We talked some more about my company and how I’d started working there, and April jumped in. She ran a non-profit that helped out-of-work women (many of them single mothers) get back on their feet with job training and interview skills and professional attire. I’d liked her immediately, but after she told me what she did, I liked her even more.
She reminded me of my own mother. Gorgeous and put together, and able to tackle anything with a serene smile. The girls had two more fights that she broke up without even raising her voice. April Blythe was one of those women. The ones who had it all. I wanted to hate her, but I was in awe, so I couldn’t.
After the initial ice was broken, we moved into the kitchen where April had quite a spread set out.
“I didn’t bake any of this,” she confessed to me. “I was going to pretend that I had because I was trying to impress you, but then I was worried about you asking for a recipe, so I figured I should just be upfront.” I wouldn’t have asked for a recipe, and knowing the food that Sloane could turn out, I would have stayed in ignorance.
“Your secret is safe with me,” I whispered back as I picked up a little jam and cheese tartlet.
“Momma, I want a cookie!” Gracie said, tugging at her mother’s skirt.
“Cookie!” Fiona shrieked, trying to push Gracie out of the way.
“You may each have one cookie. Remember that candy you had?” They both shook their heads.
April sighed.
“Cookies have lots sugar. If you eat too much the sugar monster will come and nibble on your toes while you’re sleeping.” She growled and tickled both of them, and then handed each a cookie and told them to go sit at the little kid-sized table in the corner of the room to eat.
Tate and Lucah were chowing down on what looked like shrimp and chicken skewers on the other side of the kitchen.
“God, I hope that bit about the sugar monster doesn’t send them to therapy when they’re older. But you do what you can, right?” April gave me a tight smile and grabbed a tartlet herself. “So, you and Lucah are living together now.”
“Uh, yes.”
“I’m not trying to interrogate you,” she said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “I’m just, well, I’m shocked. But you have to know by now that he’s not the kind of guy who jumps into a commitment like that. Which means you must be pretty darn special.” The guys came over, as if they sensed what we were talking about.
“Hey,” Lucah said, putting his arms around my waist from behind and resting his head on my shoulder.
“Hey,” I said, turning my head and giving him a smile.
“What were you talking about?” he said, swaying us back and forth.
“None of your business, Mr. Blythe,” I said, grabbing another tartlet and holding up for him to eat. Unlike in the car, he didn’t lick my fingers. April and Tate were both watching us, and it was almost as bad as being caught mid-coitus. I had a tendency to forget anyone else was around when I was with Lucah. In addition to the getting emotional at random moments and the urges to declare my love almost constantly. Side effect of love.
I moved away from him and grabbed another tart. Those things were addictive.
April started talking about the Company Ball. Lucah had shown her some pictures he’d covertly taken of me coming down the steps. I hadn’t known he’d taken him. Stealthy.
“Where did you get that dress?” April said as she showed me the pictures on her phone. Thankfully, I wasn’t making a weird face in any of them. Or at least not in any of the ones that Lucah had sent her.
“My best friend made it. She’s a designer.”
“Oh, right. Sloane.” Lucah had told them about Sloane as well? Lucah tensed up again at the mention of her name.
“Wow, I guess you know pretty much everything,” I said. I was a little pissed that Lucah hadn’t informed me the extent he’d told them about me and everything else.
“I’m sorry, I’m a little nosy. Your life just seems so glamorous. I’m a little jealous. You’re going off to balls and the most exciting part of my day is finding Cheerios in my bra.” That made me laugh, and then the girls came over again, begging for more cookies.
To distract them, April mentioned something about showing me their rooms, and that was all it took. Ten minutes later I was sitting on the floor of a room that was purple as far as the eye could see and getting a tiara put on my head.
“Now you’re the princess,” Gracie said. The ceremony to make me a princess had been quite elaborate and required me to submit to having my hair brushed (yanked, tangled, teased), my face covered in glitter, and a cape being put on my shoulders.
“Well, thank you so much. I’ve always wanted to be a princess.”
“Unkie Lu is the princess too, but you can be the princess today.” A chuckle made me turn my head and I saw “Unkie Lu” standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, watching the coronation process.
“What do you think? Should I wear more glitter to the office?” I batted my eyelashes at them.