said, glancing at the clock. “Why are you calling?”
“Because you’re my best friend, and I’m having a crisis,” Ally shot back. “Wake up!”
Mandy sighed, rolling out of the bed. “Hold on a second.” Mandy put the phone down, grabbing James’ discarded shirt from the night before and pulling it over her head.
“Who is it?” James mumbled.
“It’s Ally,” Mandy said. “She’s having a crisis.”
“Why do you have to get dressed for that? She’s always having a crisis.”
“This is a private crisis,” Mandy said. “It’s a girl thing. Go back to sleep.”
“Where are you going?”
“Out in the other room. Mind your own business.”
“You are my business,” James said.
“Go back to sleep.”
Mandy pulled the door as close to shut as she could without making a noise. She didn’t want to make James suspicious. “Okay,” Mandy said, pressing the phone back to her ear as she sat down on the couch. “I had to get out of the bedroom. We’re talking about Jake, right? He saw you naked?”
Mandy listened as Ally told her a story. When she was done, Mandy was shocked. “Why didn’t you call the police?”
“What could the police have done?”
“Well, why didn’t you call us?”
“I didn’t want to ruin your Saturday,” Ally said. “I’m getting the locks changed today – or tomorrow, if it comes to it. It’s not a big deal. Nothing was stolen. A robber isn’t going to come back to the scene of the crime.”
“Probably not. So, wait, Jake stayed on your couch?”
“Yeah, he was worried.”
“How did he see you naked?”
“I took a bath. He fell asleep in the interim. He thought he heard a noise and that I was already back in the bedroom. He was investigating when I was leaving the bathroom. I was so surprised, I dropped my towel.”
Mandy barked out a laugh. “That’s hilarious.”
“He hit his head on the door trying to look away.”
“Well, that’s horrifying,” Mandy said. “What did he say?”
“Omigod, I’m so sorry.”
“And what did you do?”
“I dropped my towel again and walked into the bedroom.”
“Why?”
“I just wanted to see what he would do,” Ally replied.
“And what did he do?”
“I have no idea. I just left him standing there with his mouth open.”
“And now what are you doing?”
“I’m asking you for advice,” Ally said. “I haven’t seen him yet today.”
“Oh, that’s why you’re calling so early,” Mandy said. “Well … let me think a second.”
“Maybe he didn’t like what he saw,” Ally said. “That’s the only explanation I can come up with.”
“That might not be it,” Mandy said. “Go out there naked again this morning and see what happens.”
“That’s your advice?”
“Yeah, Jake’s a red-blooded man. There’s no way he can see your body in the light of day and not want to jump it. Just brush your hair first. Oh, and brush your teeth.”
“I think that’s a terrible idea.”
“You won’t know if it will work until you try.”
Mandy stilled when she heard James clearing his throat behind her. She turned, her body rigid, and fixed him with a tight smile. “Um, Ally, I have to go.”
“What? Why?”
“Because your brother has been eavesdropping,” Mandy said. “And he doesn’t look happy.”
“Oh, crap.”
“You’ve got that right.” Mandy disconnected the phone and fixed James with her brightest smile. “Have I told you today how much I love you?”
James’ jaw was clenched. “Get dressed.”
Seven
Ally poked her head out of the bedroom and listened. She’d followed Mandy’s advice and brushed her hair, but she needed to cross the hallway before she could brush her teeth. When she didn’t hear anyone stirring, she scurried into the bathroom and shut the door.
When she finally deemed herself presentable, smoothing her tank top and cotton sleep pants to the best of her ability, she reentered the hallway. Ally’s mind was jumbled as she walked the
“Because you’re my best friend, and I’m having a crisis,” Ally shot back. “Wake up!”
Mandy sighed, rolling out of the bed. “Hold on a second.” Mandy put the phone down, grabbing James’ discarded shirt from the night before and pulling it over her head.
“Who is it?” James mumbled.
“It’s Ally,” Mandy said. “She’s having a crisis.”
“Why do you have to get dressed for that? She’s always having a crisis.”
“This is a private crisis,” Mandy said. “It’s a girl thing. Go back to sleep.”
“Where are you going?”
“Out in the other room. Mind your own business.”
“You are my business,” James said.
“Go back to sleep.”
Mandy pulled the door as close to shut as she could without making a noise. She didn’t want to make James suspicious. “Okay,” Mandy said, pressing the phone back to her ear as she sat down on the couch. “I had to get out of the bedroom. We’re talking about Jake, right? He saw you naked?”
Mandy listened as Ally told her a story. When she was done, Mandy was shocked. “Why didn’t you call the police?”
“What could the police have done?”
“Well, why didn’t you call us?”
“I didn’t want to ruin your Saturday,” Ally said. “I’m getting the locks changed today – or tomorrow, if it comes to it. It’s not a big deal. Nothing was stolen. A robber isn’t going to come back to the scene of the crime.”
“Probably not. So, wait, Jake stayed on your couch?”
“Yeah, he was worried.”
“How did he see you naked?”
“I took a bath. He fell asleep in the interim. He thought he heard a noise and that I was already back in the bedroom. He was investigating when I was leaving the bathroom. I was so surprised, I dropped my towel.”
Mandy barked out a laugh. “That’s hilarious.”
“He hit his head on the door trying to look away.”
“Well, that’s horrifying,” Mandy said. “What did he say?”
“Omigod, I’m so sorry.”
“And what did you do?”
“I dropped my towel again and walked into the bedroom.”
“Why?”
“I just wanted to see what he would do,” Ally replied.
“And what did he do?”
“I have no idea. I just left him standing there with his mouth open.”
“And now what are you doing?”
“I’m asking you for advice,” Ally said. “I haven’t seen him yet today.”
“Oh, that’s why you’re calling so early,” Mandy said. “Well … let me think a second.”
“Maybe he didn’t like what he saw,” Ally said. “That’s the only explanation I can come up with.”
“That might not be it,” Mandy said. “Go out there naked again this morning and see what happens.”
“That’s your advice?”
“Yeah, Jake’s a red-blooded man. There’s no way he can see your body in the light of day and not want to jump it. Just brush your hair first. Oh, and brush your teeth.”
“I think that’s a terrible idea.”
“You won’t know if it will work until you try.”
Mandy stilled when she heard James clearing his throat behind her. She turned, her body rigid, and fixed him with a tight smile. “Um, Ally, I have to go.”
“What? Why?”
“Because your brother has been eavesdropping,” Mandy said. “And he doesn’t look happy.”
“Oh, crap.”
“You’ve got that right.” Mandy disconnected the phone and fixed James with her brightest smile. “Have I told you today how much I love you?”
James’ jaw was clenched. “Get dressed.”
Seven
Ally poked her head out of the bedroom and listened. She’d followed Mandy’s advice and brushed her hair, but she needed to cross the hallway before she could brush her teeth. When she didn’t hear anyone stirring, she scurried into the bathroom and shut the door.
When she finally deemed herself presentable, smoothing her tank top and cotton sleep pants to the best of her ability, she reentered the hallway. Ally’s mind was jumbled as she walked the
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