_______

To say Trace came home frustrated was an understatement. Not only had he been charged cover and valet, but he’d seen his ex pressing herself up against her newest boy toy. So that in itself put him over the edge. When he tried to find himself something or someone to occupy his night his friends decided they wanted to call him out on why he hadn’t been spending time with them lately. And then that turned into why Justin wasn’t out with him tonight.

“Always freaking Justin,” Trace mumbled under his breath as he pulled into the driveway. Anna’s car sat in the same place as when he left. That just set him off. “Wonderful.” He slammed the door shut. Pushing open the front door of the house he called out, “Put some damn clothes on, I’m home.” He threw his phone on the counter and yanked the door of the refrigerator open. Trace pulled out the left over cobbler and a spoon and turned to sit at the table.

“Hi,” Anna said walking into the room. When she saw Trace and the agitation written on his face her demeanor turned cautious. “Not such a fun night?”

“Not as much fun as I’m sure you had,” he spat shoving a piece of peach into his mouth.

“You mean before or after Justin’s phone rang off the hook for a solid hour and I took the dogs for a walk?” Eying the girl sitting across from him Trace noticed her usually twinkling eyes weren’t so, well, twinkly.

“That happens.”

“So I’ve been told,” she said resting her chin in her hands. “It’s good cobbler, isn’t it? I knew you said you were craving some, so.”

Trace scoured around the plate for some crust. “You don’t have to pretend you got it for me.”

“Of course I got it for you silly. Justin got his doughnuts. It was only fair you should get a treat too.”

He tried not to laugh. “How thoughtful.”

“Trace, what the heck pissed on your cake tonight? Really? I don’t think I like you right now.” He shrugged. Anna pushed in her chair. “Alright, fine. I stayed up waiting to talk to you and see how your night on the town went. But obviously you’re going to be a jackass about it.”

“Yep.”

“Goodnight. Call me when you’re attitude isn’t so ugly.”

He heard the front door close and her car start up. Suddenly not hungry anymore he threw the rest of the cobbler in the garbage and mumbled obscenities under his breath as he made his way to bed.

-----

Sitting on a stack of mats Anna poked herself in the thigh with the eraser of her pencil before letting out a heavy sigh.

“What’s wrong,” Arlen asked from across the room where he was also waiting for his next patient.

“Nothing,” Anna said, sighing again.

Arlen sauntered over and plopped himself next to her, “Did you have your big night with Mr. Flashypants last night?”

Anna shot him a look, “He has a name Arlen.”

“Excuse me. Justin Flashypants.”

She was glad she had a friend like Arlen, even if he was annoying sometimes. “It was fine. We planned out nearly all of Trace’s birthday party. Pretty productive for all of the distractions.”

“So what’s with the long face,” Arlen asked taking her chin into his hands. Anna playfully swatted him away.

“Trace had a cow when he got home. And he won’t call me back.”

“Maybe he’s still sleeping,” Arlen offered looking at the watch around his wrist. “It’s still kinda early.”

“I guess,” Anna sighed again. Without much time to dwell on their conversation Anna’s patient came in and she let herself get engrossed in her work.

-----

Zoe settled on the floor pulling the multicolored fabrics out carefully and discarding the unwanted ones in a pile to her left. A few feet away Anna rifled through a basket of her own.

“I think I’ve found my new nirvana,” Anna gasped pulling out a short dress decorated with what appeared to be raindrops. She threw the dress over her shoulder and continued her perusing.

Taking her pile of things and putting the rest back in the basket Zoe joined the shorter girl. “At least someone else thinks so. Tani came once and said the smell gave her a headache.”

Anna handed Zoe a Whitesnake shirt from the bottom of a pile. “And heaven knows Kendall wouldn’t even get into the car to drive past here.”

Zoe laughed and nodded. “Little does she know the Gucci pumps I got her for her birthday were from here.”

“Really?”

Zoe moved down the aisle towards the accessory department, “They have some pretty good things here. I once got Justin a pair of Jordans. The fact that they had them and in his size was fate.”

Anna nodded in understanding and the two continued looking through the store. Heaving their bags with them to the car Anna decided she might as well ask.

“Hey Zoe,” she pulled on her hair tie around her wrist, “what’s with you and Justin?”

Slamming her trunk shut Zoe slipped into the driver’s seat. “What do you mean?”

“Do you hate him, or do you like him? Cuz this bi-polar Justinism has got me so confused.”

