Page 7 of Something Spontaneous

The frisky and playful side of me wants to tease him about being short for words and formalities, like he’s always been. The rest of me wants this nightmarish exchange to end, so I keep my answer simple.

“I’m going to stay at the motel. I already called and got a room.” I wish there was another option, but the motel his family still owns, based on his cousin answering the phone, is the only one around.

He nods and drops a hand to his pocket, pulling his phone out to check it before tucking it away.

He looks back at me. “Do you need a ride?”

I shake my head. “I can walk.”

It’s almost imperceptible, but his stance softens just a bit. “You sure? I can take you.”

“No. I’m fine, Sly. It’s only a block away, and I’m pretty sure I remember how to get there, unless your parents managed to move an entire motel.”

Even with that beard, which I must admit looks good on him, I can see the corner of his mouth pull up into the faintest hint of a grin. “Okay.”

“When do you open tomorrow?”

“Same as always.” This time, he flashes a smug grin. “I’m pretty sure you remember that, too.”

I guess that’s a fair response considering the number of times I made him late to work.

“Fine. See if you can figure out what’s wrong with my van by tomorrow afternoon or maybe even have it fixed.”

I throw my bag of essentials I took from the van over my shoulder and turn to start walking down Silver Street, the main drag through Sterling Springs.

“Night, Bunny.” His deep voice cuts through the night air. I stop, looking over my shoulder just in time to catch him disappearing back into the garage. The big overhead door slowly lowers, and like that, an exchange I’ve dreaded for a decade, is over.

CHAPTER 4

JOSIE

OMG

The sound of my phone buzzing on the nightstand pulls me from my much-needed sleep.

“Nooo.” I groan, burying my face into the pillow.

The buzzing continues, and I begrudgingly pick up my phone. I wipe the sleep from my eyes and look at the notifications, seeing a flood of text messages from Grace. The string of unanswered messages just had my phone giving my strongest vibrator a run for its money.

Grace: OMG.

Grace: You’re in Sterling Springs?

Grace: You need to meet my friend, Sisi. You would love her.

Grace: She’s the one I was telling you about. It was her wedding that I went to with TJ and Sutton.

Grace: Well sort of. The wedding didn’t actually happen…

Grace: I told you that, right? Anyway, so maybe be nice to her?

Grace: And tell her I said hi!

I think Grace is onto something with her faith in karma because guilt instantly gnaws at me, enough that I know I’m not falling back asleep. I can just picture my guilty conscience and that bitch, Karma, both shaking their heads at me because they know the one secret I’ve kept from her.

While Grace and I have been really close since college—even after I dropped out after that first year—there are some things she still doesn’t know about.

Does she know about my cam girl life, and my quest to never be tied down to anything? Yes, and she has never once judged me or made me second-guess myself. If anything, she’s been beyond supportive.