Page 94 of Tight Spot

My jaw dropped, and I was still gaping at him as he scooped Jelly the Cat off the floor when my phone pinged again.

I yanked it out, hating that small moment when there was a spark of hope it was Dawson.

The plummet came a heartbeat later when it wasn’t.

Margo: Wine Wednesday. Your butt better be in one of my chairs tonight or I’m hunting you down.

Great. More commiserating and pity and drinking away my sorrows.

I’d stop this. Soon.

I texted her back saying I'd be there. Sent a text to Sloane and Misty inviting them too. Misery loved company and all that. I was slipping my phone back into my pocket when a hand hit my shoulder.

I jumped with my hand to my chest and gasped. “Jesus, Charlie. You scared the shit out of me!”

“Sorry.” He laughed.

Sorry, my ass.

“You were always so jumpy. Figured you’d grow out of that.”

“Thanks,” I muttered.

“Probably wouldn’t be so jumpy if you were more aware of your surroundings.”

“Yeah, I’ve been told.”

“What?”

But really, all the men in my life had made some incredibly good points about that. Had it been the reason Darrick was able to cheat on me for so long? The fact I never saw my dad watch an actual football game in my life? Or Isaac’s interest? Or Dawson…god…did I need to reexamine everything about the person I was?

“Nothing. Want to have dinner at Margo’s with me when we’re done here?”

Outside of going to work, I hadn’t left my house in five days. Charlie had become my errand boy and Door Dash my best friend.

Charlie must have approved because his smile almost blinded me. “Absolutely, sis.”

* * *

Sloane tipped the bottle of Montepulciano back and forth. Her frown grew. “Think Margo would give us another bottle of wine?”

The first was on her.

The second would not be.

“No.” I took the empty bottle out of her hand. “And you’re buying the next one. You still owe me.”

Sloane stuck her tongue out at me but didn’t argue. I started playing that manipulative petty card on Saturday. If I hadn’t listened to them the night that started all of this, I wouldn’t be so miserable now. Sure, I broke the rules and started liking my sex coach and all that, but it was their idea.

“Fine. Anything to eat?”

“Shrimp on ciabatta?” I asked Charlie. It was his favorite appetizer here and we’d already had one of mine.

“I’ll go get both. You sit.” He leaned in close to my ear. “And cut Sloane some slack. She feels bad enough.”

I started to scoff but stopped when I saw the tightness around Sloane’s eyes. The downward tilt of her lips. She glanced at me and changed to a sparkling smile in a second.

I shrunk to the size of a mouse.

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