Page 71 of Play Me
Gianna pulls out my favorite pair of jeans. “Your ass looks amazing in these.”
“Where are your white sneakers with the tan detailing?” Audrey asks.
“They’re in the shoe rack by the door.”
“Wear those,” Audrey says. “It’ll keep it looking fun and fresh, and if you do wind up on a ranch, your toes will be covered.”
I wouldn’t have thought about that. Good call.
I take the items they chose and hang them on the back of my bedroom door. Having this decision be over quells a bit of the nerves blooming in my stomach. At least now I can worry and overthink about something else.
“Now that’s done, how about we order pizza and do your nails? They look like trash,” Gianna says, shrugging. “You can’tgo to all the trouble of having us pick out an outfit and not do your nails.”
“I’ll order the pizza,” Audrey says, heading toward the living room. “You figure out the nails.”
Gianna wraps her arm around my shoulders and smiles at me. “How are you feeling?”
“Honestly? Better.”
I smile sheepishly. Gray and I are barely on cordial terms these days, and our relationship is strictly professional. I don’t even really like the man, and I know he feels the same about me. So what I wear on this trip doesn’t matter. It’s not like I’m trying to draw his attention—or anyone else’s, for that matter. I deal with enough men in my work life. I sure as heck don’t need one in my private life, too.
“I don’t know why I got all weird about this,” I say. “I’m sorry.”
She laughs. “You don’t have to understand. I do. And we got you, friend. One of these days, you’re going to believe that.”
My heart swells as she leads me to the bathroom to retrieve my manicure kit.
Thank God for good friends.
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
Astrid
“That’s probably the last book I’ve read,” Gray says, stepping on the gas pedal and passing the slow-moving tractor we’ve followed for more than a couple of miles. “What about you?”
I gaze out the passenger side window, taking in the beauty of rural Tennessee. I’ve always loved getting out of the city. Gianna’s family would visit Kentucky every summer, and I tagged along a few times. Even as a child, I appreciated the peace and quiet, probably because my home life had neither.
Today has been a lot easier than I expected. I spent the morning ordering supplies for Blakely’s party and communicating with Wayside about Gray’s deliverables for the sports drink campaign scheduled to run this fall. It was just enough to keep me from stressing over Gray picking me up at one thirty for our trip to Sugar Creek.
“The last book I read was probablyRomeo and JulietorThe Great Gatsbyin high school,” I say.
Gray makes a face, looking offended.
“What?” I ask, laughing.
“I just … expected more from you. That’s all.”
“Don’t judge me.” I shake my head, amused. “I haven’t had a lot of free time since high school. Some of us weren’t rugby stars with leisure time.”
“Oh yeah.Right. Should’ve seen all the leisure time that I’ve had to play with.” He looks at me over the top of his sunglasses. “What kind of overachieving bullshit were you up to after high school, anyway?”
I chuckle, wrapping my arms around my middle, and shrug. “Let’s see. I graduated at seventeen and took on my second job. Worked both of those for a full year until I started community college.” I glance over at him. “Then I added a third job for shits and giggles.”
He flinches. “Third job? What are you? Wonder Woman?”
“That sounds better than saying that I refuse to die.”
