Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“What do you want to know?” The small bit of tension that left with Ali’s joke comes back full force.
“I don’t know. Where did you grow up?”
“Here. I’m an Atlanta baby.”
“And your family? Big, small?” She asks another easy question.
“Small family. It’s just myself and my younger sister, besides my mom.”
“Did you go to college?” Ellie asks.
“I did. I went to Brenau University for one year, then I finished my degree at Rhode Island School of Design. I’m a graphic designer now.”
“You went to RISD?” Lindsay questions from across the room, disbelieving.
“Yeah?” I answer, uncertain. “I studied watercolor and oil painting along with graphic design.”
“I went to Savannah College of Art and Design,” she says. “I’m an interior designer.”
“Oh! That’s really cool,” I say. Small world.
“She’s also Charlie’s ex-girlfriend,” Sam announces, crossing her arms and one perfectly penciled eyebrow lifting.
Ali laughs in a way that shuts down Sam’s comment. “No, she wanted to be Charlie’s girlfriend. There’s a huge difference.”
I bite my lip, I am really not into this ex-girlfriend, current girlfriend animosity. Ali doesn’t seem to catch on to it. Which is good, since this is her day. Marcus was my hero before, this time it’s Monique. She pokes her head in to call Ali back. “Alianna, my dear. I have three more dresses for you to try on.”
“I’ll be back,” Ali says, winking to me. “Try not to get into any catfights.” The last comment is directed at Lindsay. Maybe Ali did catch on to it.
Without Ali here, the air is somewhat different. Although Ellie asks Sam about some promotion she was wanting to get. Sam didn’t hear back yet, but I tell her I hope she gets it. It’s only small talk, polite and fairly easy. I don’t make eye contact with Charlie’s supposed ex though.
It’s far too long before Ali makes her way back to us in a new gown, and I deliberately don’t look up. I’ll just sip my champagne, smile and ooh and ahh when I’m supposed to. Or at least I’ll try to.
Ali’s hips sway as she walks to the mirror. This one is pretty, but not as formal as the other one. It's sleeveless, dark cream lace with a cutout in the back. Ali’s face falls when she sees her reflection in the mirror.
Ali makes her way to the pedestal, turning this way and that. She faces us again. “What do you think?”
“Pretty,” Sam pipes up.
“Yeah, pretty,” Ellie says, nodding her head as her eyes travel up and down the gown.
“Not pretty enough, though,” Lindsay admits. Ali nods, subtly, but still looks to me for my opinion.
“I think I agree,” I say. “But it is pretty,” I add with a peppy voice just in case she likes it and I was wrong about the facial cues.
“Yeah,” Ali agrees, shoulders slumping. “All right. Cheer me up with some more details about yourself. Tell us how you met Charlie.”
“Oh, yeah!” Ellie says. “How’d you meet that hunk of man candy?” Her question forces a grin on my face. When the other girls look at her funny, she shrugs. “What? I can’t think that Ali’s brother is hot?”
The room fills with snickers.
“Okay,” I say, returning my attention back to Ali. “Charlie and I met because my friend Diane told me about his bar. She took me there for a drink, and one thing led to another…”
I leave it open-ended, hoping that their imaginations will be better than mine.
“When are you going to officially be his girlfriend?” Lindsay asks pointedly.
Her question is like a bucket of ice water to the face and I’m sure my expression reflects that. I’m quick to fix it, smiling back at her and shrugging. Before I can manage a response, Ali steps in.
“Charlie said she was. So she is.”
“Did he?” her friend questions and even if this conversation wasn’t about me, my jaw would still hit the floor. Why would she ruin her friend’s big day?
“Jesus, Lindsay,” Ali says, getting up. “You really are no fun when it comes to Charlie, you know that?”
“Sorry,” Lindsay mumbles and to her credit she does appear remorseful.
With a disapproving look and a huff, Ali disappears into the changing room again before I have to answer. I should try for diplomacy with Lindsay. After all, I’m the one who’s full of crap. I know Charlie doesn’t want me to really be his girlfriend. If I wasn’t in the way, Lindsay could be putting the moves on Charlie. She could be winning his heart, for all I know.
The idea of the pretty little blonde with big handsome Charlie makes me nauseated, but I choke it down, and wash the bad taste out of my mouth with another gulp of champagne. I’m going to play nice with Lindsay.
“I just started dating Charlie,” I tell her waving off the tension. “It’s barely even a thing.”