more important than dishing about assholes. As far as Daisy was concerned, they were all pretty much assholes, and therefore it was pointless to complain about it.
Sarah pulled up in her SUV, which was big enough for everyone. Daisy waved and locked the door behind her. She slid into the backseat with Tildy, who beamed at her. “Did you bring them?” she asked, though it was obvious that Daisy had a small sketchbook in her hand.
“I did a few,” she told Tildy and handed it over.
Tildy squealed with excitement and began looking them over.
Abby looked wistful and patted Sarah’s arm. “Our little girl’s all grown up and getting her first tattoo!”
Sarah laughed and caught Daisy’s gaze in the rearview mirror as she backed out of the parking space. “Ugh,” she said. “This place is such a shithole.”
Daisy laughed and agreed.
“You really leave your stuff there?” she asked. “I was always afraid someone would steal it.”
Daisy shrugged. “I don’t have anything worth stealing,” she replied. “Just some old underwear and colored pencils.”
Abby laughed. “We can take care of the underwear today. There’s a great shop downtown.”
Sarah put the SUV in drive but paused with her foot on the brake. She reached across Abby and extended her middle finger. Tildy gasped. Daisy followed Sarah’s glare to the old woman who ran the motel. She was standing in the doorway, cig hanging from her lips, and looked like she wanted to return the bird but couldn’t muster the energy.
Sarah didn’t wait for a response and instead turned out of the lot and onto the road. “I never liked her,” she declared, stomping on the gas. “She accused me of hooking. Right in front of Chris! Called him a john and said I owed her twenty bucks for taking him to my room.”
“She did the same to me,” Daisy confided. “Except it was ten.”
Tildy patted her leg. “I’d pay twenty for you.”
Sarah and Abby burst into laughter. Tildy turned red and scooted down into her seat. “That’s not what I meant.”
“So, we’ll do lunch,” Sarah announced, “and then we’ll do some shopping downtown.”
Daisy was a little concerned that she didn’t have a lot of money to waste in a fancy restaurant, but Sarah surprised her by parking the SUV in a side lot and walking them to a Mexican place with tables on the sidewalk. Daisy breathed a silent sigh of relief when she quickly flipped the menu open and peeked inside. The prices were reasonable.
“This place is amazing!” Sarah told her. “They give you enough to feed a horse! And the drinks are insane.”
Sarah ordered a margarita, apparently her first in quite a while. Abby got a martini. Tildy studied the drink menu until Abby ripped it from her hands and ordered her a sangria. Tildy didn’t drink much, apparently, but when the waitress set the glass down, she gulped furiously.
“Slow down there, luscious,” Daisy warned.
Tildy giggled and put the glass down. “I’m nervous.” She looked at Daisy with wide brown eyes that reminded her of a puppy’s. “Does it hurt a lot?”
Daisy wrinkled her nose, deciding what to say. “Well, it hurts some. But the spot you’re getting it isn’t bad. Don’t drink too much though, if Adam’s any kind of a decent artist, he won’t do it if you’re wasted.”
“Drink a little bit more, though,” Abby said, nudging the glass toward her. “Adam’s going to be looking at your ass the whole time.”
Tildy squeaked.
“No, he won’t,” Daisy assured her. “He’ll have a towel. You’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Sarah asked.
Tildy took another sip and nodded. “Yep. I am resolved.”
“The appointment’s not for a few hours,” Daisy reminded her. “You’ve got time to change your mind.”
Tildy frowned and looked at the half empty sangria glass. “Can I get one of these to go?” she wondered out loud.
“The lingerie store isn’t far from here,” said Abby. “And Adam’s shop is the opposite direction. We can walk to both places.”
“I spend way too much money there,” Sarah mused. “The lingerie shop, not the tattoo parlor. Abby loves it, too.” She wrinkled her nose. “Though I don’t know what she buys there. Nothing is made of leather.”
Tildy giggled and Daisy raised her eyebrows. Abby waved her hand at Sarah.
“Leather?” Daisy repeated.
Abby rolled her eyes. “I do not wear leather underwear!”
“Just a leather collar,” Tildy whispered looking around to make sure no one heard.
Abby’s cheeks turned as red as her hair. “That’s it! You’re cut off,” she said, grabbing Tildy’s sangria.
“A collar?” Daisy asked, surprised.
Abby bit her lower lip and then dove for her martini glass. “Only in the bedroom,” she mumbled.
“Not true!” Tildy said grinning and pointing to Abby’s gold necklace. “That’s the daytime one.”
Daisy leaned forward and inspected it. It looked normal. Well, it looked like it was worth more than her mama’s trailer but normal. “So, you’re on the bottom?”
