Page 98 of Fiona and the Fixer

“My life is a total mess.”

She slid the carton of orange juice and the opened champagne bottle closer. “We’re well stocked for you to tell me all about it.” With a tap to her upper lip, she added, “I think we need some chips.”

My mouth watered at the idea. “God, yes.”

She got up and grabbed them from the cabinet. Taking a clip off the opened bag of… yes! sour cream and onion ruffled chips, she angled it toward me.

I took one. Chewed, then shoved in another.

“I feel like all I do with you is talk about my problems and feelings. And eat.”

She laughed. “That’s what women do.”

“What?”

“Blab. Share their feelings. Vent.”

“You’re easy to vent to,” I admitted.

“That’s because we’re friends.”

We’re friends.She liked me, weird quirks and all.

“Aren’t you sick of me saying the same things over and over?” I wondered.

She shook her head.

“Fine.” I sighed, shoved in another chip. “You asked for it. I don’t understand people.”

She cocked her head. “People in general or a specific man?”

“Both. I’m on leave at work because my boss is a jerk and my partner is a jerk, too.”

“Because of this time off, you came here to meet Hannah.”

I nodded. “I finally met her this morning. She’s amazing.” I left out that she was amazing because she was nice, but also because she could fucking teleport. I hadn’t seen her turn into a lady Hulk yet, but I was sure that was cool, too.

“She’s back?” Dottie seemed surprised. Perhaps I knew something that was going on in this town before she did.

I nodded, shoved in another chip. The tang from the chips along with the salt hit the spot.

“Dax asked them to come back early.”

“Why?”

I didn’t want to answer that question, because I didn’t think Dottie needed to know her beloved town had a drug problem.

I skipped to the crux of my day drinking and chip eating. “Dottie, Dax lied to me.”

She leaned back in her chair. “He did?”

I nodded. “He didn’t tell me about his job.”

“Which is?”

Right. I didn’t think she needed to know Dax was a fixer. “Repo work.”

One white eyebrow went up. “Dax is inrepo?”

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