Page 38 of Breaking All The Rules
“That you’d been in some kind of accident and were disfigured and/or blind, depending on the day and the person telling the story,” Mia said. “Keeping your windows covered seemed to popularize the whole disfigurement thing.”
Winona sighed. “I liked the witch rumor the best.”
Marley laughed. “That’s only because you wanted to taunt Arlo with the prospect of a coven setting up home in Credence.”
Winona grinned. “Serves him right for having a giant stick up his ass.”
Tucker arriving with their cocktails interrupted the conversation, and Bea quickly downed the rest of her beer as she accepted her piña colada. She wasn’t much of a fruity cocktail fan—she was a beer girl through and through—but she could suffer through one.
“Here’s to new faces,” Winona said, picking up her glass in salute. “Welcome, Bea.”
The women all raised their glasses, too, and clinked them together. Bea sipped at her cocktail, given her palate wasn’t exactly in the most receptive mood for something sweet after the beer. But it tasted light and fresh, and Bea knew from experience that she just needed to drink more to get her palate adjusted, and with great company, that wouldn’t be a hardship.
“So, Bea. Tell us about yourself,” Mia invited.
It took about ten minutes for Bea to tell the abridged version of her life and what had brought her to Credence. Not one of her new friends thought it was strange that she would just up and move on the throw of a dart, but then these women had all moved here off the back of a national Facebook campaign. If anybody understood impulses, it was them.
Bea had definitely found her people.
The garlic bread, along with another round of cocktails, arrived just as Bea was getting to the end of her tale, and the women swooped in. “Oh God…” Bea groaned as the buttery, cheesy, salty, garlicky goodness caused the kind of sensation in her mouth that Austin caused inside her day-of-the-week panties every time he said Beatriss. “Carbohydrates are the devil.”
“Amen to that,” Winona agreed.
They consumed the bread—two large triangles each—to the background murmur of the Saturday night crowd and the crooning of Keith Urban. None of them spoke until the bread was gone, which was the kind of reverence that should be given to food that could make the earth move. But once they were done, the questioning resumed.
“So,” Winona said, licking her fingers, “what are your plans while you’re here?”
“Honestly?” Bea shook her head. “I don’t know. I…didn’t think that far ahead. I’m secure enough financially not to have to do anything for a time, so I guess I’ll figure it out as I go along. I just needed to get far away from LA.”
“Okay, but…” Mia quirked an eyebrow. “What have you been doing for the couple of weeks you were locked away while we were all speculating whether you were a Gryffindor or a Slytherin?”
Bea laughed. If only she’d known there’d been such interest, she might have played along. Hung a rubber bat in the window or put a cauldron there for everyone to see. “I binge-watched all fifteen seasons of Supernatural.”
There was a moment of almost reverential silence as the women gaped at her. “Was that the first time you’ve seen them?” Mia asked.
“Yeah.” Bea gave a self-deprecating smile. “Most of the TV I’ve watched in fifteen years was about the ads, not the actual shows. I basically didn’t have a life.”
“Oh…I remember being a Supernatural virgin.” Marley’s hand fluttered over her chest. “Popping that cherry was sweeter than my actual cherry being popped.”
“I can’t think of a better use of your time,” Molly agreed sincerely.
Winona raised her almost-empty glass. “Respect.”
“So, are you Team Sam or Team Dean?” Molly asked.
Bea frowned. Was that a trick question? “Is…Team Sam a thing?”
They all laughed. “Apparently,” Mia replied.
“Oh, well…I mean, Sam’s cute. For sure. And principled. There’s a lot to be said for a bleeding-heart hot guy, right?” Everyone nodded. “I sure wouldn’t kick him out of my bed for spilling crumbs. But he’s impulsive and hotheaded and…”
“Whiny,” Marley supplied.
“Yes.” Bea laughed. “So whiny. And Dean…well…”
“Right.” Winona nodded. “Dean wins.”
“Dean all the way,” Mia agreed.
