Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
He’s not actually asking. He’s telling us to get out.
“Sure, yeah… we can do that,” I answer for all of us. I just got Dani out of one trespass ticket. The last thing we need is to get trespassed from Costco too.
But she balks. “I’m not done shopping. I still need to get a few more things and pay out.”
The employee gives her a hard look. “Out, now, or I’ll ban you.”
“Gimme your list,” I tell Dani, snatching it from her hand. “I’ll have it delivered.” I turn to Janey. “Your stuff too.” Cole glares at me like that’s the least I’ll be doing to make up for this.
“Can I just get this cake on the way out?” Janey pleads, turning puppy dog eyes on the worker. “It looks so good and these cravings are a beast.” She puts a hand on her belly, rubbing gently.
Cole pulls a fifty from his wallet and holds it out to the worker, who hasn’t had a chance to answer. “We’re leaving. With the cake.”
Cole gently nudges Janey toward the door while she rests her prized cake on her belly, staring at it like she might attack it in the car before they get home. Kayla arches a sharp brow at me, letting me know that she’s going to have questions, so many questions. And I hold an arm out, letting Dani go first as I bring up the rear.
On the way out, people stare at us, whispering, and I see a few with their phones up like they recorded the whole thing. We’re definitely going viral as something catchy like Crazy Costco Tortilla Attack.
Out front, Dani starts to walk away but Janey calls after her, “Do you want to come over for cake?”
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” I sigh.
I have every intention of going with Dani to talk about this. But putting her in front of my family with zero warning or preparation is asking for trouble. Mine, mostly.
Dani freezes in surprise, turning around to meet Janey’s eyes, then looking at Cole, who seems extra unfriendly, and Kayla, who’s smiling her sharks-in-the-water grin, and finally, looking at me.
Kayla pushes the invitation over the limit, though, when she offers, “Or you could come to dinner tomorrow? We’re all getting together for one more hurrah before the baby comes.”
“Kayla,” I say sternly, warning her that she’s not just tap dancing on the line, she’s well beyond it.
She doesn’t give a shit, though, and shrugs with a small smirk, doing whatever the hell she wants like always, which includes upping the ante. “We can show you his teenage dirtbag pictures and tell you all the embarrassing stories of his younger days. How many times did the cops bring you home? Three, four?”
Cole deadpans, “Fifteen.”
“Is that how you got me out of that ticket yesterday? Because you knew the officer?” Dani demands, looking mad again.
“No,” I say, looking between her and Kayla in exasperation, because while that’s not how I did it, she also just gave my family a big breadcrumb to nibble at. Between Kayla and Cole, they’ll have the officer’s report, body cam footage, and probably face-to-face interviews within the day just to see what had me dealing with the police… again.
Dani hears me but doesn’t look like she quite believes my answer. “Thank you for the invitation. I’m not sure Kyle and I are there yet, especially after that.” She waves back toward Costco. “I’m really sorry for coming up on you that way and causing a scene. Best of luck with the baby. It was nice to meet you all, though I’m sure you can’t say the same about me.”
She’s nearly sprinting away, and I throw up a wave to my family as I chase after her. She’s not getting away that easily.
Behind me, I can hear Janey and Kayla talking. “You should’ve seen it! She called him something in Spanish and I swear it was like somebody stuck an electric rod in him without warning. Just… zzzzzzt!” Janey says.
I’d roll my eyes at her exaggeration… except it’s true.
I follow Dani to her car, sliding my body into the space by her driver’s door while she’s still fishing out her keys. “You’re not driving my car,” she scoffs, glaring at me and holding her keys hostage like I might snatch them from her hand.
Glad she didn’t say I couldn’t go with her, I say, “I’m trying to open your door.”
“Oh.”
She deflates like she was expecting more pushback than that, and despite my not trying to fight with her, she’s obviously not ready to call a truce.
She pushes the button on the fob and I open the door, standing stoically as she climbs in, still glaring at me. I shut her door… she’s glaring through the window. I walk around the hood, wondering if she’s going to lock the doors so I can’t get in. Hell, half-wondering if she’s going to drive away and pretend this whole thing never happened. Not just Costco, but us.