silver-platinum—and her hair hung long down her left shoulder. The right side of her skull had been shaved for years. It exposed the dazzling array of piercings in her ear and solidified her punk-rock aesthetic. Against her pale white skin, my sister’s tattoos were colorful, bright, and artistic. She was a tattoo artist who specialized in vintage designs, and her shop—Roxy’s—was just a subway stop away. From her combat boots to her fishnet stockings, she was a Quinn all the way.
Which was why my family always teased me about my expensive pantsuits and tailored dresses, my pearls and diamonds and perfectly coiffed hair. But I liked the clothing that I wore, and I’d learned early on that fishnet stockings made my legs break out in a rash.
Edward’s giant and sweet rescue dog, Matilda, came loping out of the hallway, searching for affection. I dropped a big kiss onto her boxy head. My future brother-in-law stepped out of their bedroom, still dressed in his suit from work. He was white with short, light-brown hair and piercing blue eyes. And Edward Cavendish III looked like fucking royalty—from his posture to his extremely expensive clothing, only enhanced by a refined English accent and the tendency to blush.
If my sister embodied the eighties punk look, Edward was her exact opposite in every way.
“Hello, Fi,” he said kindly, pulling me in for a brotherly bear hug. Which was nice. Over the past two years, he had grown from my sister’s super-hot boyfriend to the brother I’d never had. “Body disposal is certainly a service I’d be happy to pay for, should you see a need.”
“I’ll keep it in mind, thank you.” I squeezed him back. “What have you two love birds been up to this evening?”
“Answering a few work emails,” he said just as Roxy replied, “Setting up our new sex swing.”
There was a long pause while he blushed—predictably—and she smirked.
I sipped my wine. “So a sex swing, huh?”
“Anything for my queen,” he said. “Top of the line, of course.”
“Bargain sex swings are never a smart investment.”
He came to stand next to her, wrapping one arm around her waist and tugging her close—the pose looking easy, comfortable. Loving. Her engagement ring was a white skull with real rubies for eyes. Even after two years it was slightly unsettling to see them standing next to each other. Before Edward, my sister had only dated rough-around-the-edges bikers and musicians. In contrast, her fiancé was this eloquent, MBA-holding businessman who had put a ring on her finger within a year and would so clearly die for her.
Roxy had never been anti-relationship or anti-wedding. My sister, deep down, was more of a romantic than she often let on, and I always knew she’d find the right man to match her vivacious spirit. It’s that I’d always had a plan to achieve that goal while Roxy’s soul mate had magically appeared out of nowhere. We spent a week celebrating after she told us they’d gotten engaged. I cried happy tears until I was dehydrated.
But after that? I knew I had to get to work, as always.
“I couldn’t agree more on that assessment,” he said. “Now is this a sisterly chat? Because I wouldn’t be offended if you asked me to kindly fuck off. And I do have some interesting structural work to tackle regarding that swing.”
Her eyes slid my way, seeking clarification. “Depends on what Fi needs.”
Wine in one hand, I fished my clipboard, a file folder, and a yellow legal pad out of my shoulder bag. “I’d like to sign a contract that holds me to a higher standard of dating moving forward. And you two can serve as my witnesses.”
Edward cleared his throat. “How’s your understanding of contracts, Roxy darling?”
“Given my loose respect for the law, we’ll need your help.” Her eye roll was epic, but his laughter was warm and genuine.
“Two witnesses are better than one,” I said, sitting down at the laptop on their kitchen table. “Let me grab a template, and then, Edward, I’ll have you type and transcribe for us.”
He shed his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves, pausing to wink at his fiancée. I didn’t miss her uncharacteristic blush—or the way she fiddled with her many earrings to hide it.
She took the chair next to his, and I perched on the edge of the table, surrounded by two cats and two dogs eager for my attention. “Is this about that list you made when you were a teenager?”