Chapter 9

Ch. 9

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my cell beeping repeatedly, alerting me to several new text messages. What the heck? I wondered crankily, and reached for my phone.

"Well??? What the hell happened last night?!"  the message screamed back at me.

"Ruby," I seethed under my breath. Doesn't she know what time it is?

Sleepily, my eyes wandered over to the clock at the side of my bed.

10 o'clock! Oh my God--I missed breakfast!

Jake would already be hard at work and I had missed my one opportunity to see him before he started. "Maybe that's for the best,"  I proposed out loud in my best big girl voice. "I need to play it cool."

"My night was amazing; it was incredible; it went better than I ever expected!" I texted back, my finger positioned on the answer button, waiting for the phone to ring. Ruby did not not disappoint.

Ring! Ring!

"Hello, Ruby," I greeted, smiling into the phone.

She bombarded me with an onslaught of questions. "Oh. My. God! What happened, Addy? Did you guys go out?  Is Jake going to kick Brett's ass? Did you kiss him?"

"Nothing much. Yes. No, but I think he wants to. And yes, definitely, but it was the other way around."

"He kissed you? Holy shit! Was it amazing? Tell me everything!" she shrieked in a voice that reminded me of a mouse with it's tail caught between the sharp teeth of a hungry feline.

Laughing at her excitement, I answered, "Ruby--it was amazing! He is amazing!" I blushed with pleasure as I thought of my night with Jake. "I think I'm in love."

"Oh, Addy, it's not love--it's way too soon for that. Believe me, I know. Infatuation, maybe. Or lust."

It felt like all three, but reluctantly I had to agree with her. It couldn't possibly be love.

"Have you spoken with him today?"

I stretched in bed and shook my head, my hair tumbling around me in tangled waves. "No, I overslept. He's already working. Maybe it's for the best, you know?" I shrugged. "I don't want to seem overeager."

"Overeager? By a phone call?" Ruby dramatically exclaimed. "You need to mark your territory, Addy. Jake is way too cute to stay single for long in this small town. And you know hospitality runs rampant in the South..." Her voice trailed of triumphantly, proud of her of wise observation.

I felt an uncomfortable prickle crawl up my skin as I contemplated Ruby's reasoning. It's true, Jake was unbelievably attractive, and southern girls could be particularly...friendly. But he was not in Lakeside looking for love. He was here to work. Or at least that's what I kept telling myself.

"I don't know, Ruby..."

"At least text him! Tell him to have a good day or something. Or tell him you had fun last night! You're a resourceful girl, Addy--think of something! But don't not talk to him. You'd be digging your own grave!" she emphasized.

Ruby was making some good points, but I was still unsure. I didn't want Jake to believe I was some silly, immature high school girl. I wanted him to think I was a mature woman who knew how to handle herself--even if it was just an act on my part. I chewed on my lower lip, trying to decide what to do next.

"I know!" Ruby blurted out, suddenly. "Invite him to the Friday Night Bonfire at my house tonight!" she exclaimed, using the title we had given her weekly summer ritual.

"Oh, shit, the bonfire! I totally forgot about that."

"What?! Don't think you're getting out of it again, Addison Victoria Monroe," she scolded, indicating she would have my head if I was a no-show. "You missed my last one. You have to be there tonight!"

"You know, Ruby Lynn Sinclair, you have them every Friday night. I may not be able to make it to every single one," I patiently explained. Ruby lived on Lake Lanier and she loved showing off her family's excessive property. Although I had to admit, it was pretty impressive. Ruby's parents were both real estate moguls, and Ruby's spoiled ass always reaped the annoying benefits.

"You'd better be there," she warned again. "The pool is open and you haven't even come over once since school let out. Besides, you can check me out in my new suit."

I rolled my eyes, remembering Ruby's latest purchase when a horrifying thought came to mind. "If I am going to invite Jake, I need a new swimsuit!" In a panic, I jumped out of bed and began searching for clothes through a freshly laundered pile on my bedroom floor. I didn't have much time to shop if I was going to get back in time to invite Jake to Ruby's.

"I'll be there in thirty?" Ruby offered without hesitation.

As aggravating as she could be sometimes, I could always count on my best friend to have my back. "You're a life saver! But we have to make it quick. It can't be like last night when I totally missed out on getting back here before Jake left."

"Yes, but it all worked out--didn't it? Getting sexually assaulted by Brett was the best thing that ever happened to you," she remarked sweetly.

I growled at the memory. "I wouldn't go that far, Ruby. But it did all seem to work out in the end," I admitted with a frustrated sigh. Even though the incident had passed, the thought of Brett still weighed heavily on my mind.

"And don't worry. I am an expert when it comes to speed shopping," she said, ripping me away from the unpleasant memory.

I snorted at her comment. "You're an expert when it comes to any kind of shopping." We hung up and I dressed quickly then ran down stairs for a quick bite to eat, almost running right into my mother.

"Woah--slow down there, Addy! You nearly knocked me over," Mom said with an exasperated gasp. "What's the rush, anyway?"

"Sorry, Mom." I stuck my head into the fridge, searching for something cold to drink. "Where's the orange juice?"

"I have to go to the store today. I'll add it to the grocery list."

I pulled out the milk and grabbed a box of cereal from the pantry, pouring the contents into a bowl.

"So, why are you in such a hurry?" she asked again, as I stuffed a large spoonful of toasted oats into my mouth. "You may want to take it easy there, Addy; you're going to choke...and I still need to renew my CPR certification," she added as an afterthought, walking to the counter and jotting a reminder down on a piece of scrap paper. Mom worked as a part-time nurse at the local hospital, and there always seemed to be some kind of certification she needed to get renewed or class she had to attend.

I swallowed hard and tried to answer in between bites. "Ruby's on her way over and we're going shopping. Her bonfire is tonight and I need a new swim suit."

Mom raised her eyebrows in response. "What about your bathing suit from last year?"

I scrunched my brows in disgust. "Seriously? That was last year's suit. I need a this year's suit! Everyone's already seen the other one," I explained.

Doesn't she understand fashion?

Mom threw her hands up in mock exasperation. "Sor-ry. I didn't realize it was taboo to wear last year's suit."

"Well, it is," I informed her, stuffing another bite into my mouth. Just then, I heard a car horn honk from the driveway. I jumped up and threw my bowl into the sink and began to search for my purse.

"It's in the hallway closet," Mom called after me.

How does she always do that? I grabbed my bag and ran over to kiss her on the cheek.

"Do you have money?" she asked, giving me an amused smile.

I nodded my head. "Yes, my babysitting money."

Mom stood in front of, regarding me with a funny look on her face. "Addy--are you going to go shopping looking like that?"

I threw her a frown and walked over to the hallway mirror in confusion. "My hair!" I laughed, giving my tangled mess a toss. "What, you don't like it?" I asked, looking back at her over my shoulder.

"I don't mind it, but if I know Ruby, she'll throw a fit!"

Giggling, I opened my purse and scrambled around for a comb. "Love you, Mom!" I said on my way out the door.

"Love you, too, Addy. Have fun." I heard her laughing as the door closed behind me.

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