Zoe laughed over the sound of the radio. “I hate Justin, really I do. He’s done some really shitty things to me An. But I’ve done just as much back at him so I can’t hold it against him. And it’s hard not to like him.”

“I find it very difficult to imagine the two of you dating. Him pulling out chairs and stuff.”

“He didn’t do that shit for me,” Zoe proclaimed. She saw her companions’ green eyes searching for more. “To put it simply: Justin needed ass and I needed to get out of Tennessee.”

“Wow.”

“You asked.”

“I guess I did. I just didn’t think…well, I guess that does explain a lot then.”

Zoe turned questioning to Anna, “It does?”

“Oh yeah,” Anna nodded with a smile, “you hate him because you know you want some of that, but you hate it more because you know you can have it if you wanted but you won’t let yourself go back there. And between the three of you, I can assume why you like him. Well actually I guess he is a nice person to boot too.”

“Annabelle,” Zoe said shaking a finger at her, “you sure you’re just a physical therapist? Cuz I‘ve paid some good money and never got read like that so easily.”

“My grandpa was Sigmund Freud. Maybe I learned from him,” she winked.

“Really!” Zoe gasped.

“No.”

Zoe reached out and pushed Anna’s shoulder. “You goof. Honestly? Making jokes about Freud. You’re out there Anna.”

-----

The sun was high in the afternoon sky and there was nothing Tani wanted more than to stay permanently in the pool relaxing. Scooping a handful of water from the pool and onto her legs Tani spied Justin and Kendall making their way to the pool.

“Took you long enough,” Tani spouted. “Did you have to sew the bathing suit yourself too?”

Kendall tried to shush her roommate, “I couldn’t find my bottoms.”

“And I told her who needs them and we should just go,” Justin answered grabbing his own raft from the storage shed and placing it into the water.

Tani eyed the two of them from behind her sunglasses. “Topless, sure that makes sense. There’s no bottomless beaches. We wear bottoms in this pool Justin.”

“Are you sure about that,” he asked hiding a smirk as he sank on the raft.

Kendall’s mouth formed a tiny ‘o’ of surprise and Tani blushed. “Yes, I’m sure Justin.”

“I seem to remember a couple nights when-”

“And anyways, why didn’t you bring Trace today,” she cut him off.

Justin shrugged as best he could from his prostrate form on the plastic raft, “He’s been pissy at me since he went out with his boys.”

“Why would he be pissy about that,” Kendall asked.

Again Justin shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe someone spilled on him? All I know is Anna sat up for like three hours after I went to bed with a sinus headache and he came home and blew her off.” Kendall tried to contain her excitement. Tani just rolled her eyes.

“So she not hanging with him today,” Kendall questioned.

“Nope. She’s got a cartilage or something or other class today,” he explained.

“Too bad.”

Slipping from his raft and into the water Justin voiced his agreement. “It is. I didn’t realize how used to her being around I had gotten until she’s been gone. I might just have to call her up myself and make her come over. Got Anna withdrawal or something.”

From their positions in the pool the girls nodded in approval.

-----

One look around the kitchen told Anna she should try and high-tail it out of there before anything else happened. But before she could even try to leave the room she felt a pair of hands grab her around the waist.

“Annester you are not getting away so easy.”

Anna pushed his hands away and tugged on the pockets of the apron she was wearing. “You invited me to bake. Not to clean.”

Justin turned from his new position in front of the sink, “It goes without saying Anna. You can’t just have your cake and eat it too ya know.”

Caving in and wrapping an arm around Justin to grab a sponge Anna shot back, “There isn’t any cake involved in this mess Justin.”

“Not yet. Why? Should we make some?”

Green eyes settled on plates of chocolate chips, muffins, and what was supposed to be pudding. “No, I think we’ve done enough damage.”

He chuckled. “I suppose so. But it was fun.”

A loud crash followed his statement when Anna dropped the cookie pans into the sink. “If you mean throwing flour into my hair, sure.”

Justin pointed a warning finger at her, “You’re the one that squished chocolate chips down my shirt. I’m going to be washing that shit out for two days Anna.”

She shrugged, “Bring over Vanessa. I’m sure she’ll lick it off for you.”

His chin dropped. “Annabelle!”

She turned innocently from the counter, “What? It’s true.”

“One,” he said holding up his finger, “you aren’t supposed to know about that kind of thing. And two, you aren’t supposed to know I do those kinds of things.”

“Ha,” Anna laughed, “you just admitted it. So technically you should be thanking me for what is sure to be an entertaining night, not complaining.”

