Rayvn
“How was your date last night?”
“Yes, dish. Spill it all. We’ve been dying all morning to hear about it.”
Rayvn faced her two best friends. She was dearly hoping to avoid the early morning inquisition but knew it would be pretty much impossible, given that they all worked together.
She groaned and turned back to the laptop she’d just switched on. At the moment, doing inventory was a hell of a lot more inviting than having to explain the disaster of a date, if it could even be called a date, that she’d gone on the night before. The worst part of it was, she’d been so hopeful. So. Hopeful. She’d put herself out there for the first time in two years.
“Let’s just say that it turns out making eye contact with a guy and feeling some instant chemistry doesn’t always make for a good date. It didn’t actually mean anything. Nothing actually worked out at the date.”
Laney sighed wistfully, and Charlotte offered a small, sympathetic smile.
“We’re sorry we forced you into going,” Charlotte said.
“Yeah, we thought it would be good for you. It was just supposed to be a fun night. It wasn’t supposed to be a disaster. We didn’t even know that you’d bid on anyone. We were honestly just going for the dinner and the entertainment factor. The poster made it look so interesting.”
“It was,” Rayvn admitted. “The talent portion of the night and the food was amazing. Even the auction was hilarious. I’m sure that the other dates were way better than mine.”
“But you paid so much money!”
“Oh well. I’ll make it up in finding a few good picks.”
“You could refinish that sideboard that’s been sitting in the back. You’ve been putting it off because you have all these grand plans for it, but you could finish it and get it out the door. That would help. It would probably get you half of your money back.”
“I would have to split it three ways, so not even close.”
“We’d let you keep all the profit,” Laney said generously. “As a token of how sorry we are for getting you mixed up in all of this.”
“You didn’t get me mixed up in it,” Rayvn assured her. “I chose to go on that date all on my own. No one forced me to bid. I did that all on my own in some wild, spur of the moment, lack of judgment way. Anyway, the money went to charity. I don’t mind that. I haven’t donated anything in a long time. It actually felt good, date aside. I’ll just forget it ever happened.”
Charlotte leaned on the counter, blue eyes wide. “What was it about him that you didn’t like? Was he just an asshole the whole time?”
Rayvn forced a smile. “Yeah. Something like that. He was just really childish. He kept making all these comments about how he was basically happy being single and he was never going to change. We were at the park and these kids accidentally threw a Frisbee at us and he made it seem like it was the end of the world and then made all these horrible comments about how useless kids are and how he never wanted to have them.”
“Eeewww.” Laney turned up her nose. “That’s gross.”
“Yeah, like why even bother?” Charlotte chimed in.
“That’s what I thought. I pretty much didn’t even want to be there after that. I know it was just supposed to be a fun thing for charity and all that, but if he wasn’t even interested in dating or being not single or anything, then what was the point? I wish I would have known that ahead of time.”
“It’s always the good-looking ones who are the biggest dicks.” Charlotte tittered at Laney’s statement. “I didn’t say have the biggest dicks,” Laney insisted.
The three of them laughed. It was just about the only thing they could do, and it felt good. Real good.
“Seriously, it’s always the handsome ones who are the biggest assholes because they can get away with it,” Laney explained. “They have everything handed to them. Women fall all over them. They can have whatever they want, whenever they want it, so they take everything for granted. They cheat all the time, the good-looking ones. I’m sure they do.”
“Ugh,” Rayvn groaned. “You’re probably right. I should have steered away.”
“Except that you were looking at him like you’d been hit by lightning.” Rayvn shot Charlotte a look, but she didn’t back down. “You know I’m right. I don’t blame you though. He was the best-looking guy there.”
“He was gorgeous,” Laney agreed.
“He was single for a reason.” Rayvn rolled her eyes. “Aren’t all guys? I think if they’re over thirty and they haven’t been married or don’t have a kid, it’s a pretty good indication they should be steered away from.”
“Yeah. They haven’t even given it a try. Although, he wasn’t over thirty… maybe he still feels like he has a few years left to be an asshole. At any rate, I think that if they haven’t been in a relationship before, they obviously aren’t mature enough to.”
“How do you know he wasn’t in a relationship?” Laney asked.
