Page 75 of Charmed Forces
“Like, yah!”
“I’ll need to send out invites,” said Louise with a frown.
“Stop! Don’t worry about a thing! Tom was throwing me a surprise birthday party and I gave him a list of everything that I wanted, but we’ll make ityourparty instead!”
“Noooo,” said Louise, shaking her head. “That was supposed to be a surprise for you. How did you even know about it?”
“Pah! I have all day to celebrate. We already have caterers and the festive décor. Our families and bestest friends are already coming, and I know it’s short notice so I’ll throw you a lunch too for any other friends you invite. Your boo can invite his family. Just say when. All you have to do is show up looking gorgeous for my party that’s nowyour party!We’ll get an extra cake!”
“Won’t Tom mind?” asked Louise, still frowning. She checked her nails and smiled though, pleased at the results. “He was throwing the party for you.”
“Not one bit. He loves any party and he knows how much I love you and he can make it up to me another time. And this chick—” Angelica flapped her new manicure at me.
“Lexi,” I interjected.
“—is right,” continued Angelica, ignoring me. “You need a party!”
“I…” I started.
“But we have to go shopping to get an outfit, like, pronto! We’ll do the engagement shoot at Tom’s house too. You’ll love the gardens. The roses are all in bloom. It’ll be gorgeous! That’s settled! Leave everything to me.”
Louise glanced at me, shrugged and laughed. “You’re both invited too,” she said to Lily and me. “It’ll be fun.”
“We’d love to come,” I said with a pleased smile. Who knew getting into Tom Victor’s house would be so easy? Even better, it was all Angelica’s idea and I had a feeling he wouldn’t look twice at two extra women joining his girlfriend and her cousin.
By the time we filed out, our feet in flip-flops and our fingernails perfectly dry, Angelica insisted on getting our phone numbers and firing ideas at Louise, each one increasingly wilder than the last. I was so distracted by her chaotic energy, I barely noticed the town car that eased up to the sidewalk. A black tinted window rolled down and a man’s face leaned into view. He was clearly a couple of decades older than Angelica but he kept himself fit and was well groomed with a clean-shaven jaw and a sweep of expertly cut dark brown hair. He glanced at our small party and smiled at Angelica, beckoning her to the window.
“You girls look like you’re having a party,” he said.
“No, baby, but we’re going to throw the best party ever,” said Angelica, leaning down, puckering her lips and kissing him lightly through the window.
“With all these pretty girls, I’m sure it will be,” he said. “Who’re your friends?”
“Lexi and Lily,” she said, waving to us. “We all got our nails done together. Don’t they look amazing?”
His gaze traveled over us from head to toe and a chill traversed the back of my neck. This must be what a seal feels like after being spotted by an orca. I’d never felt more like prey than at this moment… well… and that other time when a serial killer took a liking to me. Right now, it was hard to say which gaze I preferred. “Beautiful,” he said, his attention returning to Angelica. “Am I taking you all to lunch?”
“Just the two of us, honey. I’ll call you,” said Angelica, air-kissing us both as the car door popped open. “We’re going to have the best time. I don’t want to hear any excuses.”
“Great meeting you,” said Louise softly, giving us both quick hugs before she followed a loudly chattering Angelica into the backseat of the car. “I really do hope you’ll come. Don’t mind Angelica. She gets excited about everything and she really will throw a great party. I promise she will call.”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Lily. “And have a very happy birthday, Angelica!”
“Let’s go, baby,” said Angelica from the depths of the car and Louise pulled the door shut. The car purred away, leaving us standing there.
“She is one Chatty Cathy,” said Lily.
“Yeah,” I agreed, “and she’s about to bring us right into the inner circle.”
“Not to mention, a great party.”
“That will be precisely located inside the inner circle,” I pointed out.
“Right.” Lily nodded. “Her boyfriend was not what I expected at all.”
“What did you expect?”
“Someone more lethal. Maybe armed. Not so... congenial. He looked like a businessman.”