Hanging On (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2)(42)

“Holy f**k! What’s up with the beast?” Flem asked.

My friends were here! In Texas! With me!

I laughed and ran in to hug her. Fred bounded up with me, apparently deciding that these were friendly people. He had gotten a lot more used to strangers by being away from the ranch. Also because I was a sink or swim kind of gal. People just came in, and he learned that if he didn’t be nice, he’d get scolded. Dog learned fast.

“How did this happen?” I asked joyously.

“Gladis got a hold of Jane, who got a hold of everyone else. She arranged the whole thing. Said somethin’ about you bein’ desperate for friends.” Flem said with flare.

“Careful, Flem, your accent is slipping back,” Jane said smiling. “Or is Arkansas a different planet and not recognized by the South?”

Flem shot her a nasty look.

“Gladis, thank you! Thank you everyone for coming!” I gushed. I still couldn’t quite believe it.

“It was Little Willie’s idea,” Gladis said, arranging her scarf just so. “He wanted to fly everyone out, but as you are my ward, I insisted on that privilege. Then, when he was having trouble hearing the word ‘no,’ I just went and did it. He hasn’t met his match in the clever department!”

“William?” I asked, suddenly understanding the conversation a second ago.

“Ye are dating a man called Little Willie?” Claire said. “American’s use ‘willie’ for mickey, right?”

“Mickey?” Gladis asked, confused.

“Penis," I clarified for Gladis. "Yes, Gladis calls him Little Willie. I call him William, consequently.”

The girls bust up laughing, Gladis included.

Lady came in with a tray of drinks. Everyone’s seconds.

“So, seriously,” Lump started, “what’s up with the dog? And why’d you get such an expensive one?”

“He’s William’s. I had another run in with Dusty and now Fred is my protection.”

Smiles evaporated.

The next hour was a question and answer situation around dinner and drinks. I didn’t cry once, but Fred, who could sense my moods these days, came and sat beside me. Strange, the comfort a dog could give. And welcomed. I was thankful for it. Plus, anything with sharp teeth on my side was good news.

After everyone was satisfied that I was okay, the question and answer session switched to William, and then quickly went to his friends. Everyone was single and open to possibilities. Being that among William’s friends there was more than one possibility, all in pretty packages, I decided it would be fun to talk everyone down, throw a flaw or three in there, and then laugh my ass off when they met the real thing.

The only hitch in that plan was Gladis, who at first thought I was being stuck up. It took me to downplay William’s looks for her to finally catch on—she knew I thought William was a freaking God. I didn’t hide that fact to anyone living in Texas. So after she got with the program, she helped me out by saying Adam was handsome in his own way, though a mite slim—that meant scrawny—and William was a nice boy; I shouldn’t be so choosy!

The girls bought it, and immediately shrugged off the whole matter in indifference. They were here for me, after all. They could look for guys anytime.

Half buzzed and stuffed full, the girls and I fell into the cottage and headed to my closet. It was only 7:00pm so we had an hour and a half or more to get ready, but with a bunch of laughing, chattering idiots hell-bent on rummaging through all my hand-me-down’s from Gladis’s friends, it'd take a while. I'd gotten truckloads of handbags, jewels, scarfs, you name it after a few luncheons as a favor to Gladis, and suddenly everyone wanted to play dress up. I was gaining a toehold in society, sure, but when I was literally chased out of the door by a butler with a Gucci, things were out of control.

“How’s Ami?” I asked as I changed over to a smaller wallet.

“She’s doing great. She is actually coming in tomorrow morning. She’s engaged of all things!” Jane informed me. “She can only stay until Monday morning, though. She had to get back.”

“Engaged, wow! To the guy her mother hated?”

“Very same.”

“Incoming,” Lump shouted, tossing my phone at me.

“Lump—!” Wallet and cards up in the air, I juggled my phone between hands, trying to keep it from falling.

“I thought you could catch.” Lump laughed.

“Cabs are here!” I shouted, texting Gladis back with a “Thanks” and a smiley face.

As I pushed the chattering girls out the door, I took a moment to watch them walk down the path. They were digging in their bras to fix their br**sts, or hiding money, or straightening their skirts. More than one wobbled on their heels. Swear words and laughter rolled out ahead of them.

I had missed this. Missed them.

There were a few things I dearly missed from LA, but all were manageable except for my girlfriends. You could make friends anywhere, but it was hard to find a group of girls that got me like these girls did. You could have it all, but without your girls to share it with, things were just kind of flat.

We got to Froggy’s fashionably late in a cloud of perfume and fabulousness. William had text me to say he was in the VIP area, and we’d be on the list. As soon as I heard his name tacked on to this surprise, I knew he’d do it up big. When it came to spoiling me, William never did things in halves. I was one lucky broad!