“Park right there, perv.” she huffs, smiling.
“Actually, forget kissing, you reeeally need to be comforted.” I put the car in park and look directly at her unbelievable tits. “Second base. Final offer.”
“I’m getting out now.”
“I’m watching you go!” She laughs, hard.
Score one for me.Let’s see how many points I can rack up tonight.
23
BEN
“It’s unfair how gorgeous you two are together, unfair!” Steven gushes at us a couple hours later. We’ve greeted Tyrone, the Aunts, Harper, the mayor, I mean assistant mayor, all of whom, I noticed, thanked Janie for something. She helped Harper with her bookkeeping. She fed Tyrone’s cat for two days. She drove the Aunts to and from her Gran’s facility twice. She pretended to be bothered by all of it.
Now we’re cornered by Steven and his husband, Miles. They're a good-looking couple. Steven is the All-American Boy to a T, and Miles is dark and edgy and, based on the Spanish cursing I overheard during the scarecrow contest, Latino.
“You clean up alright yourself,” Janie replies.
“No. This is not about me, you’re having a moment. Spin!” Steven grabs Janie by the waist and turns her.
“Easy mate,” I say, noticing him notice all of Janelle. “With all due respect, are you sure you’re gay?”
“Oh, I’ve only ever had eyes for men, since her. She didn’t tell you?”
“Steven, he doesn’t—”
“Tell me what?” I frown at him, then her.
“Here it comes,” Janie mutters into her drink.
“Janiegirl was my one and only girlfriend before I saw the light. Or as the little old ladies around town said at the time, sheturnedme gay!” Steven laughs. “Idiots. So, if I were ever toswitch back to playing for the other team, it’d be for this girl right here.”
“Honey,” Miles says right when Janie mutters Steven’s name again.
“You dated?”
“In high school. I was her first love.”
“You were not—”
He sets his drink down as if ready to come to blows over this point. “Don’t you try to tell me that Walker was your first love. It was me and we both know it.”
“Walker?” I ask involuntarily.
“College boyfriend. Second fiddle to me, the high school boyfriend. Almost as charming and sophisticated as yours truly but amusician.Ugh, the worst.”
“I’m a musician.” Miles says calmly.
“You’re a classical pianist, sweetheart. Not the same.”
Janie puts a hand to her head, “Literally the—”
“And then Theo, we all knew he wastoocharming but it took you a while to—”
“Steven!” Both Miles and Janie say together.
“What? You ended up with a hot, British billionaire, who is what, six four? Literally on magazine covers!People’smost charming man alive! You win, girl, you win.”
