“Patience, grasshopper. My plan is working. Just like I knew it would,” Lila says smugly. “Knox faced off with Cormack last night. It’s a start.”
“He also kind of… showed up at my place when I got home.”
“What?!” Lila explodes, clearly angry at being kept in the dark.
“He did?” Gemma exclaims, so much excitement in her voice you’d think cupcakes were on a two-for-one sale.
I nod hesitantly.
“Spill,” Shelby orders, tucking a strand of light brown hair behind her ear. “I need to live vicariously through someone whose love life doesn’t resemble an episode of Mad Men.”
Gemma’s eyes get worried as she stares at her friend. “Things not going well with Paul?”
Paul is Shelby’s husband. I’ve never met him, mostly ‘cause he’s never around. Apparently he’s some kind of finance hotshot who spends too much time at work and too little time with his wife. A modern day Don Draper, if there ever was one.
“Same old.” Shelby sighs. “But I don’t want to talk about that.” Her pretty brown eyes move to me. “Spill, Phoebe. We’re not getting any younger.”
I sigh deeply and tell them everything — about the confrontation between Cormack and Nate and the late-night visit that happened afterwards. I leave out the part about my night ending with me sobbing against my imported Moroccan floor tiles.
“So, in a nutshell… he stormed out yet again with no real explanation as to why I can’t date Cormack… who seemed perfectly nice, by the way, until Nate showed up and ruined things.” I peel the paper off my red velvet cupcake and swipe a finger through the decadent cream frosting. It melts on my tongue and I’m pretty sure I groan in pleasure. “Damn, that’s good. Who needs men when there are cupcakes?”
“I don’t know how you people eat those things,” Shelby says, clearly revolted. “The amount of sugar alone…” She shudders.
“Um, because they’re good?” Gemma rolls her eyes before turning her gaze to me. “And I’m sorry, Phee. I really am. But if Knox says there’s something off about Cormack… I believe him.”
“Wait just a goddamned minute!” Lila’s glaring at me. “You’re telling me Knox came to your house and you didn’t jump his bones?!”
“Lila—”
“You didn’t even try to jump his bones?!”
“Lila—”
“The plan was to seduce him.” She shakes her head in disbelief. “Do you not remember the fundamental guidelines of Operation SPANK?”
“Spank?” Shelby asks.
“Severing Phoebe’s Attachment to Nathaniel Knox,” Gemma murmurs.
Shelby grins. “Best code name ever.”
“Truth,” Gemma agrees.
“Lila, it’s not that simple.” My voice is defensive. “What was I supposed to do, strip naked and launch myself at him like a heat-seeking missile?”
“Yes!” She practically yells. “That’s exactly what you were supposed to do.”
I sigh. “Well, I screwed up. Sue me.”
“What the hell is going on with you, Phoebe?” Lila’s eyes narrow. “Are you having second thoughts about the plan?”
“Of course not!” I swallow. “I’m so done with him.”
Gemma snorts. Shelby hides a smile behind her water bottle. Lila outright laughs.
“Guys!” I whine. “You’re supposed to be helping me, here.”
“I can lead a horse to water, but…” Lila shrugs helplessly. “I can’t screw his brains out for you.”
“Maybe I don’t have to screw his brains out. Maybe I can just keep dating Cormack until I fall in love with him and forget all about Nate. Fake it till you make it, right?” I straighten my shoulders, emboldened by the idea. “Honestly, I don’t think my heart is so illogical it would keep pining for Nate when it could have someone like Cormack instead.”
The three of them burst out laughing at the same time. Full-on hysterical cackles.
“Guys!”
“Sorry,” Gemma gasps out, wiping tears. “Sorry. It’s just—”
“The most naive thing I’ve ever heard,” Shelby contributes between snorts.