Page 58 of Yours To Take
“Gem. Wear it for that sexy new man of yours. He sees you in that?” She eyes me up and down. “He won’t know what to do with himself.”
“What’s this about a new man?” Layla comes up behind us.
“Geez, Layla. Do you always sneak up on customers like this?”
“Only the ones I’m related to. And only when I hear something about a new man.”
“There’s no—”
“She’s got a man.”
“Ivy!”
“Gemma! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I—”
Layla holds up a finger, stopping me. “This calls for wine.”
Marching over to the front of the store, she tells the woman working the front desk—someone she went to high school with—that she’ll be a few minutes and then calls us to the back room.
It’s an explosion of fabric and mannequins. Half-completed pieces hang from the bodies. From what’s on them, I already know next season is going to be even better for Layla.
“Now, I want the details.”
Layla grabs a bottle of open wine. Popping the top, she fills three glasses.
“She’s been a touch scarce on them,” Ivy tells her matter-of-factly.
“Only because you didn’t give me a chance.”
Two sets of eyes stare back at me. “Now’s your chance, Gem.”
Sometimes Layla reminds me so much of my mother, it’s scary.
“Blake and I…”
“Did the horizontal tango? Knocked boots? Bumped uglies?”
I choke over my wine. “Why is it called bumping uglies? There is nothing ugly about that man.”
It takes me a minute to realize what I’ve told them, but both of their eyes widen.
“I can’t believe you finally gave it up!”
“It’s not like it was a conscious choice I was making. I just couldn’t find someone I liked to even want to date. Why would I give it up to them?”
“Ignoring that,” Layla circles her hand in the air in a silent request for me to continue. “What’s Blake like?
The thought of him has every part of my body tingling from the memories of what he did to me.
“He’s smart. And sexy. And fun.”
“Good for you for not settling.” I don’t miss the pain that flashes in Layla’s eyes. She’s had a rough go of it since her divorce.
“It’s just…”
“Just what?” Ivy asks, sipping on her wine.
