Lifting a brow, I tilt the corner of my lips, intrigued.
“Like shove-her-hand-up-my-pussy-because-I-lost-a-tampon personal.” Mattie enters the backroom with two handfuls of hangers. “It was that or go to the hospital, which woulda been humiliating. Luckily, Mrs. Fanning explained what to do over the phone so I didn’t have to.”
Delilah’s mom is an ER nurse, so that checks out, but I’m still stuck on the wholelosing a tamponthing.
“How in the world…” I hold up a hand, shaking my head. “Ya know what, never mind. I don’t wanna know.”
“You don’t, trust me.” Delilah shakes her head.
“Oh, like I wouldn’t do it for you?” Mattie sasses. “In fact?—”
“That’s enough chitchat. Back to work,” Delilah cuts her off.
Mattie laughs, hangs up the lingerie sets, and then grabs new ones. “Oh, c’mon…he was almost blushin’.”
At the mention of it, my cheeks heat, and I lower my gaze to hide it.
“Aye, there we go.” Mattie points at me before walking out to the front.
“She’s…something.”
“And that’s before she’s three margaritas deep. Which she will be in a couple hours.”
“Where’re y’all goin’?”
“Maria’s Kitchen. We go every Thursday after work, have some drinks, chips and salsa, and then share a huge chimichanga.”
“How’re y’all gettin’ home?”
“It’s a mile from our apartment. We usually walk.”
“No, you shouldn’t be walkin’ in the dark while tipsy. You’ll be too vulnerable with Wesley out in the wind, so I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She sighs, her shoulders dropping in defeat. “Fine, we’ll get an Uber. Happy?”
“That you’re gonna listen to me for once? Yes. But I’d be happier if you’d stay home.”
“I’m not gonna live my life in fear because of some asshole. Then he wins.”
“It won’t matter who wins or loses if he does somethin’ to you.”
“He won’t. Have you seen Mattie? She can ride the mechanical bull in perfect form five-drinks deep. Unlike someone else I know…”
I scoff. “We’ll just see about that the next time we go out.”
She barks out a laugh, stands, and then pulls in her chair. “Sure, Wilder. The day you stay on it for eight seconds will be the day I marry you.”
“Marry me?” Now that’s aninterestin’idea…
“Yeah, because both will never happen.”
“You wound me, Mrs. Hollis.” I sulk, placing a hand over my heart.
“That’s not funny!” She playfully swats my chest.
I’m about to respond when she pulls out her phone from her back pocket.
“Oh my God…” she mutters, staring at the screen. “Jonah lost his job. They fired him because of the article!”