Chapter 60 Bit of Morning Gossip
After one helluva morning, I was finally able to catch my breath. The flower shop was warm when I stepped inside, and as always had a sweet aroma relaxing my mind, so I could finally put all the stress of Beth behind me.
I grumbled about Beth and her assault this morning, and Hailey went and got me a small bag of cookies, telling me to forget the evil witch. I must say, Hailey's homemade chocolate chip cookies really help with my mood!
I started to settle into my routine. I told Hailey about about why Beth was such a bitch this morning, and it all started with Rick coming to see me last night. I don't know why I feel chatty, maybe it's the cookies. Or perhaps it was the look of happiness over a good bit of gossip from Hailey's eyes.
"Oh, and what did he have to say?" she asked innocently, but there was nothing innocent in her eyes. Hailey loves gossip. I can hear her giggling like a little school girl, instead of the middle-aged, married woman she is.
I have a feeling she's team Rick. Especially since James cheated on me, and she's gonna do the friend thing and give me a little nudge in the 'right direction.' To be honest it wont' take a lot of 'nudging.' I'm about ready to collapse as it is.
I blush. "Well, first of all he by-passed Beth without a second glance," I smirk. "She yelled at me up the stairs like I had personally offended her by having someone want to talk to me!" I groan in frustration and stuff a pretty canna lily into my arrangement.
Hailey full on laughs. "It's about time someone show the old broad how insignificant she is! I wish I could've seen the look on her face!" she giggles as she continues to work on a crystal vase arrangement.
"Well, she was pissed, let me tell you," I chuckle. "I could see her throwing daggers at me from the front room! It wasn't even my fault! What the hell did she expect me to do? Tell Richard Kingston to pay Beth Taylor a complement? HELL NO!"
"Well, you know I'm not one who likes to speak ill of anyone, but she needs a good swift kick in the pants!" she grumbled. "I wish there was something I could do to keep you all safe, but giving you this job is the best I've got, I'm afraid."
And this is why I love her! She and I are so in tune with each other! She has no idea how much her support helps me! I need one person on my side so I can deal with life... If that's what you want to call living with Beth and Jay Taylor. I call it hell.
"So... What happened next?" she demands, giving me a mischievous side-eye. "Not that him giving her a well deserved cold shoulder isn't entertaining or anything..." she smirks.
I sigh and try to hide a blush. "He kissed me," I whisper, as if saying it quiet enough erases my sins. Sins that I spent all last night remembering... Sins that I still want to do all over again... I'm a horrible person!
I can still feel the pressure of his lips and his hungry tongue as it plunged deep into my mouth. He didn't ask. He just took. Like he was desperate for my taste, and I hate to admit it, but I'd missed him so much, I didn't even try to stop him.
"OH! I KNEW IT!" she crows happily. "I knew I liked that boy! I could tell the way he looks at you! He is such a better choice than James!" she growls his name.
"But... doesn't that mean I cheated on James? Would that make me no better than him?" I ask, really worried about this point. I don't want to be a cheater! It doesn't matter if I date a dozen guys and each and every one of them cheats on me. I'm not that kinda girl!
"Oh, honey. No! You mistakenly thought giving him a second chance would be good. But look what it's doing to you! It's putting all this stress on your shoulders, and you don't even know if you can trust him any more! I think you should just break up with him. And while kissing Richard... probably could've waited until you were officially single, I don't blame you dear. You deserve to feel important and loved. James is not giving you what you need," she insists.