Page 30 of One Night Bride
“Okay. That happens sometimes,” came Esme’s patient voice. “What I like to do in those situations is think about past dreams or goals of mine that have come true. Remembering what it was like to stretch for something and then have it manifest. That rush of energy knowing you created something in your life. Deep dive into that feeling of energy and see if you can touch base with new dreams.”
“Like when I wished with all my heart for a job I loved and then Lucy hired me and now I get to play with sperm all day!”
I jammed my fist against my mouth to keep from laughing. What the hell? This was far more entertainment than I’d had in years.
“I kind of wish for a whole box of muzzles right now.”
Pretty sure that was Esme’s sister Oakley. Apparently, she didn’t like sharing dreams out loud.
“I have a box of those back at the Hardware Store. You can borrow them, if you want.”
“That’s really quite nice of you, Lenora, but Oakley won’t need those. She needs to learn to share her feelings. Why don’t we unpack that, Oakley?” Esme answered quickly.
I made a mental note to ask about the Hardware Store. My ear was starting to hurt from pressing it so hard against the damn door. Moving in slow motion, I reached for the door handle and turned. It didn’t make a sound, and I took that as a sign to continue. Inch by inch, I cracked the door open, the voices instantly easier to hear. I slid down to the carpet and had a seat in the open doorway.
“I don’t have any feelings to share,” Oakley said petulantly.
“I bet you do. We all do. Feelings are neither good nor bad, they just are. How about you tell us one feeling you have right now?” Esme wouldn’t let Oakley off the hook.
Oakley pushed out a big breath and then said, “Okay, fine. I’m feeling like I want to go home and eat ice cream.”
“And why would ice cream bring you joy?”
“Uh…because it’s got sugar in it? And sugar makes me happy?”
Esme tsked. “No, I think you want to go home and eat ice cream because then you won’t have to engage with all of us here. You’re avoiding. The ice cream is just a buffer. Something that feels safe to you.”
“Wow, Oakley. That’s so rude. How come you don’t want to chat with us?” That was definitely Vee’s voice.
“I didn’t say that!” Oakley’s voice was rising. “I just love ice cream because it’s one hundred percent guaranteed to not suck!”
Vee gasped.
“So, what you’re saying is that people aren’t dependable, so you’d prefer to surround yourself with inanimate objects you can count on,” Esme said in a firm voice. “We’ll circle back to that in a bit.”
A voice I didn’t recognize piped up. “You can have my ice cream, Oakley, and I’ll take all the people. Preferably the men. In the sea cave. Naked.”
The women all started talking at once.
A laugh bubbled up my chest and burst out of my mouth before I could swallow it back. The talking below cut off and I froze.
Shit. Had they heard me?
“Esme Waldo. Are you hiding someone upstairs?” came the same voice that wanted all the men in the sea caves.
I shot to my feet and raced back into the bedroom, my brain scrambling for a solution as my gaze darted around. I couldn’t just keep hiding out up here. They heard me. They knew I was up here. I saw a shiny handbag of Esme’s in the closet where the door was open, a black handkerchief tied around the straps. An idea hit me like a lightning bolt. It was a bad idea, but it was all I had.
I stripped out of my T-shirt, changed my pants to a pair of black slacks I’d packed in case I needed to fly off and meet with that investor while I was still in Auburn Hill. I ripped the handkerchief off the handbag and tied it around my neck. With a quick look in the mirror to confirm that I did in fact look like I should be in some Vegas show with strippers, I made to leave the guest room. Showtime, baby.
Sauntering down the steps like I had every right to be there, I stopped at the bottom of the staircase as every single woman in the room looked my way. Esme’s living room had been transformed with furniture pushed out of the way and pillows covering the floor that they all sat on. Holy fuck, there were like twenty women all staring at me. Including Esme’s sisters.
“My apologies,” I said smoothly, running a hand across my bare chest, really getting into the act which surprised the shit out of me. Maybe I should have done theater in school. “Esme kept me as the surprise, but I gave myself away.” I turned to Esme. “Time for me to pass around the snack trays?”
Her mouth had dropped open as she stared at me in horror.
“Oh, hell yes. This little retreat just got a thousand times better!”
A woman in her late sixties with bright pink hair stood up and gyrated her hips with surprising ease. She was the one who’d wanted the men in the sea cave. I’d have to watch out for that one in case she got handsy.
