Page 21 of Embody

“Skylar, you and Judd go on home before your father has an aneurysm. Judd, please fill your wife in on things beforeshehas an aneurysm. We love you both, you know that.” Mom stands and holds out her arms, them each hugging her and Judd shaking Dad’s hand.

“Sorry, Daddy.” Skylar hugs him too. “Love you.”

“I know, sweetie. I love you too. Just not your behavior.”

They grab their stuff and leave…and then there were two.

“I’ve gotta get going,” I announce and stand. “It’s been real, thanks for breakfast.”

Mom steps in front of me, wrapping me in a hug. “You’re sad, baby. Wanna talk, just me and you?”

I pull back and kiss her cheek. “I’m solid Mom, promise. But thank you.”

“JT?” Brynn almost whispers and I turn to her.

“We’re fine. Told you that, meant it. Love you.”

 

 

AFTER THE BREAKFASt from Hell, I drive to my apartment that I share with one of my buddies, Sutton Ellis. His motorcycle’s in the driveway, beside a two-door, blue number I don’t recognize, but would bet my dick belongs to a girl.

Because, as seems to be the new trend, it’s got fancy script initials on the back windshield. The “monogram fad” girls are obsessed with these days. They put it oneverything. I don’t quite get it. Are they afraid they won’t recognize which car, cup, coat, you name it…is theirs without it?

I’m almost to the door when a hot brunette walks out with “just fucked” hair and smudged makeup. And I shit you not—she’s wearing a t-shirt with a monogrammed pocket. I simply shake my head, holding back my ridiculing laugh that’s dying to burst out.

“Hi,” she chirps. “You must be JT, the roommate.”

I so badly want to say “oh thank God, I’m at the right place. I wasn’t sure without my initials on the front door,” but I refrain. Sutton might want to have this one back over sometime, so I play nice.

“That would be me.”

“I’m Brandie. With an ‘ie’, not a ‘y’. I gotta get to work, but nice to meet you,” she waves and scampers to her car.

Lucky for me she cleared up the ‘ie’ versus ‘y’ debacle, I would’ve been plagued with wonder the rest of the day.

“You too,” I reply as though I actually mean it.

“Yo,” Sutton looks up from his video game when I walk in. “How was the party?”

“It was a party.” I flop down on the couch. “How was Brandie with an ‘ie’?”

He laughs. “She actually told you that shit?”

“That she did.”

“She was decent. Sweet girl, very open to instruction, but not much upstairs. Tried to have a conversation with her this morning to be nice, since she made breakfast. And you know, because I’m a gentleman.”

I snort at that.

He either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, and continues. “She couldn’t work the toaster, and when I said the silverware was in the drawer to her right, she opened the cabinet…to her left. Not sure which part scared me worse.”

“She was cute,” I offer.

“Not cute enough. Need some smarts too. I can findcuteany day of the week. Speaking of which, bunch of us are going to theRooster’s Nesttonight; that band Fahrenheit is playing. Need my wingman.”

“Roosters don’t have fucking nests,” I deadpan.

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