Page 10 of Protect My Heart

I roll my eyes and walk off. Once I’m home, I shower and get ready for my Friday night at the retirement center. I love calling BINGO for all of those people. I’ve known most of them my entire life and it’s kinda like having a whole building full of grandparents.

After getting dressed, I pick up my phone to see a few missed texts from Jade.

JADE: What are you wearing on your hot date tonight?

JADE: Let me know if you need help picking anything out.

JADE: Not cool to ignore me.

JADE: Brat.

JADE: Or should I call you Firecracker?

JADE:

I just push the button to call her.

“You have too much free time,” I say when she answers.

She cackles on the other line.

“I’m a rich heiress, what am I supposed to do with my time?” she asks.

“Well, technically you do have a job,” I say.

“Yes, but the shop closed hours ago and I don’t work on Fridays. So, tell me what you’re wearing.”

I glance down at myself. “Jeans and a T-shirt. And some flip-flops.”

She sighs dramatically. “What am I going to do with you? You have a date with the hot fireman and you’re wearing what you always wear?”

“I am going to call BINGO with a room full of geriatrics so yes, I’m wearing what I’m wearing.”

“Did you not hear him say he’d see you tonight?”

“Jade, get real. He was only saying all that stuff about a date because Trip was at the table behind us. You probably didn’t notice that. But I did and obviously so did Fletch.”

Ding-dong.

“Was that your doorbell?” Jade asks.

Oh shit. Surely not. I creep to the front door and peek out the peep hole and there he is. He’s standing at my door wearing a starched button-down, collared shirt and he’s holding flowers.

“Shit,” I hiss.

Jade laughs. “It’s him, isn’t it?”

“Yes. And he’s dressed nice and has flowers.”

“Told you, babe. He wants you.”

“I seriously doubt that. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Change your shirt!” Jade yells as I’m hanging up.

“Just a minute,” I say to the door, then I race back into my bedroom and fling open my closet doors. I spy a shirt that I don’t wear very often because it has a legit V-neck and makes my girls look amazing. No reason to wear that when I go see my family, so it just hangs in my closet. I rip it off the hanger and trade shirts.

Then I trade into a pair of flip-flops decorated with crystals. They’re my fancy shoes.