groan. I loved Magnolia, but I didn’t want her around while I was going through Tate’s bag. We didn’t know each other that well.
“So how have things been going with you and Jagger?” I asked her as we walked past Tate’s office and back to the kitchen.
“Pretty good.” She smiled down at her ring. I couldn’t help but feel a little bit jealous of her relationship. She and Jagger were made for each other, and it didn’t hurt that he was rich and handsome. “We moved in together, and it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be.”
“Oh, how so?” I asked her, genuinely curious. I’d never lived with a boyfriend and I had no idea what it would be like. The only men I’d lived with were my dad and brother, and they had both been annoying in their own ways.
“Well, it’s a bit embarrassing.” She bit her lip as we walked into the kitchen. I could tell that she was debating whether or not to tell me something.
“Oh?” I looked around the kitchen. There was no food out so I decided to open the cupboards. I found a lone granola bar and a rather battered-looking banana. “Which one do you want?” I held both items up.
“Not the banana.” She laughed. “It looks like it has seen better days.”
“Didn’t you know that black bananas are the yummiest?” I giggled. “Haven’t you heard that saying once you go black, you never go back?”
“I don’t think that’s referring to moldy bananas.”
“Maybe not.” I giggled as I threw the banana into the trashcan. “Shall we split the granola bar?”
“Sure.” She nodded as I opened the peanut butter and chocolate chip bar. “Do you tweeze?” she said suddenly.
I glanced up at her in surprise. “Yeah, sure.” I nodded. “Doesn’t every woman?”
“Yeah, maybe their eyebrows.” She wrinkled her nose. “Thanks for this.” She said and took a bite. I took a bite as well and was pleased by the sweet and salty taste of the bar. It tasted a whole lot better than I’d thought it would. “I’m talking about your upper lip.”
“Oh, my mustache?” I then touched my upper lip self-consciously. “Why? Am I getting?”
“No, no.” She smiled reassuringly. “I’m just saying that I tweeze random hairs on my upper lip and chin every week and there’s nothing more annoying when you’re trying to take care of small hairs than your boyfriend walking into the bathroom.”
“Oh, no.”
“It’s like, no, Jagger, I don’t want you to watch me making myself beautiful for you.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” I shuddered. “I’d hate for my boyfriend to see me taking care of my unwanted facial hair, or even worse, watching me get a Brazilian.”
“Oh, yeah, that would be awful.” Magnolia grinned. “Talking of waxing, I need one badly. I shaved a couple of nights ago, and now I have razor bumps everywhere.”
“Ugh.” I shook my head. “Never shave the pubes girl, it’s not worth it. I’d rather have a jungle than razor bumps.”
“I’d forgotten how sensitive my skin is.” Magnolia grimaced. “I was trying to be sexy for Jagger … I just got these new crotchless panties. Let’s just say, not worth it.”
“Oh?”
“The panties were on for like ten seconds.” She blushed. “Sorry for TMI.”
“No such thing as TMI among friends.” I threw the wrapper into the trash. “Okay, I need your help with something. I wasn’t going to say anything, but it’s killing me. So I’d rather embarrass myself and tell you than die a painful death.”
“Oh shit, what’s going on?” Magnolia looked concerned. “Are you dying?”
“No.” I patted her arm. “Sorry, I’m being overdramatic. I think it’s because I’m from LA.” I grinned. “I got some of the acting juice in my blood.”
“So what’s the deal? Why are you going to die?”
“Well, I left a note in Tate’s gym bag yesterday, and I’m curious to see if he took it.”
“What sort of note?” Magnolia smiled a wicked sort of smile that made her whole face light up, and I couldn’t stop myself from grinning back at her.
“Let’s just say you inspired me.”
“How did I inspire you?”
“Magnolia Allen, do you want to know what the note said or not?”
“Of course I want to know.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “Did it start, ‘To the rude boss in my office’?”
“No,” I laughed. “I didn’t want him to know it was me. I started the letter with, ‘To Tate Howard.’”
“Well, that’s straight to the point.”
“Yes, it was.” I laughed. “And I basically said that he’s full of himself