Page 38 of Conall's Reign

“You know, you look far too smug for someone who just spent an outrageous amount of money on throw pillows and houseplants,” Theo said, setting her own bags down with considerably less enthusiasm. “Conall is going to kill you.”

“He wouldn’t dare,” I replied, grinning as I lifted a monstera plant from one of the bags. “Besides, it’s not like I’m painting the walls pink. Just a few accents to make the place feel less — cave-like.”

Theo snorted, pulling a candle from a bag and examining its label. “You mean less like a dentist’s office?”

“Exactly.” I pulled out a ceramic pot shaped like a skull and held it up for inspection. “Do you think this balances the whole ‘softening the place up’ thing?”

Theo raised an eyebrow. “A skull planter? I think it perfectly captures the essence of your marriage.”

I smiled. “Good. Then it stays.”

“This place is wild. When I walked in, I thought they might strip-search me before letting me in.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “There were some charming Irish lads down there I wouldn’t mind getting to know better.”

Theo hadn’t visited Conall’s place before, which was pretty crazy considering how close the four friends were. However, it felt more like a small colony of super soldiers than a venue you would take your sister to, so I suppose it made sense. Still, I knew Theo was more talk than action. She always talked a big game, but she didn’t really date.

I gave her a wink. “There were some attractive men down there. Take pictures of the ones you like when you leave, and then maybe Finn can get a few numbers for you.”

I was teasing, of course, but we were both just talking. Finn immediately pressed his lips into a mutinous line. He had been shadowing us all day with the patience of a saint, and he finally spoke up from his post near the door. “Are you two done yet?”

I offered him a saccharine smile. “Oh, Finn, darling, have you been bored trailing us all day?”

“Not bored,” he replied dryly. “Exhausted. You two don’t shop. You wage war. The boss will be pissed if you start looking around at his men.”

Theo laughed. “He brings up a valid point. Three plant stores, two home décor boutiques, and one rather awkward encounter with an elderly woman who wanted the same couch pillow as you.”

“She lost fair and square,” I said with a shrug. “Survival of the fittest.” I chose not to acknowledge his comment about other men. I wasn’t blind, but why would I look at other men when I had the best one? Theo could look, though.

Finn rubbed his temples. “You nearly sparked a riot over that pillow.”

“It was velvet,” I clarified. “And it had embroidery.”

Theo smirked. “Now it has a spot of blood on the corner from when you snatched it away.”

“Minor details,” I dismissed. “Anyway, back to work. Finn, make yourself useful and move the coffee table so I can rearrange these books.”

Finn gave me a long-suffering glance. “I’m your bodyguard, not your furniture mover.”

I beamed. “You’re both.”

He muttered something under his breath but complied, shifting the table while Theo helped me arrange a set of candles. The apartment already looked better, less cold and impersonal. Maybe Conall wouldn’t even notice the changes right away. Or perhaps he’d walk in, take one look at the potted plants, and spontaneously combust.

I’d asked Conall last night if there were any medical issues I should know about. He’d said there weren’t. I suspected my husband had a smidgeon of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Finn finally had enough and sighed as he walked to the door. “I’ll be outside if you need me. Just try not to start another war in here.”

Theo waved him off. “You’ll be the first to know if we decide to. Toodles!”

Once the door clicked shut behind him, Theo flopped onto the couch and propped her feet up on the coffee table. “Alright, now that we’re alone, I want the nitty-gritty details.”

I raised an eyebrow as I sank into an armchair. “Details about what?”

She gave me an exasperated look, her two space buns wobbling on top of her head. “Oh, come on, Francesca. You’re married to Conall O’Kelly. There’s no way you’re not sitting on a goldmine of juicy details.”

Theo came over this morning after Conall left and promptly gave me a tongue-lashing for getting married without her. She was angrier with Conall than with me since she knew I wouldn’t have chosen to exclude her. If I was honest with myself, she was too good to me and let me off the hook after just a few minutes. She deserved to be mad. I could have put my foot down and insisted that we invite at least Theo, Remo, and Angelo over. I had just wanted it over with, and any delay would have just made me lose my nerve. In the end, I deserved her anger. After she announced she forgave me, she settled for clamoring for me to share bedroom details.

Despite her flirting and chatter, I was fairly certain that Theo’s only experience could be summarized by one unfortunate encounter with a barista from Jersey. The entire ordeal turned her off, and she swore off the business, especially after my “incident” with Fausto. She insisted that all men were pigs.

Today, she wore a fluorescent tutu she had crafted over black mesh tights, paired with a crop top. With her space buns bouncing and blue eyeshadow, she resembled a punk rocker off their meds. I loved her.

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