Page 41 of Her Maine Risk

Looking back at them from my closet, they’re sitting on my bed with expectant looks on their faces.

“Maybe,” I mutter, looking away before they can read me.

“Okay… Tell us, bitch!” Ash yells.

“Well, I’ll start by asking if you two realize that you left me at The Rusty Anchor last weekend? Alone?”

“What?”

“Yeah. I came out of the bathroom, drank a water at the bar with Alex, and then I went back to the table and saw that you assholes were all gone. And my purse and jacket were just there for the taking.”

“No, we didn’t leave you,” Ally insists. “I left with Jake, and but Ash was still there, so I thought you’d go with her.”

“No,” Ash says, shaking her head. “I left a minute after you, and then thought you were going with Courtney and Dara.”

“Nope. There was no one.”

“Why didn’t you call us to come back?”

“Because I knew you were probably already undressing on the car ride home, getting ready to jump your men the second you could.”

“Uh, okay, yeah, you got me there.” Ally laughs, and Ash joins in, a guilty look on her face.

“It’s fine, though. Things worked out.” I bite back my smile and sift through my clothes again.

“Stop,” Ash orders. “Turn.”

Spinning around to face them, I play with the ends of my hair, trying to play it cool, but the words spill from my mouth in a rush. “I stayed the night with Alex in his apartment above the bar. Nothing happened, but we did sleep in the same bed and he took me home in the morning on his bike and I loved it.”

Blank stares. That’s all I get.

They blink slowly, and then all of a sudden jump up from the bed screaming.

“MELANIE! AHHH!”

“Oh lord, you two need to relax. Nothing happened between us, and nothing will.”

“Yeah, you’re lying. You’re not very good at it,” Ash says, laughing. “I have a soft spot for him. He’s a good guy beneath all of the flirting and sexual inuendoes. But still be careful.”

“I agree,” Ally adds. “Trust me when I say I think he’s just all bravado, but he’s still him.”

“Well, I’m not sure about anything. So, can you just help me pick out an outfit?”

“Alright, I know when you need your thinking space, so I’ll let this go for now. But you better be ready for a wine and pizza night soon where we get you drunk and you spill all your secrets.”

“That sounds like so much fun,” I say sarcastically.

“I know,” she says, sticking her tongue out. “Now! Let’s find you something sexy to wear that will make Alex drool and forget about flirting with anyone but you.”

Ashley shoves me out of the way and starts searching my closet. “Definitely something tight and lowcut. You gotta show off the girls. But don’t worry, Mely,” she says, glancing over at me, “we’ll keep it classy, too.”

“Gee, thanks.”

I can’t believe I agreed to this. I am perfectly capable of dressing myself and doing my hair and makeup, but since I asked Ally and Ash for help, they took over wholeheartedly.

My hair is curled in large waves down my back, my eye makeup is dark and smoky, and my lips are blood red. I think it may be too much for a night at The Rusty Anchor, but on the other hand, I also think I look hot.

And I’m only saying that about myself because I may have already had two glasses of wine while I was being used as a blank canvas for Ally to paint and make pretty.

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