39

CARLY

 

It’s early evening and Aiden went out, so I’ve texted Ally.

“I’m home! Come visit! Fort Knox can be breached right now and sister… there is LOTS of information flowing!”

I head to the kitchen and take the two cupcakes out of the otherwise empty freezer to thaw for later, thinking I need to grocery shop. I have visions of cooking in here with Aiden in his grey sweatpants.

Dreamy.

“Coming now! Open that fucking door so I don’t have to waste time with knocking.”

I’m giggling. I’d already texted her from the hospital to tell her about my drama and that my Dad was stable. I hadn’t messaged her back since then.

She’s in the apartment two minutes later, out of breath, wearing a pink and black polka dot dress. But her just below collar-length hair is now jet black and all sexy-flippy with one pink streak down the left side. She looks stunning.

“Oh my God!” I stare at her. “You are fucking gorgeous.”

She does a curtsy and then waves her hands. “Forget me. What happened? Did you deck the ex-bestie? Did you see the ex-boyfriend and kick him in the nuts?”

“Better.”

“Better?” She looks at me for a second, eyes travelling up and down my body. Her eyes bug out. “You got laid.”

I smile.

“You fucked Aiden!”

I smile bigger and drop a $100 bill on the counter. I made a stop at the ATM on the way home and Aiden asked about it. I told him I owed Ally $100. And then I whispered. “I lost a bet.”

“Oh yeah? What did you…” he stopped mid-sentence because it was all over my face and then he barked out a laugh.

“I’ve got cash on me…” he then reached for his wallet. I raised my hand.

“Nope, this is my debt to pay, and believe me, it is paid with pleasure.”

I got kissed breathless for that comment.

“You fucked Aiden?” Ally tries to confirm.

“Nope. Aiden made love to me.”

She smiles and looks like she’s about to swoon. “Oh my God…” and tucks the money into her bra.

“In my parents’ ugly basement on a sofa bed that’s older than dirt. He was amazing in New York, Ally. Seriously. I don’t know if it was what happened at Club Foxxx or his sister giving birth early, or maybe all of it?  He’s great in a crisis. My mother effing loves him. And we’re officially exclusive.”

She grabs her heart and takes a seat. “This is great.”

I nod. “Yep. Coffee? I have nothing else. I need to go grocery shopping.”

“So, let’s go grocery shopping,” she says.

“Oh wait. Seth got arrested for stealing my underwear. He had my Grams’ tiara too so that’s all sorted.”

“Awesome! I mean, not awesome that he did that but great that he got what’s coming to him and is no longer in our lobby ogling you.”

I nod. “Amen. Knew something was off with him. How disgusting is that? Like… what did he do with my underwear? I don’t even want them back.”

She shivers, making a gag face.

“Does Mer want to come grocery shopping?” I ask.

“She flew home yesterday.”

“What? I thought she was here until mid-next week.”

“Nope. She asked to go early. She was upset. Wouldn’t talk about it with me but I heard her crying in her room. I think something went wrong with Austin. I tried to ask him at work today, but he refused to answer my questions. He looked angry. Like… Aiden-angry.”

“Yikes.”

“She promised to keep in touch.”

“I wonder what happened?”  I say.

She shrugs. “Wish I knew.”

“What about you and Jude? Anything to report there?”

“Our first date this Saturday!” She claps her hands.

“Your hair looks fabulous, Ally. You look like Katy Perry with that dark hair and those popping blue eyes.”

She curtsies again.

“I’ll call an Uber,” I say.

“Or, borrow one of your new boyfriend’s cars…” she suggests.

I bite my lip. “Hm. Unless he’s in the car and left the motorcycle. I can’t drive that.”

I call him.

“Hey, peaches,” he answers.

“Hey, Hot Sauce. I’m going to run out and get groceries with Ally. Want me to cook something instead of you bringing back takeout?”

“Yeah. Why don’t you grab one of those lasagnas you made that first night? That was fuckin’ good.”

I roll my eyes. “I can tell you liked it, since you ate ¾ of it.”

“Well buy two if you want more than a small piece ‘cuz a) I want to eat ¾ of one and b) you’re gonna need your strength so carb-load, baby.”

I giggle.

“How you getting to the store?” he asks.

“I can either Uber it or you can lend me your car… if you’re on your motorcycle, that is. And if the keys are here.”

“I’m in the car but my SUV is down there. Keys are on my dresser. Audi keychain. You’ll see it.  It’s right beside my bike down there. Go ahead, baby.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. But watch your speed.”

“Watch my speed?”

“Hear you’re a speed demon…”

I giggle. “How do you know that?”

He laughs.

“Aiden? Did my mother tell you when I was out of earshot? What else did she tell you?”

“Not your Mom, Carly. I had Jude run a background check on you.”

I do a slow blink. My mouth opens, and nothing comes out for a minute. “You ran a…”

“Don’t be mad. I’m comin’ clean.”

I hold the phone.

“You mad?”

“I dunno.”

“Well, don’t be. Or feel free to be a little mad, mad enough to dig your nails into my back later to pay me back.”

“Somehow that doesn’t sound like a punishment.”

“I came clean, Carly. And you had nothing to hide so nothing to know. Now, if you ran a background check on me… don’t do that. Don’t run one on me, baby.”

“You’re something else, Aiden Carmichael…”

“That, I am. Take the SUV. See you in a bit. Just pullin’ in to the office now. Gonna catch my Dad here.”

“Wait. You also told me you only had a two-seater.”

“My bad…”

I sigh. “Okay, Hot Sauce, but FYI, it kind of triggers me when you say ‘my bad’ so you might wanna avoid saying that.”

“Noted.”

“See you later. You’re getting a spanking, though.” I hang up before he can reply.

Ally is standing there smiling.

“He ran a background check on me and knows I have a track record of driving too fast,” I inform her.

She’s smiling. “You two are adorable. I can’t wait to witness it in person. Told you. I saw it. I saw you two, happy, so happy. I’m thrilled for you, Carly.”

I sigh. “It’s early days, but I am, too. He’s… he’s hot, he took really good care of me in crisis. He’s playful and funny, and he…” I trail off and bite my lip.

“Hung like a horse?” she asks.

I wiggle my eyebrows.

“Good news,” she says and then she hops off the barstool. “I’m runnin’ downstairs to grab my bag. Call me when you’re heading down and hold the elevator at my floor and we’ll go.”

I go into Aiden’s room and grab his keys. It’s still a pigsty. I decide that when I get back, I’m going to do his laundry.