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Harlee

I love what I do.

I love what I do.

I love what I... oh fuck it.

On days like today, I really hate what I did.

Was it too much to ask for someone to take a shower more than once a month?

I mean... really.

I almost told him to go home, shower, using soap that had disinfectant in it, then I would reschedule his appointment.

Do you know how gross it is to smell ball sweat?

I was gagging as the smell was still lingering in my nose.

It felt as though it was in my hair, on my clothes... a shower was going to be the first thing I did when I walked into my house.

Badass Chicks Text Thread

Talia – Thank god it’s Friday.

Lila – Preach it. I swear the crazies came out today.

Me – I second this.

Me – I gotta shower before I do anything else.

Talia – Oh crap. You only say that when you have a client who disgusts you.

Me – Old Man Hooper.

Lila – *gag*

Talia – I swear that man has a fetish for not bathing or something.

Twenty minutes later, I was freshly showered and perusing my fridge, trying to figure out what I wanted for dinner.

Talia – What are y’all’s plans for tomorrow?

Lila – Nothing yet. I’m in for anything.

Me – Nothing planned. Mom and Dad have help at Gusher’s.

Talia – That name gets me every time I see it.

Me – Remind me to tell y’all about the Bachelor party last night.

Lila – Dang. I can’t wait.

Talia – Is it Saturday already?

Me – What are your brothers doing tomorrow?

I asked. Because I wanted to do something nice for Carter.

I saw what he did to that man who had been creepy ever since he had walked in and sat down.

Talia – They are painting and staining Mom’s front porch. Garrick noticed it was peeling in a few places a few days ago.

Lila – He can come and stain my porch. Shirtless.

Talia – You're about to be removed as my second bestie.

Lila – I’d never act on it. You know that. But your brother is one fine specimen.

Me – She’s right. He’s definitely good-looking.

Talia – Ugh. Why couldn’t I have been born with sisters?

Talia – Please, go back in time and change their dicks to vaginas.

I had just taken a sip of sweet tea and promptly snorted it out of my nose.

Lila – Ummm....

Me – You know we are only teasing you.

Talia – Ugh. I know.

Lila – What Harls said.

Talia – But Harlee, seriously, it’s okay if you think that about Carter.

Me – What makes you say that?

Talia – Oh, nothing.

I knew her.

She was just getting back at me for my comment about Garrick.

Yes, Garrick was good-looking, but he wasn’t the one who made my motor rev and my heart race.

Too freaking bad, he had slated me in the friend’s category.

A category I would forever be in.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that I was his little sister’s best friend.

That practically made me off limits.

And I hated it.

But alas, what he did for me a few days ago, I owed him.

And as I perused my pantry while pulling out some noodles and sauce, I knew just what to make him.

Talia – Calling it a night.

Lila – You have the brain of a squirrel.

Lila – Why’d you ask us what we were doing tomorrow?

Me – What Lila said.

Talia – Oh. Yeah. Girls’ day tomorrow?

Me – I’m in.

Lila – Definitely in.

Me – Night, girls.

Lila – Night.

Talia – Love you both.

Then my phone pinged with a message.

Lila – How much do you want to bet Dominik will be there helping out?

I snickered.

Me – Ten bucks says she talks to him first.

Lila – I’ll take that bet.

***

When my alarm blared at eight the next morning, I stretched, threw the covers off, and headed to the bathroom to get ready.

The weather was going to be nice today. It was almost summer, so it wasn’t too cool, and it wasn’t too hot.

Perfect t-shirt and capri leggings day.

Once I was ready, and my hair braided off to the side, I headed to my kitchen, made myself a coffee, then walked to my front porch, climbed in my swing, and enjoyed my morning.

It was a ritual of sorts.

If I didn’t get to sip my coffee in the mornings on my swing, the day always felt off.

Mallory and Randy Gittens walked by, waving. I waved back.

Juniper and Callie, neighborhood kids, were giggling as they walked by, which caused me to smile, recalling that Talia and I had done the same thing. Multiple times.

Once I drank every last sip, I headed back inside and made my thank-you present for Carter.

An hour later, I was pulling up in front of Frank and Misty Grigg’s house.

Lila pulled in behind me, followed by Talia.

More than likely, we would take my car since I was the only one with four doors, whereas Lila drove a two-door Audi A5 and Talia drove a two-door Jeep Wrangler.

My Chevrolet Tahoe was my pride and joy. She was all white with tinted windows and a killer sound system in the back.

Which was why I didn’t get the animosity between Dominik and Talia. He was super nice.

And I knew that he didn’t charge me what he should have when he did the tint and the sound system.

But what took my train of thought in the other direction.... well... that would be the Grigg’s siblings, mainly the boys, working with their shirts off.

Including Dominik.

