ChapterOne
“Why on earth do you need a bucket list?”
Beth’s best friend, Ansley King, was nothing if not forthright.
“I mean it’s not like you’re dying, or anything… you’re not dying, are you, Bethy? Is there something you haven’t told me?”
Beth shook her head. “Of course not,” she scoffed. “But I’m about to turn thirty years old and I might as well be sixty. Nothing exciting happens in my life. I have the most boring job imaginable…”
“I thought you said accounting was a decent job to be in?” Ansley interrupted. As an heiress to a fortune, worrying about a decent paid job wasn’t something that was high on the list of things Ansley needed to know. In stark contrast to the dull, day to day stuff that occupied Beth’s time, for Ansley it was all ‘what was this seasons designer color, where were the most up and coming holiday destinations, and who were the people to be seen with’.
Not that Ansley was fickle by any means. She cared deeply about a lot of things, did a massive amount of fundraising, and championed the underdog. She’d simply never had to concern herself with the more humdrum things in life. Like having a job that paid the rent and still provided enough to treat yourself to a Chinese takeaway at the end of the week.
Beth sighed. “It is, but I do sums or stare at figures all day. It’s not exactly scintillating,” she replied. “Believe me, there’s nothing glamorous about accounts. It’s geeky and uncool and pretty damn boring.”
Ansley tipped her head to one side and looked at Beth through narrowed eyes. “Okay, so what’s on this list of yours then?”
Beth looked from her friend to the sheet of paper in front of her, but before she could reply, Ansley had whisked it away and was reading from it as she marched across the room.
“‘Swim with dolphins.’ Do you really want to do that or is it just one of those things everyone thinks should be added to this kind of list?” she asked, looking at Beth over her shoulder.
Beth got up out of her chair and tried to swipe the paper back, but Ansley held it up out of her reach and carried on reading. “Lose sixty pounds.”
She stopped walking and whirled around to look at Beth with a scowl. “You can’t put that on your bucket list!” she exclaimed in genuine horror, her expression one of comical disbelief.
“Why not?” Beth asked, defensively. “It’s my list.”
“Because bucket lists are supposed to be made up of fun things; dreams.”
“I’d say that qualifies as a dream,” Beth muttered under her breath. Her curves had curves, her boobs were way more than a handful, or even two, and if she sat on someone, there was a good chance her ass would probably be considered a lethal weapon.
Ansley just glared at her before going back to the handwritten list.
“A menage?” she queried, throwing Beth a ‘look.’ “I take it we’re not talking horse riding here.”
Beth rolled her eyes. “That’s a manège, it’s spelled differently.”
“Which one?” Ansley deadpanned, arching an elegant brow.
Beth opened her mouth to reply but her friend raised a hand. “No, don’t say it. Since I know damn well you can’t ride a horse, we’ll stick with the threesome or more-some,” she finished with a wicked chuckle. “So, you want to experience the delights of extra totty all at once, eh? Now that’s the kind of bucket list item I can get behind.”
Beth made a rude snorting noise, then stuffed her hand over her mouth.
“What?” Ansley demanded, cocking her hip, and jamming a beautifully manicured hand on it.
“You’re a virgin, Ansley. One man’s never managed to get into your panties, never mind three!”
“Ah, so it’s three you want, is it? One for each hole,” her friend cackled, wiggling her eyebrows, and Beth felt her cheeks color.
“Oh my God! It is, isn’t it,” Ansley crowed when she saw Beth’s reaction before doubling over in laughter.
“Give that here!” Beth swiped the paper out of Ansley’s hand, crumpling it at the same time. “You’re right, okay. It’s a stupid idea. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Ansley raised one, delicate eyebrow. “Well, by all accounts you were thinking about getting plowed from all directions at once,” she snickered.
Beth shook her head and tossed the ball of paper into the waste bin.
Ansley was irreverent, impetuous, and outrageous.