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She laughs. “Oh, Dee, you’d get it if you got it. I just need some D. That’s the truth of things. I need it and I can’t wait, and I won’t cheat, so—” She shrugs as if sayingthis is what makes the most sense.
And that’s the weird thing.
It does. In a Lexi sort of way.
“How about we go out tomorrow?” she asks. “Well, I already invited River out. Fern and North are coming in. We’ll go dancing. Meet some guys. I mean, with four women, how could we not? I’ll even play your wing woman.”
“Guys are never interested in me when you’re around.” No. She’s distracting me. I won’t be distracted. I will keep her and River apart, and I guess I have to go to do that.
“Please,” she says. “Tons of guys are hot for you. They love mean brunettes.”
“Hey.”
“Smart brunettes.”
I guess I’ll take it. “Okay. Tomorrow.” After I figure out all of this. Or some of it. I’m starting to lose track of her logic.
She crosses the space to hug me good night. “Sweet dreams, Dee. Dreams of D more like it. Or maybe that’s me.” She squeezes me one more time and releases me.
Once she leaves, I check my cell for texts from River. Nothing about the night, my sister, whether or not he’s still in love with her.
But then why would he talk to me?
We’re barely friends.
And we’re at odds.
He wants her. I want him away from her.
Until he sees the light and realizes it’s never going to happen, we’re playing this game.
And he’s going to lose.
Even if it kills me.
…
I wake with a mild headache and a moderate sense of concern. There are too many potential problems. I need to keep Lexi away from River and figure out a million technical issues with the app.
Plus, the actual dinner with investors.
A large glass of water and a six-mile run help. The shower and the enormous mug of English Breakfast seal the deal.
It’s Saturday, the perfect day to disappear into the one place that makes sense: work.
I can only spare a few hours—Lexi and River are keeping me on my toes—but I need them. There’s nothing better than a long, uninterrupted day of work. And the weekend is the best time for it.
There’s no one at the office to interrupt.
Only me and the code and the endless supply of tea.
I slip into my pre-begging for money coding attire of combat boots and a stretchy black dress; pack my laptop bag with my computer, Kindle, water bottle, lipstick, sandwich lunch, and noise-canceling headphones; and head out.
The record playing in my head (Cheap Trick, “Surrender”) scratches the second I step into the backyard.
Lexi is sitting on the patio table in shorts and a crop top, sipping coffee and talking to River.
Okay, it’s not just River. It’s Fern and North, too. And they’re doing most of the talking.
