“Ready?” Mindy asked me the following day as I went out of the house, wearing just a tank top and some of those prairie skirts that Mindy loved wearing. She told me I must look laid-back; that I should stop wearing those (in her own words) dreaded business suits I always have on. ऀᰀ匠甀爀攀 愀洀☀ᴠ†䤀 愀渀猀眀攀爀攀搀⸀ഀ
She laughed, “Come on,” She said and asked me to hop inside Paul’s yellow Bentley convertible. It looked so vintage, yet so cool.ऀᰀ䠠攀礀 䬀椀洀℀ᴀ†倀愀甀氀 最爀攀攀琀攀搀⸀ഀ
“Hey,” I smiled. “Where exactly are we going?”ऀᰀ䤠 琀漀氀搀 礀漀甀 愀氀爀攀愀搀礀Ⰰᴀ†䴀椀渀搀礀 猀愀椀搀Ⰰ ᰀ吠栀攀 琀愀琀琀漀漀 猀栀漀瀀℀ᴀഠ
“Here we are…” Mindy smiled.ऀᰀ圠漀眀Ⰰ 琀栀椀猀 椀猀 渀攀愀爀℀ᴀഠ
“Kimmie, you should get out of your house more…” She said and gave Paul a peck on the cheek, “Thanks, babe, we’ll take it from here.”ऀᰀ传欀愀礀Ⰰ 猀攀攀 礀漀甀☀ᴠ†倀愀甀氀 猀愀椀搀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀渀 眀攀 最漀琀 漀甀琀 漀昀 琀栀攀 挀愀爀⸀ 䠀攀 搀爀漀瘀攀 愀眀愀礀⸀ഀ
“I’ve no idea what you’re thinking!” I told Mindy.ऀ䴀椀渀搀礀 氀愀甀最栀攀搀Ⰰ ᰀ传栀Ⰰ 䬀椀洀洀椀攀Ⰰ 洀攀 琀漀漀⸀ᴀഠ
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The man was holding my arm as he started to use the henna tattoo gun. I chose a rose chain design to go around my wrist. ऀᰀ䘠椀渀愀氀氀礀Ⰰ 礀漀甀ᤀ瘠攀 最椀瘀攀渀 椀渀℀ᴀ†䴀椀渀搀礀 猀愀椀搀⸀ 匀栀攀 眀愀猀 猀椀琀琀椀渀最 漀渀 琀栀攀 挀栀愀椀爀 渀攀砀琀 琀漀 洀攀⸀ഀ
“Well, it’s just henna…” I answered, “Anyway…how are you and Paul? Wedding plans soon?”ऀᰀ传栀Ⰰ 甀栀洀☀渠漀☀ᴠ†匀栀攀 愀渀猀眀攀爀攀搀Ⰰ ᰀ圠攀ᤀ爠攀 樀甀猀琀☀琠愀欀椀渀最 琀栀椀渀最猀 猀氀漀眀⸀ᴀഠ
“I like him though, I mean, for you. He seems to be a good guy. And a budding star at that!”ऀ匀栀攀 氀愀甀最栀攀搀Ⰰ ᰀ䠠攀ᤀ猠 愀氀眀愀礀猀 戀攀攀渀 愀 猀琀愀爀 琀漀 洀攀⸀ᴀഠ
“Aw look at you, all sweet and adoring…”ऀᰀ匠栀甀琀 甀瀀Ⰰᴀ†匀栀攀 猀洀椀氀攀搀Ⰰ ᰀ匠漀☀栠漀眀 愀爀攀 琀栀椀渀最猀 戀攀琀眀攀攀渀 礀漀甀 愀渀搀 䴀愀爀欀㼀ᴀഠ
“We’re trying to work things out…”ऀ匀栀攀 猀洀椀氀攀搀 氀椀最栀琀氀礀Ⰰ ᰀ䠠攀 爀攀愀氀氀礀 氀漀瘀攀猀 礀漀甀⸀ᴀഠ
“I love him, too. A lot.”ऀᰀ䤠 欀渀漀眀☀ᴠഠ
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, “I just can’t imagine life without him…but I can’t let him see me suffer.”ऀᰀ夠漀甀 挀愀渀ᤀ琠 洀愀欀攀 栀椀洀 渀漀琀 猀攀攀⸀ᴀഠ
And then I learned that he and my sister, Caroline, knew each other from before. It was from Caroline’s hey days as a bar-tripper, and late-night-all nighter girl. Caroline used to be on everyone’s social calendars! Well…they kissed, and they told me that’s that and that before I introduced him to them, nothing else ever happened. It got me paranoid that time and I even accused them of cheating on me, not knowing that Caroline was already dating Mark’s cousin, Robbie, who would eventually become her