href="#u085f943a-3426-5a49-b9eb-58f56f5250c7">Chapter 1
“The words Jewel and committed in a sentence together...” Dominique let her statement fall and sniffed out a chuckle.
“I know. It doesn’t even sound right. Ha!” Harper waved incredulously as if the concept was too ridiculous to consider.
“I’m completely capable of being in a committed relationship.” Jewel defended herself, twisting her ankle in the mirror to check out the stiletto she tried on. “I just have standards.”
“Standards,” her friends said together and burst out laughing.
“As penetrable as a petrified forest!” Dominique’s loud whisper elicited laughter from both ladies as she plopped on a pink faux fur bench with a shoebox in her hands.
Jewel placed her hand on her hip. “I am not that bad.” A beat passed. “Am I?”
Dominique and Harper exchanged sideways glances and looked back at Jewel.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting certain things in the man you date.” She dismissed their unspoken scrutiny with a flip of her hand. “Why waste time getting to know someone if you know you’re not compatible? I say have your fun and move on.” Jewel shrugged, slipped out of the stilettos and placed them back in the box.
Leaning against the shoe rack, Dominique crossed her arms. “You don’t give people a chance. Look at Maddox. He was charming and had a great body.”
“Please!” Jewel twisted her lips. “I’ll admit he was incredible in bed, but I don’t do ex-wives. It’s too much trouble.” Jewel slipped her foot into a pair of sandals and tilted her head in her reflection.
“What about Sabien?” Harper closed her eyes and shook her head. “That man was gorgeous. I would never tire of that sexy accent of his.”
“Boring!” Jewel sang. “And he had kids.”
“That can be challenging,” Dominique admitted.
“I don’t think that’s so bad—especially if he gets along with the child’s mother.”
“I prefer a man who doesn’t have those kinds of attachments,” Jewel said matter-of-factly.
“Oh! I know.” Dominique stepped forward. “What was that guy’s name?” She squinted. “Evan. That’s it. He had an edge.”
“Yeah, Jewel.” Harper tilted her head. “What happened to him? He was really sexy.”
“Oh. I remember.” Dominique nodded. “He wasn’t an Ivy League man.”
“You’re a tough one, Jewel,” Harper said.
“Hey! You ladies make it sound horrible. I know you can’t always help who you fall in love with so I just try to make sure I don’t get too serious with anyone that I wouldn’t be equally yoked with. We have to have common goals, and share similar values. I want us to enjoy certain firsts together—like our first marriage, first child, etc. I had an Ivy League education and I prefer a man who shared in that experience. What’s so wrong with that?”
“When you put it that way—nothing I guess,” Dominique noted.
“See. I’m not a witch. I just have standards.”
“Just don’t let those standards get in the way of getting a great guy. You’ve let a few gems slip through your fingers already, miss.” Harper pointed her finger at Jewel.
“And there will always be more. Humph.” Jewel put down the shoebox that she’d just picked up. “I’m too hungry to shop for shoes. Let’s do this after brunch.”
Without hesitation, Dominique stepped up and Harper pulled off the shoes she’d been trying on and returned them to the box.
“Good because I’m starving!” Dominique said.
The trio left the shoe store located on the main road in the Hamptons and entered the eatery that sparked their outing. Sundry’s served a robust brunch with a mix of southern and French cuisine. The ladies were seated moments after entering.
Harper brought the conversation right back around after they placed orders. “Explain why Dayton didn’t work again. He was an Ivy Leaguer with no kids or ex-wives.”
“That man could never be taken seriously. He’s more allergic to commitment than I could ever be accused of. We had our fun, but it would take a lot more to tame Dayton Rivers. Dating him was fun when it was forbidden. Now that our families actually get along, we both agree it’s just not the same. Now it’s like we’re the best of friends.”
“I don’t know what’s going to work for you, Jewel.” Dominique took a piece of the warm bread the waiter placed in front of them and tore it in half.
“Right now, a mimosa and a—” Jewel stopped speaking. Dominique and Harper followed her gaze. The three of them watched as four handsome men passed their table following closely behind the restaurant’s hostess. With seductive smiles, the men watched them just as closely.
“Whew!” Harper turned back toward the table. “With all that eye candy we just took in, I may not need dessert.”
The three of them laughed.
“I’m still eating mine!” Jewel declared. They laughed harder.
Their meals arrived. The girls chatted around mouthfuls of cage-free omelets with crab and roasted asparagus, lemon brioche French toast and frittatas loaded with seasonal veggies.
“Can you believe it’s already been ten years since we graduated?” Jewel sighed and sipped the mimosa the waiter placed in front of her.
“I know.” Harper nodded her head. “It doesn’t feel like that much time has passed.”
“Dominique!” Jewel sat taller. “What’s the name of that guy who had that crush on you the entire time we were in school?”
“Oh!” Harper put her hand on her forehead. “I remember him. He had a unique name.”
Dominique squinted. “I can’t recall his name, but I saw him a few years ago and he was gorgeous. He married some model and moved to Europe.”
“Yes!” Jewel snapped her finger. “Basil!” she almost shouted. “I went through my mental Rolodex of spices. I knew it couldn’t be oregano.”
Dominique’s cheeks puffed. Quickly she covered her mouth to keep the champagne and orange juice from exploding all over the table. She gulped and released her laugh. The incident elicited more laughter from Jewel and Harper. Guests at surrounding tables looked over smiling as if they wished they could be part of the fun.
Wiping a tear from her eye, Harper shook her head. “We never know what’s coming out of that mouth of yours.”
Jewel’s smile spanned wider. It took several moments for the girls to recover from another round of laughter.
“Whew!” Jewel sat back catching
