I nodded.
He gave me nothing; not a look, not a smile, not a thing, and he was gone.
I wandered out of the books, got to the front and saw Daisy with her Juicy Couture covered ass in a couch with a laptop on her lap surrounded by Jet, Roxie, Stella and Sadie (not in Juicy Couture, and Stella’s awesome rock tee was making me nostalgic for my collection that was destroyed by an explosion).
Time to hit some concerts. Then again, it was always time to hit some concerts.
Daisy looked up and spied me.
“Sugar, get over here!” she called excitedly. “Roxie’s put some website ideas together and brought them in.”
“They’re all the bomb,” Stella said as I moved that way, curious to see and also feeling that feeling I was getting to know and oh-so-definitely loved flowing through me.
“I don’t know how you’re gonna pick,” Jet told me.
Sadie moved to an armchair so I could squish between Daisy and Stella.
“Here’s one,” Daisy stated then clicked. “And the next.” Another click. “And the third,” she said. “Aren’t they amazing?”
They were.
Every one.
Totally.
I looked across Daisy to Roxie. “They’re righteous.”
Roxie grinned. “I’m pretty pleased with them.” Her eyes moved to the screen. “Though, you need a name. It’s hard for Ava and me to come up with looks and color schemes if you don’t have a company title.”
“Rock Chick Investigations,” I announced and felt all eyes on me. “Colors, hot pink and black.”
“Aces,” Sadie breathed.
I looked at her and grinned. “I know, right?”
“That’s perfect,” Jet said.
“Hot pink and black, like the book,” Roxie pointed out.
I moved my eyes to her and nodded.
As if on cue, Tex boomed from behind the espresso counter, “Loopy Loo! B.A.! You feel like workin’ or you gonna hen peck all day?” He looked to Duke who was beside him. “And where’s Jane? Indy’s at home hurlin’. Loopy Loo’s in the bathroom all the time. We need fuckin’ help.”
He stopped booming long enough to point at me before he started up again.
“You! B.A.! You got a man in your bed now, you get pregnant, I’m quittin’.”
The customer waiting at the end of the counter for her coffee turned to me and immediately begged, “Please don’t get pregnant. My life sucks. All I have to look forward to every day is this crazy guy’s coffee. If he quits, what will I do?”
“I’m not getting pregnant,” I assured her and she looked visibly relieved. I then turned my attention to Tex. “And you’ve only got two customers. You and Duke can handle it.”
“I got two customers, but I’m low on mugs. You want me to fill ‘em, you wash ‘em. I don’t wash. I fill. That’s the deal,” Tex shot back (loudly). “So get to clearin’ and cleanin’.”
This was true.
Still, I was doing something.
I was also curious.
“What’s with the B.A. shit?” I asked.
“Bad,” Tex pointed at me, “Ass.”
Holy crap!
I loved that!
I was Fortnum’s own Mr. T, except white, female and without the Mohawk.
Righteous!
“You know,” Jet put in. “Because Indy’s not here doesn’t make you the boss. If anyone’s the boss, it’s Duke.”
Tex turned to Duke and declared (again loudly), “I don’t wash.”
“Man, been workin’ beside you two years. I know you don’t wash. I don’t care that you don’t wash. What I do care about is you shoutin’ at me when I’m two feet away. And don’t shout at the girls either. They’ll get to the empties.” Duke shook his head. “Jesus. You just got married a few days ago. You’d think connin’ a good woman into takin’ your name would get you to cool it.”
“You got married?” the customer Duke was handing coffee asked Tex and didn’t wait for an answer before she said, “Congratulations.”
“Shut it,” Tex boomed.
“Tex!” Jet snapped.
“What?” he snapped back.
Jet gave up on Tex and looked at the customer. “I’m sorry.”
“He’s told me to shut it three times this week,” the woman replied then took a sip of coffee, lifted her paper cup and let that say what she needed it to say (and it said it) before she wandered out of the store.
Tex piped down and I turned my attention to Sadie when she asked, “Where is Jane anyway?”
There were some looks and no one said anything so I waded in. “Do you all know?”
“About the book?” Jet asked and I nodded.
“Yep,” Stella said.
“Mm-hmm,” Roxie mumbled.
“Hector told me this morning,” Sadie added.
“Marcus told me last night. Shocked the shit outta me at first, then I got it,” Daisy said.
I tested the waters. “Are any of you angry?”