“You’re going to have fun, stop being so anxious,” Laurie says from across the room.
She’s sitting behind our small desk, her feet up and leaning back as she watches the television that we have in the corner of the room.
“Don’t look at the screen,” she calls out.
Turning my head, I blink at the sight in front of me. It’s a tour announcement for none other than Beaumont Griffin. There’s a picture of him with his head tipped down leaving the rehab center and I know they’re talking about his current stay.
“Can’t you change it?” I ask with a heavy sigh.
She shakes her head. “I know that you hate him, but that man is fine times a thousand. He was hot back in the day, but now that he’s a full-grown man, daaamn,” she groans. “I can’t believe you fucked him. I mean you fucked Beaumont Griffin,” she says as the door to the shop opens.
I spin around, my face hot and probably fifteen shades redder than its normal coloring.
“You did what?” Channing asks, a smirk playing on her lips.
“Ten years ago, they dated. God, did he look as good shirtless back then as he did when they got those pics of him on the beach last year vacationing?” Laurie asks, loud enough for everyone to hear.
I turn my head, narrowing my gaze on her but she just shrugs me off and stands. “We’re all friends here, Hutt. I mean, girlfriends talk about stuff like that and you have been a locked vault for years about that man. I am curious as hell.”
“Why are we friends?” I snap as Channing giggles, sinking down into my chair.
“Because you love me.” Laurie grins.
“I’ve never seen him shirtless in person, I’m curious too,” Channing announces as I run the comb through her hair.
Closing my eyes, I inhale a deep breath then let it out. Before I can say anything, Exeter speaks. “You don’t have to tell us anything, Hutton. Not unless you want to.”
Shifting my gaze to her reflection in Laurie’s mirror, I give her a small smile. She wants to know though, I can see the wicked gleam in her eyes, the excitement at learning something new about their friend. She’s dying to hear it from me, what Beaumont was like ten years ago.
Clearing my throat, I begin to curl Channing’s long hair as I speak. I feel like I’m not even present in this conversation, I’m just talking to appease them.
I don’t talk about Beaumont, ever. Not because I’m angry with him, I’m not, not anymore. I am, however, still extremely hurt, and that is completely embarrassing. It’s been nine years, and we were together for only one year, it’s not like we were married and had a whole life built together.
I was someone he came to visit, fucked and left. I was nothing more than a booty call to him. It was so much more to me, especially back then, he was everything to me. He was my first, and I thought he would be my only. I was naïve though, I know that now, but the entire situation is just plain embarrassing.
“We met at the Bluebonnet Festival. I fell for him immediately. I was eighteen, just graduated high school, and it was my first time going anywhere like that alone.” I smile, remembering the moment that I laid eyes on Beaumont Griffin.
“I remember what he looked like. That boy filled out his jeans nicely.” Laurie grins with a wink.
I nod, trying not to think about that aspect of him, but I fail. I fail miserably. I lick my lips, imagining his naked body. Then let out a shaky breath, remembering the way he would move inside of me, the way that it made me feel, that he would make me feel.
No man has ever made me come the way that he did. No man has ever compared to him and I hate that.
“It was that good?” Channing whispers.
My entire body jerks and I lift my eyes to meet hers in the reflection of the mirror. Licking my lips, again, I nod once, my eyes focused on hers. She widens hers, then her lips twitch and I don’t know what there is to smile about.
“I feel that way about Rylan. Best I’ve ever had,” she breathes, and it’s then that I realize she isn’t smiling about my situation, but rather completely enamored by her own.
I shake off the negativity. It’s not like me to feel this way, I chalk it up to the feelings that erupt inside of me every single time that I think about Beaumont. Laurie thankfully changes the topic of conversation. I don’t listen as I just allow my creativity to take over and finish styling Channing’s gorgeous blonde locks.
When I’m finished with her, I remove my apron and touch up my own hair before I slide my palms down the front of my jeans, then turn around to look at the other women.
“You’re changing, right?” Laurie asks.
She has a bag in her hand and I know that there is something indecently sexy in that bag. I look down at my ripped up jeans, black V-neck t-shirt, and gold flat sandals. Lifting my gaze to the other women, I realize that both Channing and Exeter are wearing something far dressier than what I have on.
Channing is in a shorter skirt with a tank top tucked in and a pair of sexy strappy sandals. Exeter is wearing a dress with boots. Flicking my gaze over to Laurie, she’s pulling out a black dress and I know that it’s short, with a lowcut neckline and tight. That’s how she always dresses when she goes out.
“I thought this was at a bar?” I ask with a frown.
“It’s going to be televised,” Exeter announces.
I blink, gulping, then look down at my outfit, something that I worked in for over ten hours today. I shake my head, taking a step back.
“I just won’t go, then. You guys will have an awesome time. It’s not really my thing anyway,” I murmur.
Channing gasps as Exeter frowns, but it’s Laurie who shakes her head as she takes a step toward me. “Hutton Baker, you are going,” she announces.
I open my mouth, but she just holds her palm up to my face. “You never go anywhere. You never do anything, other than work and visit your PawPaw. You’re coming with us and you’re going to have fun. Now, I knew that you wouldn’t bring anything sexy, basically because you don’t own anything sexy. So put this on and don’t give me any shit.”
Laurie shoves the black fabric in her hand toward me and presses it against my chest. She releases it and I have no other choice other than to hold on to it, otherwise it will land on the floor which always has little hairs littering it, no matter how many times I sweep and mop.
“I like her,” Exeter mutters, lifting her eyebrows as she looks at me.
Shaking my head, I narrow my gaze on all three of the women who are staring at me, waiting for my next reaction.
“Fine,” I snap.
Turning my back to them, I stomp toward the small bathroom in the back, ignoring Laurie’s giggle as I close the door behind me to get dressed. Before I strip out of my clothes, I take a good look in the mirror.
My long dark hair is styled in loosely curled rings. I didn’t do anything fancy for myself, I’m just not that way, I’m not that exciting. My makeup is minimal, my eyelashes the most dramatic part of my face. I feel like since they’re naturally longer, it’s easy to play them up and add a ton of dramatic black mascara.
I huff at the piece of fabric that Laurie thinks is a dress. It’s spaghetti strapped, which means that I can’t wear my sensible nude bra with it. I usually never go braless, but it looks like I won’t have a choice tonight.