Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
I sigh. I even make me tired sometimes. “It’s okay, really. Like you said, I’m just overthinking things. We’ll talk about it later.”
“If you say so.” He’s not happy. “Later, then.”
The bell above the door rings as Courtney steps back inside. She smiles, but she’s not looking quite as perky as before. Her movements are careful, and there’s a tightness about her eyes and jaw. She doesn’t look like someone enthusing about baring her perfect breasts to a hot stranger. More like someone willing herself to push through the pain and get through this. Getting your sternum tattooed might not be quite as sexy as I’d been imagining.
Then Leif smacks his mouth against mine, kissing me hard and fast. It’s hot and frenzied and has quite the impact. And he doesn’t go light on the tongue. The kiss leaves absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind as to who he’s with. As statements go, it’s a pretty great one.
“You good for now?” he asks.
“I’m good for now.”
Then he nods.
I’m still smiling, dazed and confused, when Leif and Courtney disappear out back once more. It doesn’t matter whose body parts he’d fondling on behalf of his job. The man is with me.
Ed shakes his head. “Told you.”
“You told me,” I agree. “Do you really think he’s going to dance for me?”
“Just don’t let him try the backflip.”
“I always thought you were way too tense for someone who was apparently getting it on the regular,” says Briar over FaceTime.
“Really?”
“Oh, yeah.”
We’ve already dissected a TV series, a handbag I’m thinking of buying, and certain passive-aggressive tendencies displayed by a new barista at Briar’s favorite coffee shop. Girl talk for the win.
“Huh,” I say. “It never occurred to me that my sex life with the Ex affected my demeanor, but who knows?”
“It’s a known fact that when the orgasms are good you’re in a better mood.”
“This does make sense.”
“Ryan was a nice enough guy up to a point,” she says. “But I had my reservations as to whether he was capable of actually getting the job done.”
“You thought about my ex and me having sex?” I ask, trying not to laugh. “Ew.”
She laughs too. “Like we haven’t dissected my sex life constantly over the past not quite a decade. God, you can be a big baby. I considered the physical satisfaction and welfare of my friend. It basically makes me a good person. And don’t act like you’re incapable of being an inappropriate gossip queen when it suits you. I know you too well for this.”
“This is true.” I sigh. “This revelation fascinates me. What the hell gave it away?”
“He’s just one of those men that have issues seeing beyond themselves, I think. Women are like an adjunct to them. As if we’re not quite real on some level. Like our wants and needs are lesser somehow. And if they’re not seeing us as people, then why take the time and trouble to see to our bedroom needs beyond the basic.”
“Such as the manly art of providing and so on?”
“Exactly. Don’t forget the grilling. Grilling is very manly.”
“Hmm,” I say. “He did have a pretty traditional outlook in a lot of ways. Insert wife here and she does these set things. I wouldn’t say he established parameters exactly, but there were expectations that could be a little constraining at times. Like he’d be surprised by some of the stuff I did. It’s amazing how people can make you feel like shit without saying a word.”
“It is. And I think their parents are to blame in part for painting a picture of the female of the species as either being a Madonna or whore with little in between.”
“I hear you,” I say. “Like mother and family and home are all we’re capable of. Or all that’s fitting. I hate that shit. The idea that our role in life is solely determined by our designated sex organs instead of our brains and our hearts.”
“Lots of idiot men out there feel that way.”
“They need to take a look at the calendar and see what century they’re living in.”
“True,” she says.
“I think their parents have something to answer for in helping to establish that point of view.”
“Along with the person themselves needing to answer some hard questions,” says Briar. “You can only blame your parents for ruining your life for so long.”
“I actually quite enjoy hanging my issues on Mom sometimes.”
“Hell, we’ve all done that. Don’t feel special.”
“Whatever gets you through the night,” I agree. “It’s nice to know that our Introduction to Psychology class can come in handy all these years later.”
“Professor Callihan was something else.”
“Oh, he was so hot.”
“The thirst was real.”
“I enjoyed that class for many and varied reasons.”
“I totally respected the man for his mind,” jokes Briar. “Maybe we should have taken some philosophy as well to aid us in our spouting deep and intelligent-sounding bullshit regarding each other’s love lives.”