Page 63 of Is It Casual Now?

“All right.” Jessie laughed, and the sound made Jamie’s shoulders relax as she headed toward her car. “Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

“I called in sick,” Jamie muttered into the phone.

“What?” Jessie’s surprise might have made others think Jamie had just confessed to murder. But she supposed it was just as surprising. Maybe even more so.

“I called in sick,” Jamie repeated, especially because it was very obvious that she wasn’t sick.

“I’ll order the pizza now. Grab the beer and head on over.”

“Thanks, Sis.” Jamie knew she could always count on Jessie. No matter what. Jessie was her rock.

They hung up, and Jamie refused to believe the saltwater that had spilled onto her cheeks was tears. Tears weren’t her thing. And besides, what did she actually have to cry over?

By the time she arrived on Jessie’s doorstep holding a six-pack of beer, all evidence of the emotional breakdown that had threatened earlier had been wiped away.

“Pizza is five minutes away,” Jessie said as she opened the door, holding up her phone to Jamie. The app showed the pixelated pizza, sized bigger than the houses on the map, was just a few blocks away.

“Thank you.” Jamie plonked down the beer on the counter in Jessie’s kitchen and turned to find her sister standing there with arms open wide.

“Nope, not ready for that.” Jamie waved her off, really trying hard to avoid any more displays of emotions she didn’t understand or want to feel.

Jessie pouted. “Just give me a hug. You need it.”

Jamie trudged forward. Her sister was right, of course. But she hated that she did need it. She hated that she ran off to her sister’s shoulder whenever life got too shitty. And of course, it was a shitty situation she had gotten herself into and really had no one else to blame. Siena had been damn right about that.

Sure, she didn’t know the article would blow up the way it did. The effect the entertainment managers had on her boss had definitely been unanticipated, but still, she had written and posted the damn thing knowing it was controversial and raw. That was the point, wasn’t it? Get attention, move the blog forward, which was what she really wanted to be doing, wasn’t it?

She hadn’t known this one would be the thing that started her blog getting as much attention as her byline often did. Howcould she? She’d thought other articles would get her this much attention and they hadn’t gone anywhere.

She relaxed into her sister’s arms until the threat of tears she refused to shed stung her eyes.

“I need bad food and alcohol.”

“Good. They’re almost here.” Jessie smiled, allowing Jamie to untangle herself from their embrace. “Go get set up in the living room, and I’ll wait at the door for the grease.”

Jamie didn’t need to be told twice. Although, it had been a while since they’d had a sister indulgence night, it came as easily to her as riding a bike. She grabbed two beers, putting the rest of the six-pack in the fridge and snagging the ranch dressing on her way out toward the living room. Jamie plonked herself down on the floor next to the couch and ignored Jessie’s eye roll when she came in holding the large box in her hands.

“Fine.” Jessie sat on the floor on the other side of the coffee table, sliding the pizza between them. “But really, not even plates?”

“I’m on KP duty. I’m making it easy for myself.” Jamie already had a slice of pizza pulled out of the box, the ranch squirted onto the cardboard, and her mouth around the end of the piece she’d dipped into the dressing. She bit off a tiny bit and quickly pulled the piece away, hissing from the burn on her tongue.

“Why are you always so surprised that it’s hot?”

“Because the assholes at mine wait half an hour before they bother bringing it to me.”

“And you don’t heat it up why?”

“Ew.” Jamie shook her head and tentatively nibbled at some more of the slice. “You’re a savage.”

“Yeah, but who’s going to believe you?” Jessie laughed as she folded her own piece in half and turned it around, taking a huge bite into the crust.

“You really are a heathen.”

Jessie shrugged and smiled as best she could with a mouthful of pizza crust.

With just a few slices left in the box, Jamie closed the lid and lay back on the floor parallel to the coffee table. Jessie didn’t comment as she mirrored Jamie’s position on the other side.

“I ate too much,” Jessie moaned a few minutes later.

---