“Redneck chic is a nice way of saying I have bad taste, but I’m embracing it.”
Sizing up Maddy’s blonde girl next door beauty, I found her dressed normal. “Bad taste how? Is this about Tucker because, yeah, I see it?”
Maddy rolled her blue eyes then walked to the next rack. “Tucker is gorgeous. He’s the classiest part of my life.”
Nearby, Raven burst into laughter to the point of nearly pissing herself. I didn’t blame her since we’d all seen Tucker fall off chairs and struggle with push/pull doors. Classy, he was not.
Maddy ignored us both and focused on Winnie who wasn’t laughing.
“What’s your name again?” Maddy asked.
“She’s Winona. I call her Winnie. She’s shy like the fat bear with the honey addiction.”
“Winnie the Pooh isn’t shy,” Raven said, still sitting next to Winnie. “He’s just dumb.”
“Whatever,” I grunted. “I call her Winnie. Suck it.”
Winnie said nothing, just lowered her head until her hair covered her face. Raven caught on and left her alone.
“I have no regrets doing the justice of the peace thing to make stuff official,” Raven said about her quickie ceremony to Vaughn weeks earlier. With her younger sister on bed rest, she refused to have a real wedding until Lark could be her maid of honor.
“For the big wedding, I’m wearing my roller derby outfit and skating down the aisle,” Raven announced, standing up and wandering around the store. “Oh, and I’ll wear a veil.”
“And Vaughn is okay with that?” I asked.
“He ain’t the boss of me,” Raven grumbled before smiling. “The roller derby outfit gets him hard, so yeah, he’s okay with that.”
Apparently thinking about Vaughn, Raven strutted around the store, wearing a dumb smile. I wanted to strut too.
“Did you guys like Nick?” I asked, maybe a little too loudly.
“When you told me months ago about the bacon guy, I thought you were mental,” Raven said. “Nick is cool. He can’t bowl for shit though. You might want to keep that in mind if things get serious.
“Things are serious.”
“You know what’s funny? You love bacon and Nick stinks of it apparently. I love chocolate and Vaughn wears that great body spray. Man, he smells good.”
I flicked Raven’s nose. “You already got your man. Now shut up and pay attention to me. It’s my turn.”
“Oh, sorry,” Raven said, erasing the space between us. She looked deep into my eyes and caressed my hair. “Share with me all the delicious details about your bacon smelling stud.”
“Nick doesn’t stink of anything. He’s very clean.”
“Even after you finished with him? Your sluttiness has been known to mark a man.”
“I’ve been celibate since the beginning of summer. My pussy has cobwebs at this point.”
While the clerk looked horrified at our conversation, Winnie grinned under her hair. Everyone had an opinion of my love life apparently.
Raven tugged gently at my hair. “Nick’s a nice guy. I hope you two make it work.”
“Are you being snarky?”
“No, I mean it. He’s a good guy. Not impressed with money or easy pussy. A guy like him will make a good husband. You know, if it ever gets that far.”
“I really like him,” I admitted. “He makes me feel different than other guys.”
“Why worry then?”
“I worry he’ll lose interest like every other guy. Well, except for Deputy Dickhead who keeps texting me.”
Raven gave me her irritated big sister look. “You should tell Kirk about the dipshit and make him go away.”
“I don’t want to run to Pop over a guy. I’m trying to get them to respect me in the club. Needing to be saved from a douche like Ennis makes me look weak.”
“I guess, but don’t underestimate a creepy stalker type. Especially one carrying a gun.”
I never viewed Ennis Darling as a threat since most men in Ellsberg knew to behave around me. Those who didn’t know learned the hard way.
“Can I talk to you outside?” I asked and Raven glanced at Maddy.
“We’ll be back to watch you try on dresses.”
“I don’t see any I like. Not my style.”
“No redneck chic, huh?” Raven asked and Maddy flipped her off.
When I instructed Winnie to stay, she frowned at me since I used my master to dog tone. Giving my assistant an apologetic smile, I followed Raven outside.
“What’s up?”
“It’s about Nick.”
“Sex issues?”
“Kinda,” I said, kicking the ground.
Raven bumped my hip. “Is he too quick? I’ve heard nice guys have that problem. I don’t know obviously since I was only with assholes before Vaughn.”
“You don’t think Vaughn is an asshole?” I balked.
“He’s my asshole.”
Sighing, I looked at the traffic and recognized a guy driving by. He was one of the many dickheads who considered me a bang and hang girl. I didn’t even remember fucking him, but I did recall him blowing me off.