Free Sweetest Sin: Bad Boy Bundle by Delilah Wilde

assistants would try to harass my pale ass until I gave in and bought some fifty dollar bronzer and my fellow customers were always viscous harpies who would stamp over their own kids to get twenty percent off. It wasn't exactly my scene.
    However, today it seemed relatively quiet and only one sales girl asked me if I'd ever thought about warming up my complexion.
     
    "No thanks," I said, "I'm here to look at lipstick."
     
    I didn't know what lipstick I was looking for but I quickly found the familiar black and gold packaging. I was watching every tube that looked vaguely like the one from Nate's house when my thoughts were interrupted by a voice I had heard before.
     
    "Ruby!" exclaimed Trisha, pulling me into a hug. She smelled like a portable make up store and there was no chance that the sales assistant would be asking her to warm up her complexion, given the interesting orange shade that she was sporting on her skin right now. Even so, I was happy to see her.
     
    "Trisha! You look great," I lied, "But where's your husband?"
     
    It was a smooth way of disguising the fact that I had long forgotten his name.
     
    "Peter? Oh, he hates these places. I'm just doing a little retail therapy," she pulled out a wad of gift cards and waved them in my face, "Wedding presents! I think you’re supposed to use them to buy blenders and microwaves and things like that, but I think the key to a happy marriage is a good foundation!"
     
    She laughed so loudly that people were staring but I went along with it. It was just nice to have some human interaction for once.
    "No honeymoon then?" I asked.
     
    "No way! We spent way too much on the wedding," she said, "Anyway, who needs that crap. We can go out to dinner and dancing here and we know that everyone speaks English and that we'll like the food!"
     
    She said all that as if it made perfect sense and I nodded in agreement, though I couldn't have seen things more differently if I'd tried. I'd always though that a wedding was something you did for your family and friends and maybe for your church, to make them feel included and important. The honeymoon was the actual fun part, getting to see a different culture and spend night after night with the person you loved most in the world. Maybe I was being silly and idealistic. The furthest abroad I'd been was Cancun during spring break and it didn't look like I'd ever find someone who wanted to spend all that time with me. Who was I to criticize Trisha when she had the one thing that I couldn't seem to find? True love.
     
    "That's great," I said, smiling, "And it was so worth it. Your wedding was a beautiful experience for everyone involved."
     
    If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. My mother had always said that. I had just decided that she was on to something. My words made Trisha beam with pride.
     
    "That's so sweet Rubes!" she gave a little giggle, "Looks like you'll have a lot to compete with the day that you get married." I didn't let the smile leave my face but this was torture now.
     
    "Yeah, that'll be the day."
     
    Trisha gave me a knowing look. I had no idea what she was getting at.
     
    "Come on Rubes, don't play coy with me. I know about you and your little romance."
     
    My heart started pounding. She knew? Oh god, she must have seen us dancing at the wedding. Maybe she even saw us going to Nate's room together. Trisha was the biggest blabbermouth in my extended family. If she knew, everyone knew.
     
    "Oh god, Trisha please don't tell my mom!" I said, people were staring again so I lowered my voice, "It was a mistake, I didn't know. I feel like such an idiot. I know it's wrong but it won't happen again. I just need you to keep it to yourself."
     
    Trisha smirked.
     
    "OK, I will. But now you know that you can't keep secrets from me," she said. I watched her pick up the shade of lipstick that I had been looking for and swatch it on her hand. She wrinkled her nose at the color, "Ew, it's