“Max didn’t tell me to pack a bag!” I exclaim. “And I actually tried on one of his dress shirts he keeps in his Aspen house, thinking I could wear it home and be all ‘dress shirt chic’ like the hot women you see in the movies, but it wouldn’t button over my gigantic ass.”
Dakota peals with laughter. “That’s so embarrassing.”
I frown and smile at the same time because embarrassment didn’t even factor into the moment. In fact, there was no self-consciousness at all this morning when we woke up in each other’s arms with the Aspen sun pouring in through his giant bedroom windows that got quite a show once we finally made it up the stairs.
“Actually, it wasn’t embarrassing,” I interject, a smug smile spreading across my face as I realize that somewhere between the private jet and Max spitting whiskey into my mouth, I finally accepted the fact that he likes my body just the way it is. “I’m pretty sure Max was turned on by the fact that the shirt didn’t fit. I thought he was a breast man, but he might be an ass man too.”
“Or he’s a Cozy man,” Dakota replies with a stunned look that has been on her face since I arrived here this evening. “Not to discredit your impressive ass, it’s a sight to behold, but Cozy…you do realize you’re living in a Mercedes Lee Loveletter novel, and you need to marry this man like right now.”
“Okay, calm down now.” I laugh, trying to bring this gabfest back into focus. “No one is talking marriage. We haven’t even given whatever we are a label yet. As far as I know, we’re still just in the dating stage.”
“Does Everly know he took you to Aspen?” Dakota asks, waving to a customer who walks in the door and begins shopping.
“No,” I reply quickly. “We both agreed that we should definitely keep this from Everly until I’m done being her nanny.”
“But you’re still going with him to that charity thing next weekend?” she presses.
“Yes, Everly is staying at her grandparents’， so she won’t be around when we leave.” A nervous flutter takes flight in my belly. “The Tatianna gown I picked out is incredible, Dakota. And Tatianna was so sweet. I can’t believe I’ve never met your friend before. She was amazing.”
“Well, you were kind of MIA after you moved to Denver,” she responds knowingly, and then her face grows serious at the mention of my past life. “I’m really happy you finally told him about your stroke, Cozy. It feels like an important step for you to put that awful experience behind you.”
“It does,” I agree, marveling over the fact that a couple of months ago, anytime my past job was brought up, I’d feel my body tighten with anxiety. But just now as I retold my whole night with Max to my best friend, I feel surprisingly at peace. “I think I’m ready to finally call Kate back and get going on this charcuterie project.”
“Dayummm,” Dakota peals dramatically. “Zaddy’s dick must have some magical healing powers!”
“I’ll take a little credit, thank you very much.” I laugh and wrinkle my nose. “But you’re right…his dick is magical.”
Dakota giggles, and I sigh inwardly as I realize for the first time that I’m not necessarily like my old, younger self, and I’m clearly nothing like my Denver self…but perhaps a new hybrid version that’s stronger and more capable of achieving goals and setting boundaries. The perfect room temperature Cozy—as long as Cinderella’s coach doesn’t turn back into a pumpkin anytime soon.
“You sure you’re okay with fifty people, Max? Maybe seventy-five?” Norah asks, standing in the middle of my backyard on Saturday afternoon. The July sun is scorching so I lift my hand to block the light.
“Whatever you want, Norah,” I reply, and she turns a bright smile to her mom as they point down by the creek.
Dean elbows me and nods. “Good answer. Just do a lot of nodding and smiling, and we’ll both hopefully get out of here alive.”
“We’re going to go do some measurements down by the beach,” Norah’s mom shouts, and the two of them head down toward the sandy area by the creek.
My gaze slides over to the tiny house near it. I wonder how long this wedding planning will take today because Everly is at a sleepover at Claire’s, which means I have unlimited access to the hot nanny. She’s currently in my garage doing some woodworking, which means…she’s horny.
And so am I.