Page 15 of Inviting Trouble
Mad shoved a cookie in her mouth so she wouldn’t blurt out her pathetically lovesick thoughts. Pure pleasure shot through her at the first bite of cookie—the perfect melt of sugary goodness and chocolate. Josh should have this recipe. Her brother was a foodie and planned to open his own bar with awesome food one day. This should definitely be on the dessert menu. Of course, Hailey would sooner die than share her recipes with Josh.
“This is fucking delicious,” Mad said, snagging another cookie. “Never give Josh your recipe. He doesn’t deserve it.”
“Why would I?” Hailey said, stiffening as she always did when Josh came up. “He can eat a ghost pepper for all I care.” That was a really spicy pepper that Josh had slipped into Hailey’s nacho appetizer at Garner’s once. Hailey had pretended it was delicious—nose red, eyes tearing—and asked for the recipe (over much coughing) to prepare it at home. She was super slick that way. Mad had nearly bust a gut trying not to laugh. Josh had laughed heartily.
Hailey picked up a cookie. “Maybe I’ll slip something into a cookie and offer it to him.” She took a bite and grinned, chocolate stuck to her super-white front teeth. “Like a bug.”
Mad laughed, finding the perfect beauty of Hailey easier to take when there were occasional flaws. “Do it. I’ll tell him how awesome they are and then we’ll watch him pretend he really enjoys eating bugs.”
Hailey wiggled her pointer finger in the air, her way of sayinggood planwithout being so rude as to speak with food in her mouth. She finished chewing and swallowed. “Can I make a suggestion?”
The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She just knew she wasn’t going to like whatever came out of Hailey’s mouth next. She opened her mouth to say no when Hailey popped another cookie in Mad’s mouth and grinned.
Mad chewed, too full of chocolately goodness to protest.
Hailey smiled sweetly. “Let’s do a makeover for the wedding so you can make a big splash. Makeup, hair, dress with heels, the whole deal. None of this lipstick and skinny jeans half-assed stuff. We want you to look amazing. A woman that Parker can’t take his eyes off.”
“We?” she asked around the cookie.
Hailey dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. “Yes, me and the book club ladies. It’s your turn for a happy ending.”
The teakettle whistled, startling her.Her turn?Their book club was dubbed the Happy Endings Book Club on account of it being a romance book club. She thought it meant the happy ending in those books. Hailey actually thought it meant the members’ happy endings? Well, their newest member, Claire Jordan, did have a happy ending when she fell in love with Mad’s brother Jake. Hailey had arranged the blind date that got them together in the first place. Did Hailey have that kind of power?
“You can’t just make a happy ending happen,” Mad pointed out, even though she fervently hoped she was wrong. She wanted Hailey to be a miracle worker.
“Tell that to Claire,” Hailey replied, pouring hot water into their cups.
“I wore makeup last night,” Mad said. “And my skinny jeans. Park was not impressed. This morning he saw me in a towel, practically naked and wet from the shower. And you know what I got? Nothing. He didn’t even try to peek at my boobs.”
Hailey set tea bags into the cups and turned. “If you trust me with this, let me work my magic, I promise this will be a life-changing weekend. We’ll get you in a slutty dress. You can wear those Jimmy Choos that Claire gave you. Every guy will want you. And then we’ll launch you at Park. He won’t know what hit him.”
“Nearly every guy there will be my brother.”
Hailey tsked. “No, there’s Park, Frank, and Claire’s brother, Rich.” Frank was Claire’s bodyguard, former Army Special Forces. Shaved head, huge muscles, and, okay, yes, Frank was hot, but he was all business on duty. The man never even cracked a smile. Mad could just see herself pushing that stoic guy too far and then he’d snap.Blam. Mad kissing the floor, her wrists in cuffs behind her back.
Mad snorted. “Now you’re reaching.”
“What? Frank’s hot. I’m sure Claire’s brother will be cute.” Hailey carried their teacups to the living room. “Bring the cookies.”
Mad grabbed the platter and a handful of napkins from the holder on the dining room table and joined her on the sofa. Her stomach was doing a weird jittery thing. “Forget it. No amount of makeup or slutty clothes will change the fact that Park sees me as anything but a mouthy twerp. Besides, you know I hate dresses. They’re uncomfortable and I feel all stiff and weird in them.”
“Please,” Hailey begged. “Let me do my thing. I just know it’ll work. At the very least, it’ll give you some confidence.”
Mad snagged a cookie. “I have plenty of confidence. I can kick anyone’s ass. No one messes with me.” She shoved the entire cookie in her mouth and chewed.
Hailey sipped her tea delicately. “No one is questioning your badassery. Have I ever steered you wrong?”
Mad thought back to the very first time she’d met Hailey, showing up at her singles book club after Josh suckered her into it with a bad bet. She’d thought it was the worst idea ever to go to book club. She didn’t even read much back then, but Hailey had welcomed her despite Mad’sI wish I was anywhere but hereattitude, and ultimately won her over with a combination of superhot erotic romance selections and her unwavering faith that they could be friends. Hailey had even tried to learn about sports for Mad, showing up at Mad’s Saturday basketball game and playing terribly in front of all the guys. Mad had never fit in with a group of women in her life. Hailey had made that happen.
“Fine,” Mad barked. “I’ll wear the slutty shoes, but I’m still wearing my pants suit to the wedding.” She wasn’t even in the wedding party. That was just Josh and Hailey, the two responsible for Jake and Claire meeting. Hailey because she’d set up the blind date and Josh because he’d switched places with his identical twin and Jake went on the date with Claire for him.
“Hair?” Hailey asked.
She shoved a hand in her unruly hair. It was growing out from a short, spiky cut and awkward as hell. “All right, but it stays red.”
Hailey nudged her gently in the ribs. “Makeup?”
“If it makes you happy,” Mad huffed, rolling her eyes. She hid a smile by slurping her tea, feeling a little secretly hopeful. She sucked at all that girly stuff. And Hailey was practically an expert. She’d done the whole beauty pageant circuit as a teen and won a bunch of them.
