Page 38 of Any Second Now
“Yes, correct. She’s not pleased that I shoved her inside that tent. But—oh, crap.” Raleigh takes a step toward the door to the RV, where there’s a pair of sneakers neatly lined up nextto flip flops. “I knew it.” She bends down and pulls something out of her shoe.
It’s a brown egg.
I stifle a laugh.
Raleigh stands, puts a hand on her hip, and shakes a finger at the chicken. “No laying eggs in my shoes! This is the second time!”
“That is really gross.” I press my lips together, but the chuckle escapes this time.
“Yeah? Well it’s also really delicious.” Raleigh opens her small fridge and places the egg gingerly into the built-in egg container. “Just hang out with Megghen for a minute while I finish my makeup.”
Raleigh takes about three steps to her open bedroom door. I follow to peek inside and observe mostly bed, a small vanity table, and a closet with an open folded door. Her makeup is scattered over the vanity.
“Not only is my bedroom the same size as your entire RV, but my bed on its own is bigger than this room.”
“Seriously, shut up,” Raleigh huffs. “I’d slam the door in your face, but it sounds like a piece of cardboard.”
I hold up my hands and take the few steps back to the couch to give her some privacy. Raleigh thinks I’ve bought her gifts so far? She hasn’t seen anything. What I really want to do is buy her a bigger, better RV.
I won’t, of course, because I’m pretty sure she’ll think that’s going a step too far.
“What are you going to do with the chick—Megghen?” I wave down at the chicken, who is watching me through the mesh with those creepy chicken eyeballs.
“I’m going to post on a few neighborhood apps,” Raleigh says from inside the bedroom. “Her owner is probably looking for her.”
I lean over and look at the biggest pile of finished cross-stitch. The one on top saysAbso-fucking-lutey notin looping script andhas delicate roses stitched all around it. I huff a quiet laugh. Then my eye catches on the circle above her kitchen that saysThe Pink Palacewith pink swirls along the border.
I reach up to touch it and the hoop falls off the nail.
“Shit!” I fumble but catch it and re-hook it on.
“What’d you say?” Raleigh peeks her head out the door to her bedroom and my eyes flit to her red painted lips.
“Oh, nothing. Just talking to Megghen.”
The chickenboc boc bocsaccusingly when Raleigh disappears back into her room.
“What?” I whisper. “Mind your business.”
Raleigh walks out of her bedroom and settles at the table to put on strappy sandals, lifting one smooth leg at a time. The whole thing feels so natural, which is the weirdest part of it all.
“You’re not judging me, are you?” She looks up when she’s done. “With your fancy apartment and your hotshot pro hockey player life?”
“Never.” And I mean it. “You look beautiful.”
She glances down at her dress and a pretty blush creeps up her neck onto her cheeks.
“Whatever. Let’s go.”
Fifteen minutes later, Raleigh walks through the door I’m holding open to La Dolce Vita Bistro.
“So the whole point of tonight is to teach you, a thirty-year-old man, how to act on a date.” Raleigh crosses her arms and assesses me like she’s searching for a lie.
“That is correct.” I give my name to the woman at the hostess stand.
“Because you don’t know how to do that.”
“Also correct.” The hostess gathers menus and waves us to follow her.
