Van-zilla, but I liked Scourge of Seattle. I like the alliteration. Adds some zing.”
“Whatever.” Vanessa headed for a bag of blue corn chips and sat down with her friends. “So what’s new with you two? Pregnant yet?”
Abby choked on her water. “No.”
“Not yet. We’re waiting until after the wedding to start,” Maddie said calmly. “How about you?”
Vanessa ate some chips, then answered, “Nope. I’ve always used birth control. We Campbells are all about safe sex.”
“So you’re having it then.”
Abby and Maddie stared at her, as if mesmerized.
“Do we really need to have a kiss-and-tell moment?”
“Yes,” Abby and Maddie said together.
“Fine. Cameron and I are dating.”
Her roommates high-fived each other. “Hot damn.” Abby punched Vanessa on the arm. “You sly dog. When did this start?”
“If you must know, this weekend,” she said, feeling smug. “Right after I dealt with John It’s-All-About-Me Willington.” She told them about their conversation, gratified when her friends immediately took to anger on her behalf.
“What a dick,” Maddie fumed. “Such a loser.”
Vanessa laughed. “Cam said I was lucky. He saw John in the steam room. Said it wasn’t a pretty sight.”
“Good.” Abby grinned. “So you missed the small fry, but landed a…”
“Great catch. A really, really big fish.” Vanessa ate more chips, suddenly super hungry.
“Wow. It’s like the McCauleys don’t make duds. At least, not in bed. I wonder what Mike’s like?” Abby mused. They stared at her, and she blushed. “Oh stop it. Not for me, you goofballs. I love Brody. I just wondered what he must be like… Forget it. No matter how I try to explain this, it’s coming out all wrong.”
Vanessa raised a brow. “Um, yeah it is.”
“I’m just glad you can laugh when we talk about men. You were a little scary in your man-hater phase,” Maddie said.
“Men are stupid.” Vanessa shrugged.
“Is Cam stupid?” Maddie asked in that smarmy voice that always drove Vanessa nuts. Even as a kid, her cousin would get that smug tone in her voice and use it with unerring precision, landing on Vanessa’s last nerve.
“He’s a man, therefore he’s flawed. However, he’s not as idiotic as Brody or Flynn, and that’s something to be proud of.” She gave Maddie an overly wide grin.
“Witch.” Maddie stuck her tongue out.
“Oh. That hurts. Not the tongue.” Vanessa laughed at her. “You know, I still think you should have majored in theater in college, not interior design.”
“Thanks so much for your unasked-for opinion.”
Abby sighed. “Ding ding. Okay. Back to your corners.” She ran a hand through her hair. “And to think I missed our girlie chats.”
Vanessa smirked. “You missed me, you mean.”
“The ego. It never quits.” But Maddie smiled as she said it.
“So tell us about Cameron .” Abby drew out his name. “Come on. You have to give us something.”
Vanessa thought about his smiling eyes, his deep laugh, the hands that sent her soaring. And the keen intelligence and dry wit. She glanced up to catch a look between her roommates. “What?”
“Oh, nothing.” Abby cut off whatever Maddie had been about to say. “So the Four Seasons, huh? I bet the room was nice.”
“Oh yeah. A suite overlooking the water. Really classy.”
Maddie perked up. “Hmm. Maybe I should have Flynn take me there for Valentine’s Day.”
“Speaking of that,” Abby segued, “Brody and I have been talking about Bitsy. I mean, Beth.” Only Brody called Beth McCauley by the cute nickname, the same name he’d been calling her since she’d pseudo-adopted him so many years ago. “This is her first Valentine’s Day in over thirty years where she’ll be alone. We were thinking of spending it with her.”
After a pause, Vanessa said, “You know, you two probably have plans. Mike will be with Colin, I’m sure. Why don’t I spend the night with her?”
“But what about
“Whatever.” Vanessa headed for a bag of blue corn chips and sat down with her friends. “So what’s new with you two? Pregnant yet?”
Abby choked on her water. “No.”
“Not yet. We’re waiting until after the wedding to start,” Maddie said calmly. “How about you?”
Vanessa ate some chips, then answered, “Nope. I’ve always used birth control. We Campbells are all about safe sex.”
“So you’re having it then.”
Abby and Maddie stared at her, as if mesmerized.
“Do we really need to have a kiss-and-tell moment?”
“Yes,” Abby and Maddie said together.
“Fine. Cameron and I are dating.”
Her roommates high-fived each other. “Hot damn.” Abby punched Vanessa on the arm. “You sly dog. When did this start?”
“If you must know, this weekend,” she said, feeling smug. “Right after I dealt with John It’s-All-About-Me Willington.” She told them about their conversation, gratified when her friends immediately took to anger on her behalf.
“What a dick,” Maddie fumed. “Such a loser.”
Vanessa laughed. “Cam said I was lucky. He saw John in the steam room. Said it wasn’t a pretty sight.”
“Good.” Abby grinned. “So you missed the small fry, but landed a…”
“Great catch. A really, really big fish.” Vanessa ate more chips, suddenly super hungry.
“Wow. It’s like the McCauleys don’t make duds. At least, not in bed. I wonder what Mike’s like?” Abby mused. They stared at her, and she blushed. “Oh stop it. Not for me, you goofballs. I love Brody. I just wondered what he must be like… Forget it. No matter how I try to explain this, it’s coming out all wrong.”
Vanessa raised a brow. “Um, yeah it is.”
“I’m just glad you can laugh when we talk about men. You were a little scary in your man-hater phase,” Maddie said.
“Men are stupid.” Vanessa shrugged.
“Is Cam stupid?” Maddie asked in that smarmy voice that always drove Vanessa nuts. Even as a kid, her cousin would get that smug tone in her voice and use it with unerring precision, landing on Vanessa’s last nerve.
“He’s a man, therefore he’s flawed. However, he’s not as idiotic as Brody or Flynn, and that’s something to be proud of.” She gave Maddie an overly wide grin.
“Witch.” Maddie stuck her tongue out.
“Oh. That hurts. Not the tongue.” Vanessa laughed at her. “You know, I still think you should have majored in theater in college, not interior design.”
“Thanks so much for your unasked-for opinion.”
Abby sighed. “Ding ding. Okay. Back to your corners.” She ran a hand through her hair. “And to think I missed our girlie chats.”
Vanessa smirked. “You missed me, you mean.”
“The ego. It never quits.” But Maddie smiled as she said it.
“So tell us about Cameron .” Abby drew out his name. “Come on. You have to give us something.”
Vanessa thought about his smiling eyes, his deep laugh, the hands that sent her soaring. And the keen intelligence and dry wit. She glanced up to catch a look between her roommates. “What?”
“Oh, nothing.” Abby cut off whatever Maddie had been about to say. “So the Four Seasons, huh? I bet the room was nice.”
“Oh yeah. A suite overlooking the water. Really classy.”
Maddie perked up. “Hmm. Maybe I should have Flynn take me there for Valentine’s Day.”
“Speaking of that,” Abby segued, “Brody and I have been talking about Bitsy. I mean, Beth.” Only Brody called Beth McCauley by the cute nickname, the same name he’d been calling her since she’d pseudo-adopted him so many years ago. “This is her first Valentine’s Day in over thirty years where she’ll be alone. We were thinking of spending it with her.”
After a pause, Vanessa said, “You know, you two probably have plans. Mike will be with Colin, I’m sure. Why don’t I spend the night with her?”
“But what about
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