“Crap on rye,” I grit out. “I’min! I’m soinit makes me want to die.”
“So, you’ll listen to me? Let me be your seduction guru? Your sex coach? Your erotic instructor?” She grins. “You’ll follow my flawless plan to trap, tag, and tap the elusive Nathaniel Knox?”
“He’s not an animal, you sociopath.” I stare at her. “Maybe you and Brett Croft would be perfect for each other, after all.”
“Oh, shut up.” Her voice is laced with excitement — she’s practicallygiddy— and I wonder, not for the first time, if Lila likes living on the edge a bittoomuch. “Step One in our plan of attack — you have to do it again.”
“Date a sociopath?”
“No, idiot. You have to make Knox jealous.” Her eyes gleam. “And, thankfully, driving men crazy is one of my specialties. When I’m done with you, he’ll be eating out of the palm of your hand.”
I nearly choke on my sip of tequila. “You do realize this isNatewe’re talking about?”
“Honey.” Her grin widens. “The wildest stallions are the most fun to break.”
“Sociopath,” I mutter, taking another gulp of my drink.
Lila claps again. “Ohh, this is going to be so much fun!”
Fun is one word for it.
Personally, I thinkterrifying,mortifying, andnauseatingfit the scenario better.
Chapter Six
I only cut carbs when I’m
using a pizza cutter.
Phoebe West, considering the Atkins diet.
“Hello?”
“I told Chase this was going to happen. Told him! But did he listen? Noooo.” A familiar female voice bursts over the line, far too peppy for this time of morning. “Open your own gallery,he said.It will be fun,he said.” She snorts. “Well,it’ll be a freaking disasteris whatIsaid, but does he listen? Nope. Why listen to Gemma? She’s only ever right… Oh, yeah! That would beall the time.”
“Gemma?” I ask, rubbing bleary eyes and feeling like my head might explode.
“No, it’s Danny DeVito.” I can practically hear her rolling her eyes. “Yes, it’s Gemma. Keep up, will you?”
I sit up in bed, phone pressed to my ear, and glance at Boo with my eyebrows raised.
Don’t look at me.You know I like my beauty rest,he conveys, flashing a row of pointy white teeth as his mouth widens in an adorable doggie yawn. His head cocks to the side as he pins me with a pleading look.Though, now that we’re awake… time for walkies?
I shake my head at the dog and try to focus.
“Gemma, did we have plans?” I murmur, voice still scratchy with sleep.
“What do you think of calla lilies?” she asks, totally ignoring me. “Too macabre? Do they scream funeral parlor?”
“Um… lilies are nice?”
“You’re right,” she continues. “Too macabre. Thanks, Phee.”
I blink slowly. “I have no idea what’s happening right now.”
“You and me both, girl. See you tonight!”
She clicks off without another word.