Tangled Fury by Kristen Middleton, Book Cover By Design, K. L. Middleton

something told me that it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities. Not here.
    “Oh, that reminds me. I’m having a girls-only adult toy party next Saturday night. You can check out the merchandise and even make a purchase if you’d like. I had one a couple of months ago and we had such a great time.”
    “Uh, I’m not sure if I can make it this weekend. I’d have to find a sitter…”
    “Girl, you gotta try. We have a blast at these things. There’s going to be about fifteen to twenty of us. Might even hire a stripper, just to get the girls in the mood to buy, you know?”
    “Oh, wow . Great marketing idea.”
    “ Exactly. One of my clients is a male stripper and he said he’d give me a deal if I ever needed one. The more I think about it, the better it sounds. I think I’d better give him a call.”
    “Nice.”
    “Oh, he is and fine …. Anyway, I’m sure you can drum up more nail business if you join us. There’s no obligation to buy anything, either. We just drink wine, stuff our faces, and laugh our asses off all night long.”
    She was being so friendly , that I decided to see if I could get Arlene to watch Emma, since Fred was playing poker that night. “It does sound like a lot of fun. I promise - if I can find a sitter, I’ll be there.”
    “Good. I think most of the girls from the shop will also be there. Oh, and a friend of ours named Jesse. He’s a hoot. You’ll love him.”
    “I thought you said it was a girls-only party.”
    “Jesse is the one exception.”
    Sinclair walked into the b ack room. “You talking about your sex-toy party again?”
    “Yes. I invited Sera.”
    She looked at me and smiled. “Good. You’ll love it.”
    “Are you going?” I asked.
    Her smile fell. “I’m not sure. I… um, I was going to take Felix over to the cat-groomer, earlier in the day, so I don’t know. He’s getting a lot of knots in his fur and I’m thinking of having it trimmed.”
    “ Okay… but what does that have to do with Saturday night ?” asked Felicia.
    “If he gets his fur shaved, like last time, he ’ll be upset and will need some extra TLC.”
    Felicia rolled her eyes. “So, you’re going to stay home with your cat for… moral support?”
    She blushed. “He’s very sensitive. You know that.”
    “Yeah, so I’ve heard.” Felicia touched her arm. “You have to show up, Sinclair. It just wouldn’t be the same without you.”
    She sighed. “I’ll try. It’s just not a really good time, you know?”
    Felicia’s brown eyes softened. “I know. I know. But, sometimes, surrounding yourself with friends and laughter is what makes a bad time a little more manageable. Don’t you agree, Sera?”
    “Definitely,” I said, thinking of Fred and Arlene. Their friendship had definitely been therapeutic.
    “ Like I said, I’ll let you know by the weekend,” replied Sinclair, turning towards the soda machine. She slid some quarters inside, pushed a button, and then bent down to retrieve her can. “I mean, I’m sure I’ll be there. Jesse will hound the hell out of me if I don’t go.”
    Fel icia’s eyes glittered. “That’s another reason why I invited him.”
    “You’re evil,” said Si nclair, popping open the diet soda.
    Felicia laughed. “Did you ever doubt that I wasn’t?”
    “You told me a while ago that you were manipulative bitch,” she replied, shaking her head with a smile. “And I should have listened.”
    “ Damn right, and you aint seen nothin’ yet,” said Felicia, looking at her long nails. “I’ve invited Grayson Parker Field’s sister. Her brother is so fine and from what I hear, newly single.”
    “Who is that?” asked Sinclair.
    “A football player,” I answered.
    They both looked at me in surprise.
    “You watch football?” asked Felicia.
    I blushed. “No. My Ex watched it and I remember hearing the name come up a few times. I believe he scores lots of goals?”
    Felicia smiled wickedly. “That’s what I hear, too. I’m