Death By Chick Lit by Lynn Harris

Author:Lynn Harris [Harris, Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Suspense
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.
Published: 2010-09-23T05:00:00+00:00

“Hey wait, where’d you get the laptop?” Lola asked, scooting a chair up to the zinc table. Annabel had done most of her blogging from a Mac at a Kinko’s. Free. The manager was also a bass player; they’d had a thing.

“Leo,” Annabel said. “Loaner. He’s got like a ton of them.”

“Tell me about it,” said Lola. “Our place looks like the Apple Store.”

Something flickered across Annabel’s face. “Leo’s place,” she said, “looks like Johnny Appleseed’s.”

Lola inwardly smacked herself. Right. I always forget. Annabel and Leo are not an “our place” couple. Totally misplaced bond-over-boyfriends moment.

“To the hair of the dog,” she said, raising her glass, hoping Annabel would let it go, and wondering just how much beer she was going to drink that day. Clink. “And, Bella,” she smiled extra-wide, “to your good fortune.”

“You mean the best friend who’s totally bailing me out?” Annabel smiled.

Am I just paranoid, Lola wondered, or was that a little forced?

They hunkered down for a while, brainstorming the intro and the marketing suggestions and a list of chapters, pausing only for Annabel to hop up for another round of Bowery pilsner. Lola tapped in a few changes to what they’d written. Wow, she thought, I really do know what I’m doing. That, actually, is a little reassuring.

Annabel came back with the beer.

How did she manage to look so hot in overalls?

“Love that!” Annabel said, putting down the glasses. “On the house!”

“How come?” asked Lola, pretty much knowing the answer. Annabel shrugged. “Just ’cause,” she said. She gave the bartender an almost imperceptible smile. Lola thanked every god she could think of that her single days as the “cute friend” were over.

Lola’s phone rang. Then so did Annabel’s.

“Hey, sweetie,” said Lola. “Doug,” she mouthed to Annabel, raising her “gimme a sec” finger.

“Hey, dude,” said Annabel. “Leo,” she mouthed to Lola.

Lola gave Annabel a knowing, approving glance. How cute! Both their boys—dammit! Again she’d forgotten that Leo was only her imaginary boyfriend. Annabel’s imaginary boyfriend. In Lola’s imagination.

She told Doug when she thought she’d be home. “Bye, swee’pea.”

Annabel was already off the phone with Leo. “You guys are so cute and happy, just in that everyday, lives-woven-together kind of way,” she said.

No, no, no we’re not! Lola wanted to say. I mean, we are, but you know. No flaunting. Please don’t let her think I got all cute and happy right in her face.

“I mean, when Leo ‘calls to check in,’ it’s a little needy,” Annabel went on, looking right at Lola. “When Doug does, it’s sweet. Am I right?”

“All I know about being married,” said Lola, dodging, “is that I’ll never have to hear ‘Your life is so Sex and the City!’ again.”

“I hear you,” said Annabel. “Though I honestly never tire of ‘Your life is so Oz!’ ”

One more beer later, they got to a stopping point on the proposal. “I’m good with the rest,” said Annabel. “I wasn’t sure you’d—Lola, thank you so much. Really.”

“Bella, of course,” said Lola, a little woozy, glad she’d had seconds of the penne.

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