Page 73 of Brooke
That sent Dean into hysterics. He staggered back into Brooke’s vanity chair, guffawing like a total moron.
She pressed her hands to her burning cheeks.Please, floor, open up and swallow me now.
“What is the world is going on in here?” Madison asked, stalking into the bathroom. “I could hear Dean laughing like a barking dog down in the kitchen. When did bathrooms become a meeting place? Whoa! Brooke. Do you have a date?”
Dean only doubled over in laughter. “Yes! With Ivar.”
“Who’s Ivar?” Madison asked, dark circles deepening under her narrowing eyes.
“Who called the meeting in the john?” Kyle asked, coming through her doorway. “What’s so funny?”
Dean only pointed at her and wheezed.“Ivar!”
“Get a hold of yourself, Dean.” She stalked over to the counter and wet a cotton pad with makeup remover, hoping that ignoring the elephant would make it disappear.
“Hang on!” Madison said, coming closer. “I’ve got it! You have some weird Harry Potter-themed fashion event and this Ivar is part of it, right? The lightning bolt makeup is a nice touch, Brooke.”
Clearly, nothing was going to stop the lunacy or the inquisition except the truth. Brooke stomped her foot, the cotton pad forgotten, as she regarded her friends in her bathroom. “His name is not Ivar! It’s Axel Erikson.”
Thea squealed, her heels coming off the ground as she jumped. “Oh my God! I love him for you.”
“I knew you would.” Thea would be delighted by anything that made Brooke happy. Kyle’s reaction was the one she worried about, and the frown on his face was almost expected. “Dean! Will you please stop laughing now?”
“Yes!” Dean shot out of the chair and hugged her. “If hemakes dragon-breath, ball-busting Brooke hum, he’s got my vote. You have never hummed in the ten years I’ve known you. Plus, Brooke, you haven’t been on a date since Adam dumped you.”
“Thanks, Dean.” She gave him a playful shove. “I love that you brought that up. While we’re on that topic, I have something else to tell you.” Axel’s voice was in her mind as she plunged on. “I caught Adam cheating on me with Plumonia, which is the real reason why we broke up. I couldn’t tell you before because I felt humiliated and I knew you guys would be really angry, and I didn’t want to have to handle that.”
Everyone’s faces were almost comic replicas of each other, all open-mouthed with shock before anger tightened their features.
“Thatcanard!” Thea sputtered, fisting her hands.
Brooke’s mouth dropped open before she broke into surprised laughter. “Oh, Thea, I think you meanconnardand notcanard.”
“Isn’t that what I said?” Thea asked.
“No, sweetie,” Dean said, his tense mouth now twitching. “Madison’s cherries are withcanard. Brooke’s ex is aconnard.”
“He’s anenculé,if you ask me,” Sawyer added harshly as Madison nodded crisply in accord. “I’m glad I didn’t know before, because it would have beendemain à l'aube.”
“Dueling over my honor?” Brooke asked, her throat tight. “Sawyer, that might be the sweetest thing I ever heard.”
“His cleaver has my name on it if he shows in Paris, Brooke,” Madison assured her.
“Like I said, you all are sweet, but it’s behind me now.” Glancing at Kyle, she waited for him to say something, but he was still frowning.
“Her man drought is over.” Dean lifted his hand. “High five.”
She ignored it, glad to feel relief at coming clean at lastabout everything (she would not think about Nanine and her father!). “All right, this has been fun, but I need to redo my makeup and get going.”
“So the lightning boltà laHarry Potter wasn’t intentional?” Sawyer asked with a hearty laugh.
She crossed her arms. “I’m glad you’re all finding this so amusing. Thank goodness my bathroom can accommodate all of you.”
Madison snorted. “At least you’re not clogging up my kitchen. Feel free to meet in more bathrooms. By the way, nice choice. Axel seems solid, and not just because he resembles a lumberjack and must be big all over.”
Brooke rolled her eyes as Dean chortled.
“I like him too,” Sawyer announced. “Although I’m still confused by the Ivar reference.”
