shoos me away. “It’s an eight-pack. I have no clue when I’ll be lucky enough to see another one of those. In real life. I need a minute to absorb all the hotness.” She makes a scooping motion in the air, like she’s sweeping up all the hotness and splashing it into her own face.
“This is really silly. Grown women going bananas over some muscles.” I glance back at Jude and his eight-pack. “And who needs all those abs anyway?!”
Jude wipes his forehead with a towel and now, he’s trudging toward the house as he pulls a T-shirt on. My friends scatter.
Penny and Jessa assume positions in the kitchen, dutifully unpacking grocery bags and pulling cookware from the cabinets. Like they didn’t spend the last ten minutes objectifying and molesting the unsuspecting man with their eyes.
Jude enters the room and he looks a little taken aback to find four guilty-looking women staring back at him. In an instant, his stage-worthy smile—complete with the damn dimples—pops onto his face. “Hello, ladies.”
A chorus of breathy ‘hello’s ring out around the room. Penny throws a glance at me, checking for my reaction to see if I’m okay. I give her a subtle nod.
Lexi introduces Jude to her sister and Jessa’s cheeks are salsa-red the whole time. Jude remembers Penny from back in the day so they take a quick second to catch up with each other as she sets a pot on the stove. Me? I mostly stay silent, blending in with the furniture, the way I tend to do whenever I’m in a crowd. Growing up, I was always the shy one and even as an adult, I still struggle with my introverted tendencies. Probably something to do with being an only child.
Jude makes small talk with the girls for a while. Despite his jokes and banter, I can see it on his face—he’s in pain. When he just can’t bare it anymore, he grabs some ice cubes from the freezer before excusing himself to go take care of his knee. He forces a normal gait as he goes.
When he leaves the room, I quickly take control of the conversation, launching into a discussion about Penny’s new promotion. The three of us dog pile her for a congratulatory hug and she giggles as she shrugs us off.
“Guys, I’ve been working at the Frosty Pitcher forever now. Getting the manager position was long overdue,” she says to downplay the accomplishment. She turns back to stirring the rice.
“Yes, it was,” Lexi says, looking away from the vegetables she’s chopping. “They overlooked you far too long.” She lifts a zucchini in salute. “Cheers, girl.”
Jessa buzzes around the room refilling wine glasses. I’ve never met anyone with as much bubbly energy as she has. The girl is like Snow White on a caffeine high. “That promotion was definitely well-deserved.”
I catch the rueful expression that crosses my cousin’s face. “Well, it’s about time I move forward on something in my life…” Her words are cryptic and she mutters them beneath her breath.
“What does that mean?” Lexi questions, taking a sip of the water she chose over wine tonight. She never lets any of us be hard on ourselves. She’s the most protective friend.
Penny’s shoulder juts up, then it falls. “It’s just…I’m almost thirty-three. I’m still a bartender. Still not using my degree. No long-term relationship in sight. It’s all just a little frustrating, y’know?”
My cousin is an absolute stunner, the type of woman everyone notices when she walks into a room. She exudes confidence with her red hair, green eyes and throbbing sex appeal. It’s easy to forget she has her own insecurities. Her rare vulnerable moments can be a little disorienting.
Jessa leans against the counter with her wine glass, nibbling on the carrot sticks her sister just finished chopping. “I understand your pain, hun,” she says sympathetically. “When I moved to town, I thought I’d only be working at the coffee shop for a few months before finding myself a teaching job. But it’s going on two years now! And don’t even get me started about my sex life. I swear—even my vibrator is sick of me.” She pouts. “Hell, I thought I’d be married by now.”
I look up from where I’m prepping the chicken breasts. “Oh, marriage is definitely no automatic guarantee of a satisfying sex life.” I lean in and lower my voice just in case Jude is nearby. “Kirk didn’t even touch me for the last two years of our marriage.” That kind