Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 83211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“Any time, any time.”
She mumbles something as I finish the email and hit send. It’s probably good that I can’t hear her.
“How’s that response look?” I ask.
“Well, it’s sent. So there’s that.”
I look down at my phone when it starts buzzing. I see who it is and pick it up.
“Hey, Golden Girl,” I say to my new friend. “How are you this fine morning?”
“Oh, Sparkles, you stop that,” she says, laughing. “Are you already on fire today? It’s still early.”
I glance at the clock. “It’s almost lunchtime.”
“And that’s early when you’re in retirement.”
Gloria was one of the women who contacted me through the dating app. It turns out that she’s a good friend of Brooke’s grandma, Honey. It also turns out that she’s hilarious, makes a great sandwich, and has taken me on as her pet project.
I hate to tell Jess, but Gloria is the best thing to happen to me in a long time. I get food, and attention, and she loves me. If she were fifty years younger, we might have a thing.
“I’m calling to see if you’ve done your photo shoot yet for the fundraiser,” she says.
Laughing, I take her off speakerphone and ignore Tasha’s amusement. “No, I haven’t. I’m still picking out poses. I want to be original, you know? Really get my good side.”
“Boy, you don’t have a side that’s not good.”
I beam. “I’ve heard that before. But keep saying it. I like it.”
Her cackling makes me grin.
“Well, I need them by next week,” she says. “I’m going to have fliers made and hung up around the retirement center. I’m gonna wet these ladies’ whistles.”
“That’s probably not all you’re gonna wet with those pics, Gloria.”
“You’re damn right. We may be old, but we still got it. There’s some of us that could still rock your world.”
My cheeks ache. “I have no doubt. None at all.” But I would never want to find out for myself. Just … no.
Foxx is old, but I don’t think he’d even want to have his world “rocked” by Gloria or one of her friends.
What if … I grin.
“My Charlie was a satisfied man, I’ll tell you. I was a belly dancer back in the day, and I learned how to work these hips.”
“You know what? I wondered that when I saw you. I said, ‘Self, I bet that woman was a belly dancer because look at how she sways those hips.’”
She snorts. “You should see me when I don’t have compression socks on.”
I burst out laughing.
“All right,” she says, snickering. “Enough messing around, you little flirt. Pictures by the end of the week, okay?”
“How many poses?”
“As many as you want. If we don’t use them for the fundraiser, we’ll use them in other ways.”
I gasp. “Gloria, are you insinuating what I think you’re insinuating?”
“Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“Oh, like yours wasn’t there,” I say, laughing.
“You better be glad I’m not your grandma or I’d take you to church.”
“Is that some kind of thinly veiled sexual reference?”
She sighs. “Are you coming to get me this week for lunch or what?”
“Yup. Text me whatever day you’re free, and I’ll make it happen.”
“I’ll see ya then, Sparkles.”
“Bye, Golden Girl.”
I end the call and lean back in my seat. Before I can get refocused on work, my phone chimes with the group family text. And they say I’m annoying.
Moss: We need a headcount on who is coming for pizza tonight.
Maddox: Not us. Ashley made me go shopping today and we’re still at the outlet mall. Someone help me.
Paige: I wish I was coming. I miss my brothers.
Maddox: We miss you too.
Jess: Pippa and I are already on the way to Silver Springs. Miss you, Paige.
Foxx has silenced notifications.
Me: Guess that’s a no on Foxx.
Jess:
Moss: Are you coming, Banksy?
Maddox: Are you really asking him that?
Me: Yes, he really asked me that.
Jess: WHY? You know he’ll be there.
I start to answer, but another text pops up first.
Maddox: Hey, Moss. You guys don’t care if Sara comes, do you?
Fucking hell.
My stomach tightens, and I adjust myself behind my desk.
It has taken a lot more brainpower than I wanted to expend to keep Sara and those little pink shorts out of my head over the last eighteen hours.
I don’t understand how someone can be so hot and so … not, all at the same time.
She has this uncanny ability to sink her hooks into you whenever you’re around. I swear, the woman has some kind of manual on how to drive men out of their minds. Especially me.
I’ve never had a female get so under my skin.
Her body is perfection with all curves and soft edges. She has a pair of green eyes that flash with energy and fierceness that I can’t help but crave … and fear a little bit. Her smile would be sweet if it wasn’t prepping to say something to annoy the piss out of you.