“I don’t like these things Trace is teaching you,” Justin proclaimed shutting the door of the dishwasher.

Anna raised an eyebrow, “Trace? Oh hunny. Trace doesn’t even know the half of it.

-----

“I think I’ve missed you all,” Anna smiled flattening her hand against the table. The four friends took up nearly all of the space at the nail salon and were having no problems sharing all their personal information with whomever else was there too.

“We missed you too Anna Banana,” Zoe called from three seats away. “Where have you been?”

“Quite honestly it’s almost been like I’ve gotten back to my normal routine since Trace won’t talk to me. Work, go home. Work, go home. Work, talk to one of you at home. Maybe hang out with Justin sometime in between there.”

“Yeah,” Kendall interrupted her face all kinds of smiles, “we were at the pool the other day and he kept saying he missed you being around.”

Anna turned to look at her in surprise, “He did?”

Next to her Tani nodded, “I was a witness.”

“At least someone does.”

“I wouldn’t worry about Trace,” Tani said soothingly rubbing her free hand over Anna’s shoulder. “He’ll come around.”

“No,” Kendall cried out making her way towards the pedicure station, “Trace is just an ass. Don’t let him bother you.”

-----

Clicking her turn signal on Anna’s face was beaming. Even if she wanted to she couldn’t stop. The news she had just gotten was exactly what she needed to take her mind off the fact that Trace hadn’t even returned any of her calls. He’d been a jerk when she left the other night and she just assumed he still was. She tried to use Justin to figure out what was wrong, but Justin always changed the subject.

“TRACE! JUSTIN! GET OUT HERE,” Anna yelled quickly and loudly running into the living room of Justin’s house. She was nearly bursting and couldn’t understand what was taking them so long.

“What,” Justin cried skidding into the room in a full run, “what’s the matter?”

Trace sauntered in a minute later, still giving Justin the silent treatment from the other day. “Hi.”

“You’ll never guess,” Anna grinned rocking back and forth onto her tiptoes.

“Then you’ll just have to tell us,” Trace replied, “we’ve got things to do today Anna.”

“Trace, seriously,” Justin exclaimed. He’d had enough of Trace’s attitude. “What is your problem this week? Do you need a vacation or something? A few days in Memphis?”

Trace’s mouth dropped in shock, “You would send me away, wouldn’t you? Make sure I’m not here to interrupt anything. Yeah, no thanks buddy.”

“What are you talking about,” Justin asked frustrated.

“You know what I’m talking about,” Trace declared stepping closer.

Justin shook his head, “If I knew we wouldn’t be playing this little guessing game, now would we?”

“Don’t play stupid with me Justin.”

“Man, seriously.”

“Seriously,” Trace mocked. “I don’t appreciate this bullshit Justin.”

“What shit Trace? You’re the one who comes home totally smashed, yells at Anna, and then won’t talk to us,” Justin cried.

“The fact that I came home drunk has nothing to do with any of this,” the shorter man answered.

“Well you’re being an ass to Anna.”

Trace rolled his eyes. Both men had seemed to forgotten that Anna was standing right there with urgent news. “Who cares?”

“Um,” Anna interrupted.

“Shit Anna,” Justin cried rubbing his palms over the back of his head, “Sorry. You didn’t need to hear this. What’s up chica?”

Anna sighed. Her happy news had been tainted now. “It’s nothing really. I guess. You guys really wouldn’t even care anyways. I was just excited and my first thought was to come here. Maybe I’ll go see what the girls are up to.”

“No,” Justin pleaded grabbing her hand, “what is it? We want to know.” He shot Trace a look then turned his attention back to Anna.

“Go on,” Trace urged less convincingly.

Eyes darting between the two Anna felt her smile starting to return. “Pepper’s having a baby!”

Trace nearly shot out of his seat. “No way! Pepper?” He ran up to Anna engulfing her in a hug.

“Can you believe it!? I’m gunna be a godmother,” Anna laughed while Trace spun her around.

“Who’s Pepper,” Justin asked, brows scrunched in confusion.

With Anna still dangling in his arms Trace turned to look at Justin. “What kind of question is that? Who’s Pepper? Who is this guy?”

Anna laughed, escaping from Trace’s grasp and glad to see him back to his normal self. She pulled him down onto the couch to fill him in on all the details. Justin crossed his arms and watched the two for a few minutes before turning and going back to his nap, all the while thinking who the hell is Pepper.