I grinned and hoped I won ten dollars today.

Ethan had dark brown hair, a tanned, lithe frame, dad bod going on.

Alec had dark brown hair, a tanned, lithe frame.

Garrick had dark brown hair, a tanned, tattooed, built body.

But Carter... Carter Alexander Griggs had the dark brown hair I wanted to run my fingers through and see if it was as soft as it looked. Tanned body, tats up and down both arms, muscles packed with muscles, nothing like Garrick, but he was simply... perfect.

Shaking my head, hoping I hadn’t been drooling, I tagged the Ziploc bag and climbed out of my Tahoe.

At Talia’s smiling face and Lila’s grin, I said, “It’s girls’ day!” I shouted as I pumped the air with my fist.

Which caused Talia and Lila to giggle.

Which then caused Carter, Ethan, Garrick, and Dominik to shake their heads at us.

Lila smirked at me, which caused me to do the same thing.

Walking beside her, we headed to the front porch.

Ethan looked at the bag in my hand and then grinned, “Who did something nice for you?”

Garrick sighed, “Not me. Ain’t seen her in a few days.”

Alec rubbed his hands together, “Me. Sent her a referral a few days ago.”

Dominik reached for the bag, “Me. Changed her oil a few days ago.”

Smirking, I moved the bag out of his reach. “That was nice, Dominik. But it wasn’t the nicest thing someone has done for me.”

I stepped around him, reaching Carter, I winked up at him, and offered him the bag, “For what you did to that guy.”

He rubbed the back of his neck as he accepted the bag with the other hand, “Didn’t think you saw that.”

I grinned, “Dad, Mom, and I watched the video after we closed.”

We watched the video more than a few times.

And I may or may not have sent the video to my phone and used it in the privacy of my bedroom.

Sue me.

I watched as he opened the bag, took one out, bit into it, and moaned.

I tried. I really did try.

But I couldn’t help but squeeze my thighs together ever so carefully.

He winked down at me and said, “Peanut butter chocolate chip?”

I nodded, “Yeah, your favorite.”

That was when Ethan asked, “Going to share the cookies?”

Carter smirked, “Nope.”

“Rude,” Garrick muttered.

“What Garrick said,” Alec grumbled.

And then it happened... I heard Talia say, “Dang, surprised you fit through the opening of the porch. You and your big ego.”

I spun around and widened my eyes at Lila.

She sighed, pulled out a ten-dollar bill, walked to where I was still standing, and handed it to me.

I snickered, but it was drowned out by Dominik’s reply, “And here I was hoping the carnival called and wanted their main attraction back.”

It took two point five seconds for the chuckling to start.

I tried to hold it in, right along with Lila, but one look at Talia’s reddening face, it was a lost cause.

Laughter filled the front porch.

That was when Misty Griggs walked out, her hands on her hips, and said, “What’s so dang funny?”

Ethan jerked his chin at Dominik and Talia.

Misty appeared to be thinking about it, then she nodded, turned, then headed back into the house.

Which caused Talia to gasp, and then, she smirked.

“If the Carnival calls, I drop your name for the biggest draw they will ever have.”

Dominik shook his head, “Nah, ain’t going there.”

Talia grinned, “Surprised. According to Hanna Liplock,” yes, that was her real last name, “you’ve been going there all week.”

“No. Really?” Carter asked at my back.

Alec visibly shivered, “Hope you double wrapped your dick.

Garrick gagged, “Wouldn’t touch that bitch with a ten-foot pole.”

Then like clockwork, we heard Misty call out, “Language.”

Followed by Frank chuckling.

Dominik set the paintbrush down, then stepped in front of Talia and said, “Okay, Torpedo, this one I will engage in.”

Talia opened her mouth, but Dominik shook his finger in her face, “Say what you want ‘bout me. Don’t matter. But if you ever associate my name with that whore again, I’ll flip you over my knee and spank your ass red.”

Talia smirked, “So, you’re calling her a liar?”

Dominik nodded, “Yeah. Cause ever since she thought it was funny to spread the rumor around school about you and Brett, I hated that whore. And that’s just what she is. A whore. It was her who caught the clap from Brett.”

Talia, Lila, and I gasped, “Really?” We all said at once.

Dominik nodded, then walked back to his paintbrush and got to painting.

“What are y’all up to today?” Ethan asked.

“Shopping. Pedicures. Then who knows.” Talia said.

Not seeing Melanie, Ethan’s daughter, I asked, “Where’s Melanie?” I asked.

Ethan sighed, then ran his hand through his hair. “She’s with Fred and Ginger.”

I nodded.

That whole story was sordid. Sordid in a way that one cannot believe.

It had apparently escaped my notice that Carter was still behind me when I felt something tickle the back of my neck, “Be careful. Need me, just call. Yeah?”