Page 61 of Bottles & Blades
“No,” he says, “that was next on my list.”
“Well, that works out perfectly.” She sends a thousand watt smile his way. “We’ll take care of her.”
“I’m not sure?—”
Chrissy’s voice trails us as Rory all but hauls me off to the elevator. “If we’re not back, let my dad know where to find us when he comes looking, okay?”
“Okay, Chrissy,” I hear as the elevator doors open.
Rory drags me on and stops the metal panels from closing with her free hand while Chrissy walks over to join us.
As she reaches for the control board, preparing to hit one of the buttons to select the floor, the comment just slides out of me.
Too much time with Queen Rox and Brit and Stefan, listening to them banter.
“Why do I feel like you two are about to pack me off to the basement and do Dexter-like things to me?”
They both freeze.
Ifreeze, thinking I’ve obviously misread the room and joking about serial killers is not appreciated by this bunch.
Then Chrissy’s eyes—that are so much like Jean-Michel’s—come to mine.
She slowly leans forward, pushes the button for the third floor.
“No basement on this go around,” she says lightly.
“But never say never?” Rory teases.
Chrissy swats at her. “Stop,” she says. “This is the first time my father’s brought home a woman, and we don’t want to scare her off.”
“Just to say,” Rory points out. “This isn’t his home.”
Chrissy rolls her eyes. “Sometimes, it may as well be.” She looks at me. “Not that he wouldn’t make time for you?—”
Now it’s Rory’s turn to swat at Chrissy. “You’re blowing it. Don’t scare her off.”
“Shush,” Chrissy says before looking back at me. “My dad doesn’t bring a lot of women home. Heck, he doesn’t bringanywomen home.”
“That’s true,” Rory adds. “He just fairy godfathers them to safety and sends them off to live their happily ever afters.”
The doors ding open and they draw me forward, Chrissy teasing Rory, “You’re just saying that because he helped you get there.”
“And Mrs. My Boyfriend?—”
“Fiancé,” Chrissy corrects.
“Okay, Ms. MyFiancéis a Player on My Dad’s Team and Just So Happened to Move in Next Door”—Rory grins and looks over at me, winking—“and now you’re trying to pretend that he wasn’t equally involved in your happy ending.”
There my heart goes again.
Jean-Mi helped both of them find love.
Fierce and kind and…alone.
Yeah, I’m going to do something about that last part.
“He wasn’t directly involved,” Chrissy argues.
