Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
After work, Devorah made her way from the employee break room to the room near the arcade. She’d quickly learned that Colt let most of the townspeople use the room for free, unless it was a birthday party. Even then, he kept the fee low. Each day, someone called to book the room, and on Saturdays it was only available in two-hour blocks. Devy couldn’t believe how many calls she’d taken during her shift. The people of Oyster Bay liked to have meetings and parties.
She found Laila rearranging the tables and chairs to give the room more of a board-meeting-type feel. After helping her, Devy set agendas out in front of the five chairs that now faced the audience—not that many people typically showed up—and set the rest near the accordion door on a small table.
“Do you remember when we were in high school, and we had to attend at least one meeting?” Devy asked. “These meetings used to be packed.”
“Yep,” Laila said as she set her laptop up. “The meetings used to be at the library in the room in the basement before it flooded. Everyone came to the meetings back then. Standing room only. It’s only been like this the last couple of years. There was a threat to cancel the entire thing until I took over. It’s been a challenge keeping it afloat. The younger generations really don’t seem to care about it, until I say this year’s event is going to get canceled, then maybe one or two people will step up.”
“Maren wants to be the Pearl of the Ocean. She thinks it’ll be fun.”
Laila giggled. “The day she becomes Pearl, we’re putting you on the float with her.”
Dread filled Devorah. “I probably shouldn’t tell you I still have my dresses in the closet at home.”
Laila’s eyes widened. “You do not!”
Devy nodded. “The tiaras and sashes too. I just left it all when I went to college, and Crow . . .” She trailed off for a moment. Things between them were good. From family dinners to him calling to see if he needed to pick up Maren from school or saying he would be late. They laughed at the Crowleys’ now. They hugged, and this morning Crow had told Devorah he loved her. After he said those words, she wept in his arms.
“Well, Crow never went into my room. I swear it was the same as the last time I visited when Maren was about three.”
“How come you guys didn’t come back more often?”
Devorah sighed. “Chad’s parents moved to Chicago, and there was no need. He knew Crow didn’t like him, so to him, there was no point in coming back, and you know Chad couldn’t live without us.” Devy made the gagging motion, which caught her off guard. Her eyes widened as she looked at Laila, who stood there shocked. “What was that?”
“Maybe your mind finally coming to the conclusion that Chad is such a . . .” Laila trailed off, looking at the ceiling as she thought. “He’s such a Chad!” she said gleefully. “You know the way he is isn’t normal, right?”
Devorah nodded. Each time anyone talked about Chad, she saw just how narcissistic he was. As much as she hated seeing the person she had become because of him, she needed the slap in the face to see the error of her ways.
She would come out of this mess as a better person, just to spite him.
“I wish I had seen him for what he was back when we started dating. I think even then I knew, but he was Chad Campbell, and everyone wanted to date him, and he chose me.”
“I didn’t.” Laila lifted her shoulder and straightened a piece of paper on the table in front of her. “He was always such a pompous ass. It was a major turnoff.”
“Why didn’t I see him like that?”
Laila let out an exaggerated breath. “In my most humble opinion, I think it’s because of Crow and how strained things were between you. Colt was gone to college. Hayden too. No one was left to protect you from Chad.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“No, there’s no guessing. He’s a dick.”
“Pretty much,” Devorah said as she inhaled. “But here I am, making amends for the person he changed me into.”
“Have any of your friends from Chicago called?”
She shook her head. None of the other moms from the PTA or any of the clubs she was involved with had reached out. Nor had the neighbors she’d organized block parties with. Not a single woman she had considered a friend. “I’m not surprised. Most of their husbands know Chad. They either all work or play golf together. Just a bunch of Stepford wives.”
Laila came around the table and hugged Dev. “You don’t need them.”
“Nope. I’m a Pearl of the Ocean.”