Not the Marrying Kind Read Free

not alone. Or it can be a time to vent, cry, yell, laugh, whatever, in the company of people who love you.” Sara had done enough crying. Poppy would ensure she whooped it up at her divorce party. “What’s so bad about that?”
    “I still say it’s tacky.”
    Starry-eyed, recently engaged Ashlee would think anything tarnishing the holy sanctity of marriage was tacky. Wait until dearly beloved Craig started working nights and taking longer interstate trips and deleting text messages as soon as they pinged. Then she’d get a reality check.
    “We’re not promoting divorce. We’re giving people the option to celebrate it once it’s final.” Poppy pushed a stack of literature across the desk toward Ashlee. “I’ve researched this thoroughly. Divorce parties are the latest and greatest. Party planners are raking it in. We have to do this—it’s good business.”
    “I guess.” Ashlee gnawed her bottom lip and darted a nervous glance at the stack of bills.
    “No guesswork. Divorce Diva Daily is going to rock.” Feigning confidence, Poppy interlocked her hands behind her head and leaned back.
    “It better. Or we’ll be back serving ice creams at Iggy’s.” Ashlee made a mock gagging motion and Poppy wrinkled her nose at memories of their first job in high school. Iggy had a thing for cones—of every variety—and often rocked up to the shop stoned out of his head, sharing the love by feeling up his employees and giving away freebies. The only reason he was still in business was customer loyalty. Provost looked after its own. Poppy hoped that kind of loyalty extended to Party Hard if her Divorce Diva Daily idea went belly-up and Sara lost everything.
    “It’ll work, trust me.”
    Ashlee perched on the desk. “Like how I trusted you with my mom’s bachelorette party and we almost landed in jail?” She held up her fingers and started counting off misdemeanors. “Like how I trusted you with my secret make-out place and the entire tenth grade ended up there? Like—”
    “Build a bridge, hon.” Poppy grinned and waved away Ashlee’s concerns, thankful her best friend was along for a ride that promised to be bumpy at best.
    A smile tugged at the corners of Ashlee’s mouth. “I’ll get over it when you prove you’ve matured beyond high school.”
    “Hey, I’m mature.”
    Ashlee raised an imperious eyebrow and pointed at her desk. “You’re saving a printed RPatz autographed Twilight flyer, your Gryffindor Forever stick-on tattoos are plastered everywhere, and you’ve been clubbing three times this week.”
    “I like to bust a move.”
    “And the rest?”
    “Can never have enough sparkly vamps or Harry Potter around.”
    “Just make this work, okay?” Ashlee’s reluctant smile turned into a full-fledged grin as she tapped the stack of bills with a magenta-tipped fingernail.
    “You bet.” Poppy saluted.
    It wasn’t until Ashlee bustled out of her office that Poppy slumped in her seat, glaring at the bills like they were radioactive.
    No matter how many times Divorce Diva Daily recommended songs like Stevie Nicks’s “Stop Dragging Your Heart Around” or ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down,” they needed parties to plan.
    First request that came in? She’d bust her ass making it the best damned divorce party ever.
    No problemo.

Chapter Two
     
    Divorce Diva Daily recommends:
    Playlist: “Kissing a Fool” by Michael Bubl é
    Movie: 10 Things I Hate About You
    Cocktail: Rusty Nail

     
    “We have a major problemo.” Poppy read the email for the tenth time, wondering if she needed glasses.
    She could’ve sworn some Vegas hotshot had demanded her presence in his office at eight p.m. today. With the promise of an impressive five-figure sum if she threw the divorce party of the year.
    Like hell.
    She’d grown up surrounded by rich pricks who expected everyone around them to dance to the “Money, Money, Money” tune. Lucky for her, she’d quit listening to Abba a long time ago.
    Having ü