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“That sounds awesome!” Lucky agrees. “See if you can line him up for that evening. We go over the budget and a few other details before Lucky declares us done.
“And that’s it!” She lifts her glass. “Here’s to a classy, only slightly risque bachelorette party that is perfect for Bailey!” We clink glasses. “Let me give her a call and see if she can join us now.”
“And you’re sure I can’t order a penis cake?” I ask as she picks up her phone.
A voice behind me drips with amusement. “A penis cake?”
Crap. I take an extra big swig of my drink before looking up. Scarlett is looking down at us, her perfect mouth curled in a mix of amusement and disdain.
Of course she’d walk past just as I was talking about penis cakes.
“I’d think a girl your size would want to be careful about what she puts in her mouth.” Scarlett pulls a faux-innocent face. “But maybe the real thing just isn’t on the menu.”
“It was a joke.” I hate how defensive I sound. Why do I feel like I owe her an explanation anyway? “And this is a private conversation.”
“Of course. Sorry, it just caught my ear as I was walking past. You’re pretty loud, you know.”
Picking up on the very obvious tensions, Lucky gives a quick glance between us before gracing Scarlett with a cool smile. “I don’t think we’ve met?”
Scarlett immediately holds out a slender hand. “Scarlett Rice-Johnson. I went to high school with Blaze—and oh my gosh, Joyce!” She sounds genuinely surprised. “Didn’t even see you there. How are you?”
Joyce doesn’t even bother trying to be polite. She just crosses her arms over her chest and fixes Scarlett with a death glare.
“How’s your brother?” Scarlett asks. Her voice has lost it’s fake friendliness and she almost sounds like she really wants to know.
“Much better off without you,” Joyce replies, in a voice that makes me think of Arctic winds and flaming infernos all at the same time.
Even Scarlett, the most self-centered woman on the planet, falters a little. “Well, please give him my best,” she murmurs before shifting into bitch-mode again and plastering a big fake smile on her face. “Blaze, I guess I’ll see you at the next town council meeting.”
She gives us all a little finger wave and strides out of the bar on her long, perfect legs.
Lucky looks around the table. “What the hell was that?”
“That’s Scarlett. She’s the one trying to buy the building I want for the library and Jeremy wants for the fire station.”
“I got that,” Lucky replies. “I guess I just didn’t realize how personal this whole thing is.”
“She was a bully in high school,” I tell her.
“She also broke my brother’s heart and stomped all over it,” Joyce adds.
“Wow.” Lucky absorbs this. “So much to unpack here.” She points a manicured finger at me. “But don’t think I missed the part where the chief is suddenly Jeremy.”
I freeze as if I’ve been caught in the act of doing something naughty, then take a slow sip of my drink while I think of something to say. It wasn’t that I was trying to keep it a secret, exactly, but Jeremy doesn’t feel like just another conquest to giggle about with the girls.
Joyce bursts out laughing, her fury at Scarlett forgotten. “Blaze! Your face looks like a tomato with a sunburn! Did something happen with you and the Chief?”
I take a deep breath and lift my head up. “We kind of hooked up.”
“I knew it!” Lucky sounds triumphant. “Total chemistry between you guys!”
Joyce claps her hands in delight. “Are you two a thing now?” she asks. “Or is this one of your love ‘em and leave ‘em specials?”
“I honestly don’t know,” I admit. “We had a great—and I mean great—weekend, but he’s coming off a bad breakup and I’m not really looking for anything serious. We’re just going to see how it goes.”
Joyce gives me a searching look. “You’re never looking for anything serious.”
No matter how often I tell her that I’m happy as a serial dater, I don’t think she one hundred percent believes me.
