Page 47 of So in Love
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“Mom, I’m really busy,” Crystal parked her car at Starbucks and turned off the engine but kept the Bluetooth activated so she could finish the phone call.
“You’re always busy,” Mom answered.“You were barely home for Christmas.I just want to know when you’ll be back.”
“I know, and I can’t tell you that right now.Next month maybe?”Crystal knew that wouldn’t happen, but it would put her mother off.
“Maybe for Trent’s birthday?”
Her oldest brother was turning forty.Damn, she should try to make it back for that.“I’ll try to make that work.”She could fly in for the party and leave first thing the next morning.In and out.Easy peasy.
“He’d be thrilled.”
Crystal smiled, shaking her head.Trent wouldn’t give a shit unless she brought him a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue.“Okay, I have to run.”
“Crystal, everyone here loves you, you know.”
No, she didnotknow.In fact, she knew the opposite.There were enough people in Blueville who thought she was lucky her life hadn’t ended up in the shitter.Some of those people were still waiting for her to crash and burn again.Not that she’d ever give them the satisfaction.
“I know you love me, and that’s all that matters.I gotta go.Say hi to Dad for me.Bye!”She disconnected just as Mom said, “Bye, dear.”
Crystal tucked the phone into her purse and jumped out of the car, locking it with the fob as she strode toward the door of Starbucks.A young guy with bleach-blond hair swept into a messy man bun held it open for her.
She smiled at him.“Thank you.”
“My pleasure, ma’am.”
Ma’am.Her mother was ma’am, along with every other woman over forty in Blueville.Didn’t you have to at least be married to qualify as ma’am?Crystal glanced at her naked ring finger on her left hand.Like that would ever happen.She’d dodged that bullet once and didn’t plan on getting close again.
She scanned the lobby and saw her friend just sitting down at a table.She waved at Crystal, who motioned that she would grab a drink and head over.A few minutes later, tall flat white in hand, Crystal made her way to the table.
“Hey, Kim, thanks for meeting me.”
“We’ve been meaning to get together for ages!”She grinned.“This gave us a much-needed excuse, apparently.”
Crystal chuckled.“Yes, and we need to do it more often.How’s Marcus?”
“Really good.”They spent the next little while catching up.
“So tell me about this project,” Kim said, settling back in her chair and crossing her legs to the side of the table.
A moment’s panic rushed over Crystal.It was silly, but she was suddenly afraid.Or embarrassed.Or nervous.All of the above, actually.
“It’s still in the development stage, and it may suck.”Crystal leaned her elbow on the table.“It probably does suck.”
Kim pursed her lips and gave her an exasperated stare.“Stop that.I’m sure it doesn’t suck.”
“I don’t know.I’ve never tried anything like this.Alaina seems to think I can write a screenplay.What the hell do I know?”
Kim rolled her eyes.“We’ve been friends a long time.You’re one of the savviest people I know when it comes to scripts.”
“That doesn’t mean I can write one.”
“True, but you and I both know that most scripts are edited past the point of recognition from where they started.”
Crystal smiled.“Verytrue.”She finished the last of her tall white.“I’m nervous about this for another reason.It contains some controversial subject matter.”
Kim uncrossed her legs and leaned forward.“Oh, now I really want to hear it!Are we talking Oscar bait?”
