When I knocked, I was shocked to see the same guy I'd met in the driveway greeting me at the door. My back stiffened, preparing for his attack, but instead, the same mint-green eyes I'd admired on his sister softened, and his shoulders slumped. "Thank God. Maybe you can talk some sense into her." He opened the door and gestured me in. "Everything okay?""Fuck no. Bitches are bad enough when they're with men. Couple them with another woman, and it's emotional overload of the worst kind. She's upstairs."When I didn't move, he stared at me for a split second too long. He clearly didn't understand I didn't know where "upstairs" was. But before I could point that out, his eyes stared into mine and then slowly caressed my body from tip to toe, lingering on my breasts before he admired my legs, and then returned to my face. I cocked my head as though to ask if he'd just checked me out and furrowed my brow playfully. With squinted lids, I acknowledged the gesture without verbalizing
My life couldn't get any more high school. Coffee with Beck turned into coffee with Beck and a newly reunited Stella. Her girlfriend stared me down like I was the devil incarnate until she realized I wasn't as gay as she'd originally thought...and that I hadn't laid a finger on her lover. Beck started to feel more like a little sister, even though she was technically three months older than I was, and Stella was pretty chill once she took her knife out of my back. After two cups of espresso, I was bouncing off walls but seemed to have permission to continue hanging out with Beck. They'd agreed she would stay at Collier's house until they were sure they'd worked out the kinks...which included Beck getting a job and holding onto it for ninety days. I wondered if she had run that plan by Collier before agreeing to it or just assumed he'd be down for her becoming a permanent fixture in his home. I put the top down on the convertible and dialed my bestie, whose other half answered the ph
Roxie Porter. Holy hell, Roxie. Here's a woman who knew how to show a girl a good time. She wasn't much of a talker, and while dinner had been slightly awkward and spent primarily in silence, there was something about her that intrigued me. I found myself spending the idle time I had shoveling food in my mouth and taking in her exotic features. I'd been reading a lot online about how to connect with people. I'm not sure it was meant for the dating community, but I was applying the advice just the same, and researchers suggest the finite details-the ones most people miss-are what people value most about themselves. I doubted they were talking about the freckles on her nose or the way she tossed her long, thick, red hair over her shoulder, and I doubted any woman valued her breasts being noted as smaller-but it was sound advice I chose to apply in an unconventional manner. Couple that with Ronnie's recommendation to have a few drinks to loosen me up, and I was fast becoming a veritabl
I didn't have the courage to admit to her that I hadn't had any tongue action on either set of lips, yet. Instead, I nodded like I knew exactly what she meant."What about you? Worst date?" She wasn't asking about men, but I didn't really have anything to offer without outing myself, and that hadn't gone so well with Beck."Shannon Darby." Technically, Shannon was a dude I'd dated in my early twenties, but if I could keep from using pronouns, this wouldn't be a lie. "Notoriously would order the most expensive things on the menu but conveniently never had any money when the check came. Wallet was in the car or on the counter. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem taking turns paying the bill, but Shannon made scamming free shit off me a full-time job. That dragged on far too long before I called it quits."The waiter came back to the table for like the fifth time since we'd finished eating. We'd long since paid the bills-Dutch treat on this outing, which suited me just fine. We'd
Roxie and I said goodbye in the club. She left ahead of me while I went to make one final stop in the ladies' room to empty my bladder before driving home. I wasn't terribly steady on my feet but hadn't realized it until I didn't have her body in front of me to hold me up. Roxie had already gone out the door when I finished in the restroom. I decided to walk back toward my car before making a decision about my ability to drive, but it wasn't looking good. Trish was going to flip shit if I called Ronnie to come pick me up at two in the morning-drunk. I didn't even want to think about how bad work would be in seven hours. My boss would be in court, and I would be alone and hungover, trying to stay awake to appear peppy for anyone who might wander in. The moment I stumbled out the door, Luke caught me by the elbow. Just as I spun on my heel, I landed in none other than Collier's arms who broke my pending fall."Whoa. You okay?" I didn't know which guy had asked. I was too busy try
Without another word, he closed the door to the bedroom and left me to myself. I needed sleep, but there was no way I was crawling into someone else's bed, even alone, covered in bar funk. After a quick shower, I curled up into the most fantastic cocoon of slumber imaginable. I'd just shut my eyes when the knock on the door came, and Brutus was back. "We need to go. Get up." There was no way it was morning already, but sure enough, the sun shone through the blinds I hadn't closed, and apparently, Beck's brother wasn't much of a morning person.I groaned my frustration when I tossed the blankets back and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The room spun, and nausea took over. I barely made it to the bathroom to empty what was left of my stomach into the commode. Clutching the cool porcelain with my bare hands, it took everything I had not to press my face against the rim. Today was shaping up to be miserable. "Giselle, move it. I'll be in the car."Jesus. He'd given me lik
"You're a cunty-whore, Veronica.""You're just mad because you puked in some hot guy's car.""First of all, I never said he was hot. Secondly, you totally glazed over the fact I had my first orgasm with a woman.""You didn't have to say he was hot, everything you said screamed it loud and clear. And the orgasm doesn't count if you're staring at said guy when it happens.""It totally fucking counts. My bajingo came to life on her thigh with her hands on my body.""You were in a public place, Giselle...and fully clothed. Instead of worrying about Roxie, why don't we focus on Brutus."Figured she'd picked up on his personality disorder-I was known for choosing that trait in men-and not the fact I'd enjoyed an evening with a member of the same sex, gotten sweaty and drunk, danced the night away, and then jizzed in my panties. "Whatever. When you were twelve and experimenting with Donna Darnicks, I didn't tell you it didn't count." I huffed and crossed my arms under my breasts.
Beck met me at the front door with a pitiful excuse for a swimsuit in hand. She led me to the first bedroom downstairs, the same one I'd stayed in last night, to change. I hadn't expected her to flop down onto the bed that someone had made since I was last here, while I stripped, but I figured this would be good practice for the real thing. My shirt came over my head, and I shimmied out of my shorts and panties. When I dropped my bra on the pile at my feet, she sat straight up. I might be thirty-nine, but I worked hard to keep my body in the shape of a twenty-five-year-old. Other than wine, I didn't partake of any indulgences-including carbs. And I ran every morning...well, except this morning because I was otherwise preoccupied, but any other morning, I didn't go anywhere until I logged five miles on the pavement. "Damn, Giselle." She had a girlfriend, and I didn't need her to elaborate. There was a difference in women who were naturally slender, which Beck was, and women like m