Page 7 of All This Time

“Exactly. And I know you feel the same way about hair dye.”

“I do.” We clink glasses and then both take a sip. “How was your day?”

“Oh, same as always. Oil changes, tire rotations, broken air conditioners. Though, there was a bit of excitement when a girl’s car broke down in the intersection right in front of the garage. She was able to coast into the parking lot before the thing finally took a shit.”

“Oh God, poor thing. That’s awful.”

“I know. Her brother had to come get her so she wouldn’t be late picking her kids up from school. I think she might be new in town, but I didn’t really get a chance to ask. It took me a while to diagnose her disaster on wheels.”

“And?”

“Her transmission is toast. It’d cost more to fix it than the car’s even worth.”

I take another drink from my wine. “That’s a bad day.”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Dilynne brushes away the wisps of her jet-black hair that have fallen from the red bandana she always wears while she’s at work but hasn’t bothered to remove yet.

One thing about my best friend that I admire the most is that she’s never afraid to be herself. Dilynne has always been a bit of a “black cat,” standing out from the crowd instead of trying to fit in. She likes what she likes, dresses the way she wants, and has a love for everything vintage, especially classic cars and anything from the 1950s.

When she told me she wanted to open her own automotive shop and specialize in custom restorations, it didn’t even surprise me. Blossom Peak didn’t have a reputable repair shop anyway, so it made sense, especially with the number of tourists we see year to year. But now, she’s been contacted by people from all over the state thanks to the internet and social media, and she goes to car shows every month to show off her restorations. She’s the definition of a badass, and sometimes I wish I could channel her don’t-give-a-fuck attitude.

“What about you? How was your day?”

“Well, Tori came into the salon, wanting to make sure she reserved spa time for the day before the wedding, even though she already had. She seems a bit overwhelmed with the whole thing.”

Dilynne rolls her eyes. “Then she shouldn’t have agreed to getting married so quickly.”

“She and Elliot are in love,” I counter.

“No, Elliot is mesmerized by her fake boobs andamazingpersonality,” she quips.

“She’s notthatbad.” I don’t even sound convincing to myself.

“I know you don’t remember her well from high school, but I do, and Tori isthedefinition of a mean girl.”

“People can change…”

Dilynne scoffs. “Oh, okay. So there’s hope for Fletcher?”

I harden my gaze. We stare at each other before Dilynne finally breaks eye contact. “Fine, and the only reason I’m agreeing is because you’re my best friend and I know how the whole thing with him hasaffected you. But do you honestly think this thing between Tori and Elliot is going to last? They only dated forsixmonths.”

“It doesn’t matter what I think. This is what they want, and our job as their friends is to support them.”

“I amnotfriends with Tori, and I merely tolerate Elliot.” She takes another sip of her wine.

I practically snort. “Yes, I’m very aware of how you feel about Elliot. Anyway, apparently she’s too stressed with work, so she and Elliot have made a list of things for me and you-know-who to do before the wedding.”

“God, she’s annoying. I mean, she’s not even the one who wanted the traditional wedding, right? That was all Elliot?”

“More Elliot’s family, but yeah. I think the timeline is what’s making it overwhelming. She seems excited about it, though, and I assured her everything would be okay, but that’s when she brought up…”

Dilynne shakes her hands in the air. “Lucifer himself?”

I groan. “I’m seriously considering just staying drunk the entire time he’s here.”

Her eyes widen like I’ve just suggested setting myself on fire. “Uh, that’s a terrible idea. Alcohol is a truth serum, Laney. One glass too many and you might tell him every thought that’s crossed your mind over the past twelve years. You’ll end up sobbing in his lap or punching him in the nuts.”

Dilynne has always been my sounding board when it comes to Fletcher, but he hasn’t been a topic of conversation between us in a very long time.