Page 7 of Trick
I almost choked on a sip of my drink as Abby finished her story, but the others just chuckled. The origins of Lucky’s road name clearly wasn’t news to them.
“Any idea how Viking got his name? I’ve never thought to ask,” Ella said.
I nodded. “His last name is Erikkson, and we have Scandinavian ancestry on his dad’s side, from what I understand. Uncle Bill told me that Sinner started calling him Viking years ago, even before they started the club.”
Martie came around then to drop off our checks and cleared away a few of the plates.
“This has been nice,” I said. “I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed hanging out with friends.” Most of the friends I’d had in Pittsburgh had been Beau’s friends first, and I’d lost them in the breakup.
“Since Everly was born, I haven’t gotten out much either,” Abby commiserated. “I love Caleb and our kids more than life itself, but it’s nice to get out and do something for myself. We should plan a spa day or something.”
“That sounds fun,” Ella said. I nodded in agreement because I loved a good spa day.
“Oh, we could start a book club!” Molly seemed so excited about her idea that she was almost bouncing in the seat.
Ella’s eyes lit up. “Count me in.”
“Me, too, especially if it’s a spicy book club,” Abby giggled, and Molly reached up to give her a high-five.
“The smuttier, the better,” Ella agreed with a grin.
“I love it! I’m in, too,” I said. It seemed that I’d found my people.
Molly glanced around the table, then made a circular motion with her finger to indicate herself, Ella, and Abby. “I know the three of us have just finished a terrific book. We could start with it,” she suggested. She mentioned the title, and I smiled.
“I’ve had that one on my TBR list for a while. I can bump it to the top and start it this afternoon. I don’t have any plans for the rest of the weekend anyway.”
Ella looked puzzled. “TBR list?”
“To be read,” Molly and I answered in unison as Abby nodded.
“Got it,” Ella replied. “I have one of those, I just didn’t know what it was called. I’m going to have to live until I’m one-hundred-and-ten to be able to finish mine, and that’s if I don’t add anything else to it.”
The rest of us nodded, clearly having the same kind of out-of-control lists.
“I’m happy to host it,” she continued. After a bit of back and forth, we agreed to meet at Ella’s place Monday evening, for tacos, margaritas, and sexy book boyfriends.
After stopping at the counter to pay our bills, we parted ways in the parking lot. I checked my phone once I got in my car to find three more missed calls from Beau, along with numerous texts from him, the first demanding to know why I wasn’t answering my phone.
“Why do you think I’m not answering, twatface?” I muttered to myself as I scrolled through the rest of them. “The sound of your voice makes me sick.”
The rest were condescending missives berating me for leaving him and complaining that we were taking a slight loss on the sale of the condo, thanks to the dip in the housing market.
Beau The Bastard:We’re losing eleven thousand dollars on this deal because you couldn’t be an adult about things, Lauren. I told you that they didn’t mean anything to me. I love you. We could have worked things out if you hadn’t run away like a child.
Me:I didn’t run away. I left town because you wouldn’t stop showing up everywhere like a fucking creep. The ONLY way we could have worked things out would be if you’d kept your dick in your pants and not been a lying, cheating piece of shit!
Beau The Bastard:Name-calling now? You’re proving my point that you’re acting like a child.
Me:And you’re acting like an insufferable twatwaffle. Of course, it’s not really an act, I suppose. You ARE an insufferable twatwaffle…and a lying, cheating piece of shit.
Me:Don’t contact me unless it’s about the condo sale.
Me:LEGITIMATE business about the condo sale, NOT whining that we’re losing money on it.
Hopefully, he would actually listen this time.
It didn’t take long to make it back to my new place, which I was renting from Uncle Bill’s best friend, Sinner, the founder of the 5thCircle Guardians MC. It had been used by Abby’s husband during their separation earlier in the year. They’d reconciled right before I’d moved back, and Sinner had offered it to me as soon as he’d heard I was looking for a place to rent. Luckily, the duplex was almost fully furnished, so I hadn’t needed to buy much before moving in.
