Free Shine Your Love on Me by Jean C. Joachim Page A

Brooke
chewed on a nail.
    “Come, eat. You can’t think on an empty
stomach.” Bess made a plate for Brooke and set it on the table.
Rory walked her over. Miranda pulled out a chair.
    “If I can’t work in advertising, I don’t know
what I’m going to do. I can’t do anything else.”
    “That can’t be true,” Miranda said between
bites of succulent, cold shrimp.
    “My mother could do everything—cook, sew,
garden. I haven’t inherited any of her skills.”
    “You haven’t tried. It’ll come to you. Maybe
you can be an assistant on my show…just until you find something
better,” Bess said.
    Brooke turned grateful eyes on her. “Thanks,
Bess. We’ll see.” She didn’t want to take advantage of her friends. I’m not their problem or responsibility.
    “We could turn our pugs loose on that
bastard,” Miranda said.
    “Yeah, make sure he doesn’t have the balls to
do that again,” Rory snickered.
    The women made jokes about what they’d like
to do to Pete Walters. They threw in a few for Lloyd as well.
Brooke laughed along with them.
    “You need a new man,” Bess said.
    “What about that guy that’s always hanging
around your grandma’s place?” Rory asked.
    “You mean Pres?”
    “Yeah, Pres,” Miranda said.
    “I’m going out with him tomorrow night.”
    At this news, everyone talked at once. The
women delved deep into what Brooke should wear, what she should
say, whether or not she should sleep with him. They wanted a
detailed report. Brooke blushed as she talked about his body. The
ladies oohed and aahed in all the right places.
    “We’re only friends. I don’t think he’s going
to proposition me,” Brooke said.
    “Hah! That’s what they all say,” Miranda
sniffed. “I’d put money on the fact he’s going to make a pass. They
all do. If they strike out, hell, nothing lost. But if they
don’t—hey! Home run!”
    “Absolutely! The secure ones aren’t afraid to
get turned down. They get the benefit of succeeding versus the risk
of the turndown,” Rory said, licking homemade mocha pudding off her
spoon.
    “You can have more, Rory. Really,” Bess said.
Then to Brooke, “You’re vulnerable right now. If he does make a
pass, it’s gonna be hard to say ‘no’.”
    “Who says she wants to say ‘no’? Getting laid
might be the best thing for her right now.”
    “Miranda’s right. Nothing like sex with a
great partner to help heal,” Rory said.
    “Who says he’s a great partner?” Brooke
asked, arching an eyebrow.
    “Hell, the way you described him, you’re
already hot for him. That’s half the game.”
    Brooke looked at Rory and laughed. “You know
me too well.”
    After killing another bottle of wine, the
women decided to form an a cappella group. They tried to
harmonize, but ended up laughing so hard they couldn’t breathe.
    “Maybe we can do River Dancing instead,”
Miranda said, holding her side.
    “Maybe sex instruction?” Rory offered.
    That set them off. Lewd comments and jokes,
interspersed with laughter, had the women struggling to suck in
air. They were all cross-legged on the floor, giggling, when
Whitfield Bass, Bess’s man, returned to the apartment.
    He stopped at the entryway. “Am I in the
right place?”
    “A man! Good. Let’s ask him,” Brooke
said.
    “Ask me what?” Whit entered cautiously.
    “No, no. Don’t. Go, Whit,” Bess said, making
shooing gestures.
    “Now, now. When a woman says she wants to ask
me a question, it would be rude to simply leave the room.”
    “Trust me. You don’t want to answer this
question,” Miranda said, shaking her head and attempting to appear
serious.
    “Come on. We all want to know!” Brooke tried
to push to her feet, but ended up falling on the sofa on her
tush.
    Whit bowed. “What can I do to satisfy your
curiosity?”
    All four women screamed with laughter. They
were almost rolling on the floor. Even Bess couldn’t catch her
breath.
    “What did I say?”
    “Satisfy,” Bess breathed