Her eyes were sympathetic, like they always are when it’s shit about Trent. She gestured to the packed out cafe and raised her eyebrows.
“I’m guessing the horny females of our lovely village haven’t all just taken a sudden liking to Tuesday morning coffee,” she whispered.
“Sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be, all business is good business, I just hope this isn’t too hard on you.” Her look was so pointed. That Trent’s-an-asshole-and-you’re-better-off-without-him look I’d come to know so well. She put a hand on my shoulder. “Best thing you ever did splitting up. He’s so…” She groaned. “Troublesome.”
And really hot in a tux. I forced the thought from my mind, pissed to find the same flutters in my belly that I’d felt the night before. A bodywand session should have sorted it. Did sort it. Or so I thought. It hadn’t meant anything, just fantasy gone mad. The shock of seeing Darren so… toned… the thought of some rich bitch being fucked by him and Buck, the others, too. I mean, that could never be me… I’d never take five guys… even if I’d had the orgasm of the century at the thought of it. It meant nothing.
Totally nothing.
I definitely wouldn’t want that.
That’s for women like Mandy Taylor and Hannah Bowen. Women who are… brash.
Confident.
Horny.
Sexy.
I checked out my reflection in the side of the coffee machine. Was I horny and sexy? The thought made me laugh out loud. A couple of dabs of eyeliner did not make a sex kitten, that’s for sure.
Not yet, anyway.
Tonya came in at the end of lunch, puffing and sweaty and midway through an apparent jog around the village.
She gripped a section of belly and wiggled it at me over the counter. “Keeping fit, need to tone up a little. Then I might hit the online dating. Again.”
“You look great as you are,” I said. She did, too.
Her eyes met mine and widened. “Not as fine as you! Jesus, Jodie, what the hell happened? Did someone break in and commit armed makeover ? If they did then please send them my way, I’ll leave the window open and won’t call the cops.”
“It’s just a bit of foundation…” I mumbled, but I was smiling.
“Like fuck it is! That top’s new.” She pointed straight at my chest. “Those babies are definitely in a decent push-up, and…” She leaned over the counter to check out the rest of me. “New jeans. Definitely new. So, what’s going on, pussycat?”
“Just thought I could smarten myself up a little.” I handed her a mug of tea. “Seems I’m not the only one around here. World’s gone crazy.”
“The Trent effect.” She rolled her eyes. “Mention a five-mechanic gangbang and the whole village goes makeup crazy, go figure.”
I leaned over the counter. “That’s not why I’m doing this.”
“Oh, I know,” she said. “You’re doing this because it’s about time you put some effort into being you again.”
“It is?”
“Oh yes,” she smirked. “It really is. Which is exactly why you’re taking a day off to come shopping with me. Girls’ day. Don’t say no.”
“But…”
Lorraine’s hands appeared on my shoulders. Her voice was loud in my ear. “Yes, you are having a shopping day. You haven’t taken time off since Easter.”
“Exactly!” Tonya exclaimed.
“Definitely,” Lorraine insisted. “This Friday. I’ll get Emma to cover.”
“Friday,” Tonya confirmed. “Spa, lunch and shopping.”
Spa, lunch and shopping sounded expensive. I said as much.
Tonya just scoffed at me. “Get Trent to help out, now you know about his lucrative little side-line, I’m sure he won’t mind dishing out a bit so you can have some downtime.”
I shook my head. “This has nothing to do with Darren. He does enough. We do alright.”
I could feel Lorraine’s scorn at the back of me, but she didn’t say a word. That was something she’d never been right on, truth be told. You can say a lot of things about Darren Trent, but the accusation that
“I’m guessing the horny females of our lovely village haven’t all just taken a sudden liking to Tuesday morning coffee,” she whispered.
“Sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be, all business is good business, I just hope this isn’t too hard on you.” Her look was so pointed. That Trent’s-an-asshole-and-you’re-better-off-without-him look I’d come to know so well. She put a hand on my shoulder. “Best thing you ever did splitting up. He’s so…” She groaned. “Troublesome.”
And really hot in a tux. I forced the thought from my mind, pissed to find the same flutters in my belly that I’d felt the night before. A bodywand session should have sorted it. Did sort it. Or so I thought. It hadn’t meant anything, just fantasy gone mad. The shock of seeing Darren so… toned… the thought of some rich bitch being fucked by him and Buck, the others, too. I mean, that could never be me… I’d never take five guys… even if I’d had the orgasm of the century at the thought of it. It meant nothing.
Totally nothing.
I definitely wouldn’t want that.
That’s for women like Mandy Taylor and Hannah Bowen. Women who are… brash.
Confident.
Horny.
Sexy.
I checked out my reflection in the side of the coffee machine. Was I horny and sexy? The thought made me laugh out loud. A couple of dabs of eyeliner did not make a sex kitten, that’s for sure.
Not yet, anyway.
Tonya came in at the end of lunch, puffing and sweaty and midway through an apparent jog around the village.
She gripped a section of belly and wiggled it at me over the counter. “Keeping fit, need to tone up a little. Then I might hit the online dating. Again.”
“You look great as you are,” I said. She did, too.
Her eyes met mine and widened. “Not as fine as you! Jesus, Jodie, what the hell happened? Did someone break in and commit armed makeover ? If they did then please send them my way, I’ll leave the window open and won’t call the cops.”
“It’s just a bit of foundation…” I mumbled, but I was smiling.
“Like fuck it is! That top’s new.” She pointed straight at my chest. “Those babies are definitely in a decent push-up, and…” She leaned over the counter to check out the rest of me. “New jeans. Definitely new. So, what’s going on, pussycat?”
“Just thought I could smarten myself up a little.” I handed her a mug of tea. “Seems I’m not the only one around here. World’s gone crazy.”
“The Trent effect.” She rolled her eyes. “Mention a five-mechanic gangbang and the whole village goes makeup crazy, go figure.”
I leaned over the counter. “That’s not why I’m doing this.”
“Oh, I know,” she said. “You’re doing this because it’s about time you put some effort into being you again.”
“It is?”
“Oh yes,” she smirked. “It really is. Which is exactly why you’re taking a day off to come shopping with me. Girls’ day. Don’t say no.”
“But…”
Lorraine’s hands appeared on my shoulders. Her voice was loud in my ear. “Yes, you are having a shopping day. You haven’t taken time off since Easter.”
“Exactly!” Tonya exclaimed.
“Definitely,” Lorraine insisted. “This Friday. I’ll get Emma to cover.”
“Friday,” Tonya confirmed. “Spa, lunch and shopping.”
Spa, lunch and shopping sounded expensive. I said as much.
Tonya just scoffed at me. “Get Trent to help out, now you know about his lucrative little side-line, I’m sure he won’t mind dishing out a bit so you can have some downtime.”
I shook my head. “This has nothing to do with Darren. He does enough. We do alright.”
I could feel Lorraine’s scorn at the back of me, but she didn’t say a word. That was something she’d never been right on, truth be told. You can say a lot of things about Darren Trent, but the accusation that
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