Page 41 of Alice & Meg, Girls Trip

I turned back to see King leaning back in his chair, looking completely relaxed as the woman prattled on next to him. He wasn’t flirting with her—thank God—but he also wasn’t telling her to get lost, which I would have preferred.

“What is he doing?” Meg whispered, her voice tight with frustration.

Wrecker’s arms tightened around me. “Sticking to the plan.”

I watched as the woman leaned closer to King, her hand brushing against his arm. My teeth clenched so hard I was sure I’d crack a molar. “And what if she tries to do more than talk?”

“She won’t,” Wrecker said confidently. “King’s got it under control.”

I didn’t like it, but I stayed where I was, my muscles tense, ready to pounce if things went sideways. The whole scene was making my blood boil, and I knew Meg was feeling the same. We’d been prepared for a relaxing day by the pool, not this soap opera drama.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked, my eyes never leaving the blonde.

“Trust me, babe,” Wrecker repeated. “Just trust me.”

Chapter Twelve

Action

Lo

I needed to look interested, but this woman was the last person on earth who could ever truly catch my attention. Everything about her—the fake tan, the overly bleached hair, the desperate way she was throwing herself at me—screamed trouble. But I had a role to play, and that meant keeping her talking, even if it was the last thing I wanted to do.

“I haven’t seen you around here,” the woman purred, her voice dripping with forced sweetness.

She’d clearly hated the tattoos Lennox had, judging by what she had said to her yesterday, but she didn’t seem to mind mine. Her fingers trailed over my forearm, brushing against the ink in a way that was supposed to be seductive but just made my skin crawl. I had to work hard to control myself from jerking away.

“I’ve been around,” I drawled, keeping my tone casual.

She nodded toward the pool. “I’m here with my friends for the rest of the weekend. My baby daddy picked up my kid and took her home.” She said it like it was some kind of achievement, as if ditching her kid to party was something to be proud of.

I just nodded, not giving her much to work with. The less I said, the less chance there was I’d say something that would give away how much I really despised her.

“Are you here with anyone else?” she asked, her eyes narrowing as if she was trying to figure out if I was worth her time.

“Got a group with me,” I replied, keeping my voice as neutral as possible.

She quirked her lips in what she probably thought was a flirtatious smile. “Well, maybe you guys can come over and partywith us tonight.” She lowered her sunglasses and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “You and I can get to know each other a little bit more.”

I shrugged, playing along. “I mean, if you’re up for it. Why don’t you come and meet my friends?” I offered, trying to sound enthusiastic.

I could tell she was excited by my offer, practically bouncing on her toes. “Yeah, totally,” she said, her voice breathy with anticipation.

I stood up, feeling her cling to my arm as if I was some kind of prize she’d just won. Her nails dug into my skin as we made our way across the road toward the pool. She was walking with an extra sway in her hips, probably thinking she was about to impress whoever was over there.

As we crossed, she gave a finger wave to her friends, who looked just as fake and shallow as she did. “I can meet your friends first,” she said, wanting to keep me to herself for as long as possible. I had to bite back the urge to roll my eyes.

We made our way to the other side of the pool, where Meg, Alice, and Wrecker were sitting. The rest of the group was in the pool, splashing around and laughing, completely unaware of the storm brewing on the deck.

“Ugh,” she grunted as she caught sight of Lennox in the pool. “I can’t believe they let trash like her in here,” she spat, her voice dripping with disdain. “She tried to mess with my daughter yesterday, but I put her in her place. I’m surprised she had the guts to show her face here again.”

I could feel my blood boiling, but I kept my face blank. Yeah, I hated this woman, but I needed to keep it together for just a little longer.

We stopped in front of the table where Meg, Alice, and Wrecker were sitting. The woman looked them over, clearly sizing them up, but she had no idea who she was dealing with.

Meg and Alice both shot her looks of pure disgust, their expressions making it clear they were about two seconds away from throwing her into the pool. Wrecker’s face was impassive, but I could tell he was just as ready to put this woman in her place as I was.

“Guys, this is…” I snapped my fingers, pretending like I’d forgotten her name. “I never got your name.”

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