Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

After my shower is when my mother calls. It's then I know I'm screwed.

She knows.

I immediately call Cal.

"I just left you," he answers.

"You did, and two minutes after my shower my mother called."

"Aw, hell."

"Yep."

"What'd she want?" he asks.

"Oh, you know," I say as I pull my clothes on, "for me to meet her for brunch at the club at ten sharp. "

"Damn, Bethy, how'd she find out already?"

"My guess would be Roman Kinkaid," I snark as I brush my hair.

"You would be incorrect," Rome says from the other end of the line.

"Did you put me on speaker? Of course you did." I toss my brush down.

"Calm down, Miller. This conversation obviously involves me since I'm the one to blame, right?"

"Well, fuck. I guess not if you're with Cal. He wouldn't let you?—"

"Let me," Rome scoffs. "You flatter your lover."

"Anyway… if not you, then who?"

"Any of Rome's neighbors could've seen you," Cal offers.

"But none of them like her. They wouldn't talk to her if she looked their way."

"Which, she wouldn't," Rome adds.

"Figured it was implied with the 'if'."

"Do they have anyone in town visiting? I thought I saw a car there yesterday that didn't belong."

"I don't think so, Rome, but I honestly wouldn't know. You probably talk to her more than I do," I snicker.

"Yeah, I didn't think that one through. I figured, what's a few months in the off season?" Rome quips.

"Definitely a mistake," Cal adds.

"Big," I throw in.

"Huge," Rome agrees.

There's silence. I bask in that silence because we just quoted Pretty Woman together . The only times they've seen that movie is when I made them watch it when I was sick. Granted that was probably eleventy billion times, but nonetheless. Quoted. My. Favorite. Movie. Together.

My moment is over and now the silence is deafening.

"You're doing that thing where you talk to one another without saying a word, aren't you?" I ask.

"Hmm," Cal replies.

"Hmm?" I ask.

"Rome's generously volunteered to go for a run down the beach later and do a little window peeping," Cal offers.

"Is that so?" I ask, not sure I believe it.

"You didn't hear it, but he shrugged as if to say, 'No big deal'."

"I'm so glad you read mute oaf?—"

"Helping you," Rome mutters.

I bite my cheek and close my eyes. I open them and stare at myself. "Apologies. Thank you."

He grunts in reply. Why is that hot?

"Will you be calling me with the information later?"

Silence.

"Anyone?"

Rome sighs. "I'll text."

"Do you need my numb—" the phone clicks. Dick! I suppose he could get it from Cal.

My phone chimes with a text. Cal!

Cal: And you call him the oaf. Of course he has your phone number.

Me: But how? When?

Cal: You can't see it but I'm making a very ugly face at you.

Me: You could never be ugly.

Cal: …

Me: But how? When?

Cal: How? Not sure. When? Forever.

Me: Oh.

Cal: Think about that a while. TTYS. I'm going running with Hercules.

Me: Be safe xo

Cal: Always xo

Cal: Barf.

I snort. Obviously Rome.

Think about that a while . As if I'll be able to think about anything else.