Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 103102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
“You stopped because it was wrong?”
“Well, it wasn’t because I wasn’t in the mood. I was wet enough to drench the Sahara.”
“That is more information than I need.”
“Are you kidding, Dee? I’m horny twenty-four seven now!” She hides her face in her hands. “And I want him so much. I do. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anyone this much.”
“So have him.”
Her voice softens. “What if there’s nothing there?” She looks at me, all concern and sincerity. “What if the only reason I keep showing up is because I want to jump his bones?”
“You’ve been dating for six months.”
“And it’s been exciting,” she says. “And different than with other guys. What if that’s all it is?”
“No one knows how they’re going to feel in the future.”
“You do,” she says. “You always know where you’re going.”
I shake my head. A few months ago, I would have agreed with her. A few months ago, I had a plan. Now? Not so much.
She comes to me because I’m wise, and I’m wise in certain places, but not here. Not when it comes to love. “What do you want?”
“I want you to come with us to Palm Springs.”
What? “I meant with him.”
“Keep Willa busy for me,” she says, undeterred. “I can show up for one dinner, as the perfect girlfriend, but I can’t do any more than that.”
“It’s not necessary,” I say. “Willa loves you.”
She lets out another scoff loud enough to wake the people in Riverside. “Willa thinks I’m an idiot. Haven’t you noticed her comments?”
No. Never. Lexi is charming. Everyone sees her that way.
“Every time we see her, she asks why I’m wearing pink. She might as well say, why are you here, Malibu Barbie. Why isn’t there a smart person in charge of marketing at MeetCute?”
No… There’s no way I missed all that.
“She likes people like you,” Lexi says. “Serious people. She laughs at me.”
“At your jokes.”
“At me.” She pins me with a stare. “Please, Dee, you know I never ask you for anything like this.”
She doesn’t, that’s true.
“And you can bring River.”
“Huh?”
Lexi’s laugh softens the tension in her brow. “Come on. Everyone knows you’re sleeping together. You two weren’t exactly quiet last night.”
Oh. My cheeks flush. My chest, too. A million things go through my head at once. Everyone knows I’m sleeping with River. They heard us. “You don’t care?”
“Oh? Because of those comments from earlier?” She waves her hand, like get real. “Yeah, he’s hot now. So what? Hot guys are a dime a dozen in southern California.”
“What about the tattoos?”
She shrugs.
Which is not like her. She’s always liked a guy with tattoos and a leather jacket.
“I wouldn’t have gone for him at all if I knew you liked him. You should have just told me. You two are cute together. Really.” She says it without a hint of jealousy or betrayal. With pure, sisterly pride.
Did she ever like him?
Does he still like her?
I’m in my late twenties. Why am I worried if the guy I’m screwing liked my sister?
Because she’s Lexi. Because I’ve heard it from every guy I’ve ever dated.
Isn’t that what Stephan said when he left?
Why can’t you be more like your sister?
Sometimes, they even use those words.
Beautiful, charming, easygoing, fun-loving Lexi and intimidating, intelligent, difficult Deanna.
“Dee?” She scoots over and pats the spot next to her. “Are you okay? Do you not want to bring him?”
No. I want to be there with him. I can see the two of us in the pool, swimming around each other, or hiking to a spot to watch the stars, or fucking on the big hotel bed. “Not if I have to keep Willa busy. You know I can’t do two things at once.”
“Combine them. Double date.”
“He might be busy,” I say.
“He’s not. I asked Ida.”
“She knows his schedule?”
“Yeah. They share a Google Calendar.”
Of course they do. “Okay. I can come.”
“Good. Now, can you explain this to me? If what I have with Jake is love?”
“Maybe. Tell me what happened on Saturday.” I slide off the desk and sit next to her on the couch. “Maybe that will help.”
She looks around the office. She checks her cell—three texts from Willa, two from Jake—then places the device face down on the couch. “The second we got to Jake’s place I could feel it. This was going to be the night. He lit candles. He played Sade. He asked if I wanted a drink. A cosmo. He’d bought everything to make one. He’d been practicing.”
He does love her.
“It was overwhelming. I had to excuse myself to use the bathroom, the one in the bedroom with more privacy. And I saw it there. Rose petals on the bed. Actual rose petals. And there was a gift-wrapped box and a card, too. It said, ‘I love you, Lexi.’ That’s all it said. And I just couldn’t do it. Because what if we weren’t good? What if he was too fast or too slow? Or I forget how to do things?”