Page 50 of The HalloQueen

“The answer to that is always yes. Do you want solid or fishnet?”

“Um, the sheer and solid striped, I think.”

“Nice choice,” she disappeared into the closet where I kept my collection of tights and other multi-use things and tossed a pair at me.

“And the long black chain necklace - the one that joins at the clavicle and then hangs straight down.”

She grabbed it as well and came over to put it on me while I darkened my eyeliner.

“Don’t shoot happiness in the foot, Bels.”

“Don’t give me contradicting advice on the same day, Shan.”

“Is he going to be upset about you shaking your ass on the internet?”

“It’s the same ass that was on the internet yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. I’m not changing myself for anyone. I can be an awesome fucking adult and eat cereal for dinner and not consume anything but coffee until 2:00 and I can shake my ass on the internet as much as I want.”

“Uh huh…”

“Get back to work.”

“I’m going to tell Thomas he isn’t doing a good enough job if you’ve been banging since Saturday and you’re still this cranky.”

I filmed three transitions to splice into the basic looks I’d filmed the day before and posted one, choosing the one where my thighs jiggled a little more than the others when I kicked my leg over my head and dropped it to the floor. So help me god, I was going to make thigh jiggles a goal for women everywhere. I’d never met a person who didn’t love squeezing a soft thigh. Whoever started the smear campaign against thunder thighs did the world a disservice.

After posting, I moved to my desk and pulled my makeup wipes out of my drawer and began to wipe off the dark shadow, still wearing the singlet and Shannon whistled next to me while watching the clip, “Damn girl, you are a certified level ten hottie.”

“I’m telling you, Shan, one of these days I’m going to get you in there to film. There’s something incredibly liberating about owning your body like that.”

“You seem a little less on edge than you were before you filmed, that’s for sure. You wanna talk about what that was all about?”

I tossed the wipes in the trash, “I don’t know, I’m just…he called my place home and I think I just…independent woman’d for a second.”

“Maybe you need a break from him? Come out tonight with Trae and me. It’s Thirsty Thursday at the Cauldron and we were going to go right after work.”

I scrunched my lips, “that sounds really nice but Tommy said he was going to make this French stew and he seemed excited about it.”

“So come out after dinner. Go home, eat with him and then send him home and come out with us. He can spend a night at his place while you hang out with your friends - if he can’t, that's a huge red flag that you shouldn’t ignore.”

“Yeah,” I hesitated, “No, yeah, you’re right. There’s nothing wrong with us going out for the night.” I reached for my phone.

ANNABEL:I’m going out tonight apparently. Is the stew already going or can we rain check it until tomorrow?

My phone almost immediately went off.

TOMMY:Non, I’m still at the shop. I can make it tomorrow. Everything okay, amour?

ANNABEL:Yep, just going out with friends. I’ll see you tomorrow after work?

TOMMY:Okay…do you want me to come out with you?

ANNABEL:Nah, it’s okay. I’ll be fine. Enjoy a night to yourself.

TOMMY:Be safe. Remember, like calls to like. Don’t go for walks with strange men.

ANNABEL:Me? I’d never pick up a stray like that.

TOMMY:Of course not. Have fun.

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