Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 95340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Brodie stands behind me, looking at my stuff. “You sure you want to do this?”
No. “Yes. I love pink.”
Which is true.
I do love pink. I just never thought I would want to paint my room this color.
“After my near-death experience, I’ve had a new lease on life.”
His brows go up as he moves forward, setting his toilet snake on the counter, as soon as my hand goes out to collect my change.
“What near-death experience?”
“Uh, the one with the squirrel?” How soon they forget. “He could have maimed me.”
“Maimed you? I’m the one who had to go in that room—without any professional gear, mind you—to find that little son of a bitch.”
Maybe so, but, “He came through my wall when I was minding my own business. He could have attacked me then.”
“He could have attacked me when I went in to look for him.”
“You are being so dramatic,” I say as we both take our stuff and head toward the exit, the kid behind the counter looking on with the widest eyes I’ve ever seen.
“I’m being dramatic!” Brodie exclaims theatrically, pushing the door before I can and holding it open so I can walk through first. “You literally just called your experience near-death. There is nothing more dramatic than that.”
“Hmph.” I let out a pfft sound, thoroughly enjoying this back-and-forth banter.
And we don’t stop, giving one another a hard time the entire walk back to our respective houses. Brodie walks me to the door instead of stopping at the lot line between his house and mine, neither of us is aware of it until we’re standing awkwardly.
As if we were on an awkward first date.
“Oh shit,” he says. “I didn’t realize…” He glances back at his house, gesturing toward it.
I lift my paint cans. Brodie offered to carry the gallon can on the way back, but I refused, insisting that I could manage just fine on my own. Women’s lib and all that…
“That was fun. We should do it again sometime,” I tell him with a laugh. “The hardware store is fun!”
“No freaking way. You’ll end up wanting to put a ceiling fan in your room next, and I’m no electrician.”
“No, but I bet you could still figure it out.”
Later, when I’m standing in the middle of my bedroom, all I can do is stare at the paint I just had to have, wondering if one gallon will be enough. I also don’t have all the necessary supplies, like a paint pan or drop cloth, but like, it’ll be fine. How hard can it be?
The gallon sits not-so-innocently on my desk, its label promising a transformation with just a few brushstrokes. But as I look at it, uncertainty gnaws at me.
I bite my lip.
The color, that perfect shade of pink that would have been more perfect for a young girl and not a full-ass adult, had seemed like the perfect choice when I was with Brodie—and flirting with him, and trying to pull a DIY project out of my ass that he could help me with.
Plus, it’s supposed to brighten up the space.
Ugh. Why did I buy this crap? No one has time for this, and Brodie didn’t exactly act thrilled at the prospect of helping me, and part of me only bought the stupid gallon of paint so I would have an excuse to get him back over here.
HOW HORRIBLE IS THAT?
Basic Jedi Girl Tricks 101, that’s what that is.
I don’t actually want to paint.
In fact, I hate painting. Loathe it.
Relief washes over me when my phone pings, a text notification giving me something else to focus on.
Sully: Saw you just got back from the hardware store with bae. How’d it go? Are you engaged yet?
He’s become something of an ally since our mess of a date. Not optimistic that Brodie would be interested, but willing to be the kind of wingman a guy can be when he’s fallen into the friend zone.
Me: Shut up, you’re not funny.
Sully: I’m being serious. I’m shocked that he would invite you along.
Me: Er, he didn’t. I saw him out the window and like an IDIOT went chasing down the road after him.
Sully: You did not.
Me: Unfortunately, yes. Yes, I did.
Sully: Why do no chicks chase ME down the road?
Me: Probably because you call them chicks??
Sully: That could be a valid argument.
Me: Thanks. I try.
Sully: So no sparks were flying?
Me: I wouldn’t say so, no. No sparks. But I did buy a gallon of paint and am soon going to have a pink wall!!! So there is that.
Sully: Need any help? Wink, wink
Me: Er, no. I think I have it covered.
Sully: By covered, do you mean Brodie is going to help you the same way he captured that squirrel for you?
Me: Shut UP, Sully! Ugh, WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS.
Sully: I’m just sayin’… The guy is good at a lot of things, but household DIY may not be one of them.