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“Why don’t you take that nap, sweetie?”
I shake my head. “I can’t. If I don’t do the reordering now, then I won’t be able to do it because I have that appointment later.” Nerves jumble in my stomach. Talking to a professional therapist makes me panicky, even though I think it’s a good idea. What is she going to want to talk about? Will I cry? Will she think I’m crazy?
“Okay, but after the appointment, you and me and some trash TV?”
“Sounds perfect.” A flash of movement near the door catches my attention, and I spot a few customers coming in. They peer around the store, and I’m so shocked to see them here that I sort of stare.
“You know them?” Tab asks.
“It’s a few of the girlfriends of the players. I met them when we were at the barbecue.”
“Well, introduce me!”
Her statement spurs me on, and I walk toward them, trying to fix my hair. “Briar, Charley, hi.”
“There you are!” Briar says. “Charley and I wanted to check out the store. This is so cute!”
Tab laughs, and I gesture to her. “This is my partner and best friend, Tab Riley.”
“Tab, hi. I’m Briar, and this is Charley.”
“And who’s this?” I ask, bending over to pet a white bulldog.
“This is Buttercup,” she smirks. “She’s my neighbor’s dog. After you brought over Athena, I’ve been talking to Reid about getting a dog, so he thought I should do some pet sitting first to see if I would really like it.”
At her name, Athena trots over. She and Buttercup greet each other nose-to-nose before all the other sniffing happens.
“Reid? Reid Parker?” Tab asks.
“Yeah, that’s him.”
“Oh, I’ve heard that name,” Tab states. “Raeann makes me watch when the Wildcats are playing.”
“Charley is Cade Farmer’s girlfriend. He’s the new wide receiver on the team. They just drafted him, but Cade and Reid have known each other since…” I trail off.
“Since forever,” Briar admits, filling in the blank. “We were all practically in diapers together. Reid and Cade were best friends with my brother.”
And just like that, it dawns on me that Briar and I have more in common than dating a Wildcats’ player. Losing someone so close. I file that away in case I need to talk to someone sometime. I’ve never been the one to reach out first, but I’ve met her a few times now, and she seems so nice. Fun, quirky.
“Does Buttercup want an outfit?” Katya asks.
I introduce her to our queen collection, and we spend half an hour dressing Buttercup in different designs. The entire time, her saggy jowls make her look displeased with everything. It’s so hilarious that all of us are nearly on the floor dying of laughter with each outfit we pick out that’s more feminine than the last.
She’s a sweet dog, though. In the end, Briar buys a blue monotone dress with a slight frill and the treats Buttercup liked best. I tried to give her the dress for free, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Right before they leave, Briar takes Buttercup’s picture in front of our backdrop and messages it to the dog owner. “Hopefully, you get another customer. See you later. I hope we get to hang out again soon!”
Tab places her head on my shoulder as we wave goodbye. “They seem nice.”
“I thought so. They all traded stories about the unhinged things their guys did to get them. Apparently, football players are known for being a little left of center.”
“Man, I need one. Private jets. Whisked off to LA. Did I tell you I texted Micah about getting in touch with someone in the league about licensing? He’s going to get me a name.”
“Cool.”
“Yeah, no pressure, but design is all on you.”
“No pressure at all.”
Briar pulls a huge black SUV away from the curb. It’s built like a tank. Definitely looks like something Micah would want me to drive. He’d probably upgrade it with a bunch more security features.