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“Walla Walla is my dream guy. I had so many fantasies about how I’d ride into his life, looking exceptional. He’d be floored by my sexiness. I’d get him to love me like he never loved any other woman. We’d be happy together and have gorgeous kids. It was all very simple in my mind.”
“Of course.”
“But that was a long time ago when I was younger and thinner. Do you remember how pretty I was at eighteen?”
“I was often jealous, yes.”
Smiling, I fix her damp hair. “I looked like a mess when Walla Walla showed up today.”
“You also looked like a drowned cat after we survived the fire.”
Pursing my lips, I nod at her brutal honesty. “I’m afraid of what happens next. He was so sweet at the clinic before everything went to hell. I want him to pay attention to me, but he’ll be gone soon.”
“You can ask him to stay.”
“Why would he?”
“Or you can go with him?”
Stepping back, I wrap my arms around my body and comfort the scared girl I once was. “I can’t go back. I don’t want to see Urick.”
“You don’t need to see your father. I thought these bikers lived in a separate town.”
“They do. But they’re neighboring towns.”
“So what? I haven’t been on the west side of Banta City in four years, and I’m always out and about. It’s possible to avoid places.”
I consider how Coco used to work shows on the west side of town. She loved dancing and still mourns her lost career. She hasn’t really found anything to fill the void left behind. Working for me is her “standby” job. Her love life also dried up after she stopped dancing.
“Were you flirting with Goose?” I ask, despite the voices outside my door.
Coco gasps dramatically. She’s a terrible liar. If we ever commit a crime together, she’ll rat us out immediately. I could tell her a million times to keep her mouth shut, and she’d just keep talking. My friend is the most dangerous kind of liar. She actually thinks she’s quite skilled, so the words flow easily, tangling her up until she’s given away everything.
“Goose isn’t my type. I was just doing you a favor by distracting the flighty bitch. Did you hear what she told me? Well, it was scandalous. I’ve never met someone with such a ridiculous way about themselves.”
“I think she’s hot,” I say to help Coco find her way to the truth.
“She is, right?” Coco says and then goes back to lying. “But her personality is dull. I can’t imagine she’s interesting to spend time with.”
“I know you dislike Goose,” I say, playing along. “But it would be helpful if you kept her busy so I could talk to Walla Walla.”
“As best friends, I’m always willing to suffer for you.”
“Like you did today,” I say, thinking about the fear in her eyes when everything went to hell.
“It’s going to make a great story,” Coco says, guiding me to the bathroom vanity, where she has me sit down in front of the mirror. “As much as I love working with you, I don’t get many great stories out of the job. Back when I danced, there were always wild things happening.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve heard all your great stories.”
“Oh, yeah. And you were there for this story, so I can’t even embellish my behavior to make me the hero.”
“You know who hasn’t heard all your stories?” I ask as she brushes my damp hair until I look more presentable. “I bet Goose would like to hear about the time your shoe flew off and knocked a guy’s toupee askew during a show.”
Coco smiles at her reflection and nods. “That’s a great story.”
“Especially how you tell it. I like when you do voices and act out the reactions of people. I bet Goose will find it funny.”
“Do you think she’s the uppity type?”