“I don’t actually,” Rayvn had to admit. “It’s just a feeling I got from what he was saying. I could be wrong, but I definitely got the vibe that he didn’t want anything to do with that kind of a thing. He seemed like the type of guy who does all they can to steer away from that like it’s the plague. He didn’t seem mature enough to actually have been in a long term anything with anyone.”
“Gross,” Laney said. She stuck out her tongue.
“I’d prefer damaged goods over that,” Charlotte agreed.
“Oh, you guys.” Rayvn had to laugh again and it dispelled the tension she’d grappled with all night. She’d had the worst sleep, tossing and turning and reliving that horrible date. “You’re too good to me. It could have just been me. He could have been nice, and I was just overreacting because of…”
“You’ve been through hell. Alex was an asshole. You don’t deserve to be with another guy like that. The next guy you’re with should treat you like gold because that’s what you are.”
“You’re the nicest person I know,” Laney agreed. “Alex didn’t deserve you. He didn’t have any right to do what he did to you. You’re going to make a great mom one day,” she added compassionately.
Her friends’ remarks made Rayvn tear up. They both knew how hard she’d struggled after her daughter was still-born. She had less than a month to go. Just three more weeks. And then she’d stopped feeling the baby move. She’d gone to the hospital, sure it was nothing. Her entire world ended that day. Her hopes for a future, a family, a husband who would give her those things. Her marriage unraveled right along with the rest of her world. After getting a divorce, she’d stayed single, too afraid to take a chance. No, too wounded to ever dream of trying again.
Until Shane. Until she saw him up there on that damn stage and their eyes met and she felt something. Something in a heart that hadn’t felt anything but pain and cold. She felt hope, for the first time in years.
And he’d dashed it all in a matter of minutes.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’re always here for you. You can take the day off if you need to.”
“No, no, I’ll be fine.” Rayvn forced a smile. “It’s just thinking about- well- about everything that makes me sad.”
“I know, honey. One day. It’s coming. Just keep hanging onto hope. You’ll meet the right person and then you’ll have your rainbow baby.” Laney smiled reassuringly, even though her eyes teared up too.
“I don’t know what I would do without you guys,” Rayvn admitted. “You’ve been with me through everything.”
“Since grade ten,” Charlotte grinned. “You can’t get rid of us. We’re stuck like glue to you.”
“Maybe I’ll just up and decide to have a baby without anyone. Go and pay for it and raise it on my own. I don’t need a partner. I have you guys to help out.”
“You certainly do,” Charlotte said. She smiled, though it was clear she had misgivings. She was in a happy relationship. It was hard for her to imagine raising a child on her own or even wanting to do that with a partner. “You’re a heck of a lot braver than I am. If you want to do it, you’d be the best mom. That kid wouldn’t need a dad. They’d have the best of everything in you.”
“I’m just kidding. At least at the moment,” Rayvn assured her friends. “We’re still young, even though I feel so old all the time. Sometimes I can’t believe I’m twenty-nine and not fifty-nine.”
“You’ve been through a lot,” Laney said quietly. “Don’t worry, honey. It will happen. And until then, you have us. You and me, we are still in the singles only club. I’m still good for popcorn and ice cream and sappy movies whenever you want it.”
“Hey!” Charlotte cut in. “I can’t help that I met Ben and that we’re happy.”
“I’m kidding. We don’t have a single’s only club. But if we did, we’d still sneak you in. You’re part of the circle. It’s always been the three of us and it always will be, even if we’re all old and married one day.”
“I better start on this.” Rayvn indicated the inventory list she’d brought up on the laptop. “Or I’m never going to even get started and the order won’t get done and we’ll be screwed for next week. We won’t know what we need or what to find.”
“I never know what to find. I just pick what I like,” Charlotte laughed.
“You have good instincts, but there are teas and gifts and all that jazz that needs to be replaced. Looks like I’m stuck with it.”
“I can help you if you want,” Laney offered.
“No, thanks. I’ve got it. I need something to occupy my mind with anyway.”
Her friends nodded and wandered off to do their own jobs. There was cleaning, sorting, old orders to unpack, picks to find and arrange as well as furniture to unload and get staged or refinish. There were always a million things to do.
Which was good. Real good. At the moment, Rayvn needed to be busy so she wouldn’t think about little angels in heaven, failed marriages, bad dates and a far too handsome face she couldn’t erase from her mind.