Benny turned so that he faced her fully, his beer forgotten. “What did you do?”
“We played board games at his house, can you imagine that?” She laughed, remembering. “He was so much fun. He hates to lose. He has a beautiful yard. He made me sandwiches. We made out.” She tacked that on quickly, waited two seconds, and saw Benny’s jaw sag.
“You made out?” he whisper-shouted. “Oh my God.Tell me.”
“He’s such a great kisser.” She sighed. “I mean, I forgot my name when he kissed me.”
“And?” Benny leaned closer.
“And we might have fooled around…a little.”
“I’m so proud of you!”
“Stop it.” Her face felt hot, and she knew she probably looked like a human cherry.
“You finally found someone you like. He’s single?”
“Yep.”
“Doesn’t live in his mother’s basement?”
“No.”
“Isn’t indebted to the IRS for millions? Is still employed?”
“No and yes.”
“Fuck me. You found a sexy, single fireman. And he’s sweet on you. Maggie, your life is way more interesting than mine. Hold on.” He drew out his phone and made a call.
“What are you doing?”
“Shh.” He waited. “I was wrong. I’m sorry. I know. I owe you big. But Maggie got busy with the hottie from the library. She’s telling me all about it right now.”
Maggie sighed.
Not even a minute later, the door opened, and Doug stood there, his hair rumpled, in a T-shirt and shorts. “Well? Get the wine going. What did I miss?”
***
Treats, wine, and an interrogation—the likes of which even the Spanish inquisitors might envy—later, Maggie had poured her soul out. “I keep thinking he’s going to break up with me. And I feel like he can do so much better. Heck, you’ve both seen him.”
“When did you see him?” Doug asked Benny. The pair sat next to each other on the couch. Maggie sat in the chair near the sofa. They’d spread out a few bottles of wine alongside a platter of goodies she had on hand—Nutter Butters, cubes of cheddar, and jelly beans. A feast of champions.
Benny answered, “I passed him in the hall the other day. I hadn’t realized it was him until I saw him stop at Maggie’s door. Then Emily kept going on and on about Reggie at the zoo. I put two and two together.”
“I knew they had dinner together, but I thought it was all about Frank.” Doug turned an accusatory stare on her. “Say it again.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him. I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around what he and I might be doing.”
Benny reached across to pat her knee. “Been so long, you’ve forgotten how to spell it? S-E-X. I thought you were a teacher.”
“Shut it.”
Benny grinned, and Doug laughed. Then they smooched, and she sighed.
“See? That’s what I want. What you have.”
“I have a possessive husband who keeps testing me.” Doug shot Benny a look. “He’s a slob, he has trust issues, and he thinks I’d have been happier if he’d stayed in the spotlight and broken his back, his head, maybe his dick. I dunno. He thinks it’s better to be popular than healthy and loved.”
