Rogue Wave by Isabel Jolie (reading eggs books txt) 📕

a thud on the bottom floor, a kimono wrapped around her. She had a noticeable amount of make-up on, and her hair sported hot roller bounce.

“Working?” I asked.

“Yeah. Saturday can be kind of busy. What’re you up to? Why aren’t you out with your new hot boyfriend?”

My facial muscles stretched with my smile. “Boyfriend? You mind if I have the rest of your coffee?”

“No, help yourself. You might need to pop it in the microwave, though.” She slid onto a stool and watched as I reheated the nut-brown liquid.

“I’m not sure men Tate’s age have the girlfriend-boyfriend discussion. Do you think they do?” He and I definitely hadn’t, but I’d chalked it up to it all being new and it being a mature post-college relationship.

“He’s not ancient. From what I can tell, men in their thirties, even forties and fifties, aren’t much different from men in their twenties.”

“You interact with your clients?”

“Yeah, via messages. If you went out on a date with someone else, do you think Tate would be upset?”

“Who would I go out with?”

“It’s a hypothetical.” She stretched out her arms. “Would you be upset if he went out on a date with someone else?”

“Who would he go out on a date with?” We were in the offseason. Unless a person went to the mainland, there were few dating options on the island.

“Don’t be dense.” Poppy’s brow furrowed. “You know what I mean. Would you be upset?”

“Yeah. It would hurt. If I walked into Jules and saw him at dinner with someone else, it would hurt. But I’d be okay.” At least, that was what I wanted. For us to be casual enough that if we woke up one day and felt differently, we could easily move on.

“I’m not saying you wouldn’t be okay. I’m—never mind. You guys are dating even if you haven’t had the conversation. So, back to my original question. Where’s your boyfriend?”

“He’s hanging with his brother today. I wanted to give them space. They haven’t seen each other in a long time.”

“What’re you gonna do? I’d offer to hang out, but I have a client upstairs I’ve got to get back to.”

“I thought you just sold photos?”

“Well, yeah, that’s the crux of it. But some clients like to correspond.”

“Sext, you mean?”

She grinned. “Yeah, like that. But some I think are just lonely. Anyway, this one guy wants to meet me in person.”

“I’m not so sure that would be smart. I don’t like that idea.” Fully aware I sounded like a parental, I aimed to play it cool, but my parents had thrown too many stories about Snapchat fatalities to feel good about a friend meeting up with a guy who bought her nude pics.

“Duh. I’m probably not going to agree. But he says he’ll come to Wilmington if I say yes.”

“That’s not a good idea, Poppy.”

“Yeah, that’s what Gabe says, too.”

“You’re still in touch with Gabe?”

A slow smile spread across her lips, and her eyes took on a happy haze. “He’s been texting me. Tate gave him my contact info.”

“He did?”

“That’s what he said. But he’s been coming across like more of a big brother. He doesn’t like the idea of me meeting up with anyone at all, but I get the sense he doesn’t like me modeling in general.”

“I can kind of understand.”

“Well, it’s not for him to decide. He’s a random friend of a friend. And, as for you, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get back upstairs.”

“Are you on video?” I still didn’t have a great sense of exactly what her job entailed.

“Only with some clients. Get out of here. Go enjoy your day.”

“Yeah, cleaning up the bunkhouse and preparing for guests. That’ll be fun.”

“Why are you doing that?”

“Researchers. They arrive Monday morning.”

“Fun, fun, fun. See ya later.” She paused with her hand on the stair railing. “Has Tate mentioned if Gabe is coming back to visit any time soon?”

“No, he hasn’t. But he didn’t even tell me his brother was going to be visiting.”

“I’m sure you guys had other things to talk about—or, I mean, do.” A beeping sounded upstairs. “Ah. That’s the warning it’s about to disconnect. Gotta run.”

She bounded up the stairs, and I cleaned her kitchen. I thought about sneaking up the stairs to see exactly what she did when she worked but decided against it. She’s a grown woman and she said she’s happy doing what she’s doing. That’s all that should matter.

As I left Poppy’s house, I checked my phone. No text from Tate. As it should be, given he was with his brother. And no matter what term accurately defined us, we weren’t the couple who texted nonstop when apart, anyway. The silent phone reminded me I should call my family, so I did.

“Hello.” My mom’s voice through the line shocked me enough that I double-checked which number I called. I hadn’t meant to interrupt her on a busy weekend morning. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

“Mom?”

“Luna? Is that you?”

“Mom, what are you doing home? Is Dad okay?”

“He’s fine.” Her voice rang with amusement. “It’s our anniversary today, so I didn’t go to the diner. We’re going out on the boat in a little bit. How’re you doing?”

“Ahm, I’m fine. Everything’s good. Happy anniversary. I’m…that’s awesome you took the day off.”

“Honey, I take our anniversary off every year.”

“You do?”

“Yes. Have been taking it off for about the last twenty years. Ever since I worked late and missed a dinner your dad prepared.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“It’s true.”

“Huh. Well, you should take more time off, anyway. You work too much.”

“You sound like your dad. Who, by the way, has been itching to come up and visit you. This older man has him on edge.”

“Mom, please don’t let him come up here. That’s ridiculous.”

“Well, you’re in luck. He’s not making that drive anytime soon with a broken hip. How are things going? Are you still with him?”

“Yes, since the last time I spoke to you, what, a week ago?”

“Does he make you happy?”

“It’s early days, Mom. Too early for