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“Is it super awkward working with Derek?”
“Yes.” She groaned. “And no. I don’t know.”
“Last time I saw you two together you fought like cats and dogs. Why on earth are you working with him?”
“Well, the opportunity came up. And it’s something I’m good at.
Audrey held up a Givenchy top. “Are you really selling this? It’s gorgeous.”
Kylie made a grab out for the shirt. “Maybe I should have a keep pile? I mean, I do still need clothes, right?”
“Sure.”
After half an hour her keep pile was bigger than the sell pile.
“Uh…Ky?” Audrey surveyed the mountain of clothes on the floor. “What happened to these clothes making you feel bad and you wanting to sell them to help Derek?”
Kylie flopped back onto her bed. “The town. Not Derek. I know, I know. It sort of feels like cutting away a piece of myself. These clothes remind me of all the good times. And they’re so pretty. I mean these jeans, right?” She tugged a pair of skinny jeans she knew her butt looked amazing in out of the pile.
Audrey leaned over and put her hands on the jeans. “You wanted to move on. You wanted to do a generous thing, remember?”
She gave the jeans a gentle tug, but Kylie didn’t relent. She finally gave up when Audrey tugged hard enough Kylie tumbled off the bed.
“Okay okay!” She crossed her arms over her chest, the sensation of losing control of her life washing over her.
Audrey sighed and took in the pile on Kylie’s floor. It took up all the space between her closet and the bed and was up to their knees. “Well, we’re going to need more help,” she said. “I’m calling Steph.”
When Steph came over, they tackled the pile of clothes, shoes, handbags, and accessories until Kylie’s parents got home from playing cribbage. Kylie’s mom jumped into the fray to help while her dad ran to the grocery store for snacks. Two hours later, they finished. Everything was sorted into item-specific garbage bags and labeled with price stickers (which Audrey had run out to borrow from the pet store.)
Kylie estimated that she’d get between three and four thousand dollars if everything sold for sticker price. “Thanks.” She hugged them all. “Okay, let’s go downstairs. We’ve earned some serious snack food.”
She collapsed onto the sofa, and Audrey dove right on top of her. The coffee table was laden with bowls of chips, chocolates, and candy, and they settled in to watchMean Girlsfor the rest of the night.
“This movie is so fetch!” Steph laughed, sinking into the sofa and snatching the bag of Twizzlers.
Audrey reached over Kylie and picked a Twizzler out of the bag. “Stop trying to make fetch a thing.”
As Captain curled up in Kylie’s lap, begging for chips, her heart swelled at being surrounded by people who had put aside their night to help her. Her friends. Real friends.
~ * ~
Derek and Adam were sitting in Derek’s living room. He’d put Charlie to bed after letting him stay up a little bit late to watch an extra cartoon. Adam turned on the video game console while Derek got a bowl of chips and a couple of cans of pop.
“Basketball, hockey, or wizards with swords?” Adam asked, looking through the game selection.
“Hockey.” Derek sat and took a controller from Adam.
“I heard about town council last night.” He popped the game in.
“Oh yeah?”
“I heard Kylie sweet-talked Bette McDonald.” He flopped down on the couch beside Derek.
“She was pretty amazing.”
“Shewas?”
“It. It was amazing. Bette even told her later what a good job she was doing.” Derek sighed.
