Page 73 of Wild Side
Luckily, Doris cuts off the conversation as she storms up to the table with a pretty blond girl in tow. “Girls,” she barks in her signature smoker’s voice, and we all straighten immediately. Doris has never been anything but sweet to us, but there is anauthoritative vibe about her that doesn’t seem to fade, no matter how old I get.
“Doris, we’re women,” Rosie corrects playfully, only for Doris to roll her eyes.
“Funny, I didn’t overhear you calling itwomen’s nightwhen you walked in giggling like a bunch of schoolgirls.”
I snort and take a sip of my red wine.
“See? The emo one knows when to keep her mouth shut.”
Skylar almost sprays her drink across the table but covers by dabbing daintily at the sides of her mouth.
My brows shoot up, and I lower the wine glass. “Wait. Am I the emo one?”
“Am I the only one who remembers the phase with all the black makeup and clothes? Even the elastics on your braces were black.”
I smirk. Fucking Doris. Been around long enough that she’s practically a town encyclopedia.
“Which one am I?” Rosie asks with a shit-eating grin on her face.
“The bratty one,” Doris responds, and we all laugh. Then she points at Skylar with an affectionate glimmer in her eye. “And that’s the smart one.”
Skylar’s reaction to the compliment seems almost bashful. After years in the spotlight, where compliments focused on everything except her intelligence, I think Doris’s praise hits differently for Skylar. It’s special—and more sentimental than she’d ever let on.
“Anyway,girls. This is Gwen.” She shoves the blond woman forward and smiles brightly. “She’s new in town, working at the yoga studio I go to. Helps me stay limber for the bedroom. But she’s been sitting up at the bar like I’m her only friend, and she doesn’t realize how old I am, which is just sad. So I’m pawning her off on you.”
Gwen palms Doris’s shoulder with a light laugh. “Doris, please, I’m fine?—”
“She’s fine all right. All the regulars are eyeing up her tits like they’re available to order off the menu or something. Guess she’s the busty one.”
My eyes drop and bulge a bit. I can’t blame them. Gwen has all the right curves in all the right places. Soft and feminine in every way while I feel like a scrawny, flat board. Except when Rhys’s hands are on me, asking me what he should do.
God, I really need to stop thinking about the stairs.
Gwen’s cheeks blaze in time with mine, but her eyes twinkle with mirth. I can’t help but jump in and save her from the roll that Doris is on right now.
I scootch over on the banquette and pat the vinyl seat. “Gwen, get in before shit gets any worse.”
She smiles at me with a mix of surprise and gratitude and swiftly takes a seat.
Doris brushes her hands together like she’s just finished building something, and who knows, maybe she has. “Good. A team of four for our first trivia night.”
“Wait, what?”
“Thursdays. Trivia night. Bet the smart one read the sign on her way in and knew this already.”
Skylar sips her drink and shrugs. “I mean… maybe.”
“Told ya.” Doris turns to leave. “Lucky y’all have her to carry your asses through this.”
I shoot a bemused look at Gwen, who is laughing into her clenched fist, and then Rosie, who is watching Doris walk away with a look of awe on her face.
It’s Skylar’s sugary voice that brings all of our attention back to the table. “Trivia might be fun, no?” Her grin widens as she leans back in her seat. “Don’t worry. I’ll carry your asses.”
We all laugh, then Rosie looks across the table and salutes our newest addition. “Gwen, welcome to women’s night.”
Gwen raises her beer in a toast. “Thank you all for having me. Do we have names? Or should I stick with Emo, Bratty, and Smart?”
I glance over at the woman with a subtle shake of my head. “I like you, Gwen. My name is Tabby.”
