Page 17 of Pretty Ruthless

“I don’t want to live in the boonies Claire!!” She guffaws.

“Not even for single guys who’s momma’s raised them right and they work with their hands everyday?” I smirk even though she can’t see me.

“I’m listening…” she says with interest. I laugh loudly into the phone.

“Okay, I saw you the day before yesterday and you were dreading going to this and now all of a sudden you’re looking at real estate and moving a whole ass office to Brighton, California.” The suspicion in her tone makes me laugh. Dawson stands in front of my car in dark jeans and a black t-shirt, his blonde hair is messy like he ran his hands through it a hundred times before he got here but the smile on his face is what has me stopping in my tracks.

“Yep, that’s the plan, listen I gotta go, I’ll call you on Monday on my way back.” I click the button on the steering wheel and don't bother to wait for her to say goodbye. I pull the door handle and step out of the car, my heart feels like it’s galloping with the excitement of the possibility that we might get the fresh start we always wanted.

“Hello gorgeous,” he says with a smile, he takes a few steps towards me and I meet him in the middle.

“Hi,” I reply, wrapping my arms around his shoulders pulling him in for a hug. “You look really good.”

“I could say the same for you,” he gives me a once over and I blush. “You smell delicious, what is that?”

“It’s this new perfume we’re getting ready to launch.” I tell him, giving my wrist a quick smell. It smells like vanilla and amber with a hint of rose and it is by far my favorite.

“It smells like a summer sunset,” he says and I mentally catalog the name to send to my marketing team.

“Are you ready to head in?” I ask, eyeing our other classmates as they make their way inside.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Dawson says exhaling loudly.

“Oh come on, it’s gonna be fun. We can dance and mingle and then head back to your house and you can show me the other things you’ve upgraded.”

I left too early this morning to see the back porch but I could tell through the kitchen window it had some updates. I was up a good portion of the night and not in a fun way, doing research on the property and the income levels in Brighton. Just because a store here would be convenient for me doesn’t mean it’s a good business strategy so I had to look at it from all angles.

“I have something exciting to show you.” I tell him as we take the steps to the gym.

“You’re not leaving, you quit your job and you’re going to stay home and make peanut butter cookies for me all day everyday?”

“Exactly. Cookies for everyone!” I laugh as he holds the door open for us. The gym looks exactly like I remember it. The crimson head of the Buffalo painted on the wall is new and they may have updated the floors in the past ten years but other than that, it’s the exact same.

A large table sits at the entrance with name tags and an assortment of pictures spread out across its surface. I find my name quickly and peel the paper from the sticky backside. I place it on my shirt and then hunt for Dawson’s. I find it and place it on his shirt.

“Do you really think people won’t know who we are?” He asks as I smooth out the edges. “This isn’t a 50 year reunion, nobody looks that different.”

“Don’t spoil the fun, dammit,” I say with a smile. “Let’s find Kennedy and Devon, I need to talk to her really quick.”

We mingle for a few with some of the people we haven’t seen in a while before finding Devon and Kennedy. I pull her aside and give her all the details about my plan for the flagship store and office. I tell her we can talk more about it tomorrow or Sunday but I need her on board to help me.

The entire evening goes off without a hitch and before I know it Dawson drags me outside, I’m sweaty from dancing and I can honestly say I’ve never felt more alive.

“Follow me back home,” Dawson says as we exit the gym.

Home.Home? The way he says it makes me think about it for a moment as I approach my car. I guess this is home. It feels more like home than anywhere else I’ve ever lived up to this point.

I follow the red taillights of Dawson’s pickup through town and out to the house, giddy the entire time about the news I get to tell him. Of course it’s not solidified but the prospect of it pulls a constant smile from me. My mom is going to be ecstatic when she hears the news.

I barely have the car in park before I swing the door open and jump out.

“Guess what?” I tell him at the foot of the stairs for the porch.

“What?” He asks, my excitement rubbing off on him.

“I went and looked at a building today.” I smile broadly.

“A building for what?” He asks, raising a single eyebrow.

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