Free 1980: You Shook Me All Night Long (Love in the 80s #1) by Casey L. Bond Page B

brought sweaters. It was fall, for goodness sakes. Everyone knew it was cold in the Pacific Northwest. So, sweaters were all I had. No, I had a new friend. Maybe she could loan me something.
    Skidding to the door in sock feet, I ran two doors down and pounded. Brittany answered with a shocked smile. “Hey,” I said, breathless. “So, I was wondering if you could help me.”
    “Sure! Shakespeare?”
    “Not exactly. Though, I do need to snag Romeo.”
    Her eyes lit up. “Come in. Do tell.”
    We sat up all night talking about the crazy circumstances that surrounded my relationship with Luke. She loved the tape and letter.
    “He wants you, but you have to make sure you both are a good match.”
    “Um-hum,” I said, pinching my bottom lip between my thumb and forefinger. We stared at the clothes in her closet. “Hey, where’s your roommate?”
    I lifted an off-the-shoulder sweater out. Brittany scrunched her nose and shook her head.
    “Oh,” she waved me off. “She spends the weekends with her boyfriend. She won’t be back until Monday morning. Okay! You need something hot but that says you are serious about giving this a try, right?”
    “Right,” I nodded, my brows knitted together.
    She held up a brown tank top with polka-dots all over it. I shook my head. I hated polka dots. Ick.
    “What about this?” she said, lifting a shirt up for me to see. It was a shredded AC/DC shirt.
    “Are you kidding me? It’s perfect!” We hugged and jumped up and down.
    “Okay,” Brittany said, holding her hands out. “Jeans, this shirt and like, how are you doing your hair?”
    “Like this?”
    She shook her head. “Let me help you tomorrow.”
    “Are you sure? I hate to bother you.”
    She giggled. “It’s no bother, Tina. I like hanging out with you and this is an epic love story you and Luke are writing. Better than the English Literature I love to read.”
    “Ugh. Bane of my existence.”
    Brittany hugged me and told me she’d help me with the dead writers and their hidden meanings while she did my hair tomorrow. It was a girl date before my real date with Luke.
    I hugged her t-shirt to my chest as I walked to my room. It was late and I was wired. Eyes wide, I stared at my ceiling with visions of Luke naked dancing in my head.
----
    I feel asleep before dawn and slept until noon when my phone rang.
    “Hello?”
    “Hey, Tina.”
    “How are you, Dad?”
    He sniffed. “Got a cold, but I’m okay. I didn’t get to talk to you much this week.”
    “Yeah,” I said, opening the blinds on my window. “I’ve been struggling with English Lit so I’ve been studying with a group. They meet in the library certain evenings.”
    “You need money or anything?” he asked.
    “I’m good for now. But thanks.”
    “Alright. I was just making sure you were alive and hadn’t gotten into any trouble. Call me once in a while so I know you’re okay.”
    “I will, Dad. I promise.”
    “Alright.” Click. That was apparently the end of our conversation. Mental note: Call Dad. He’s lonely.
    Two barely-audible knocks came at my door. “Coming!”
    I ran to it and twisted the lock, easing it open. “Hey! I thought you could use some lunch,” Brittany said, holding up two bags of greasy goodness and matching cold beverages. Liquid yum.
    “Oh, thank God.” I took the drinks from her and we giggled through our lunch. She felt like a real friend. And I felt blessed.
    After we’d eaten, she ordered me to shower. I looked like a wet poodle when I walked out of the shower. But, after I had her badass shirt on overtop my hot pink tank top, tight acid-washed jeans and cross necklace, I felt better.
    Brittany squealed when she saw me, clapping her hands happily. She had every hair product, comb and brush the two of us owned spread over my desk and the chair pulled out. “Sit. Let’s do your hair and makeup!”
    It was only two o’clock, but what the hell. I sat down and let her work her magic. And she did. I had hair that