“And I have to be your fake girlfriend again?”
He lowered his voice. “Well, according to these people, you’re my real girlfriend. I realized I can’t tell the team you’re fake without them leaking it to their wives. Guy knows, but that’s it.”
I sat, blinking rapidly and analyzing how I felt about it. My stomach jumped. Being Mikey’s date! But being Mikey’s fake date. But maybe that’s all we could ever be. “I’m gonna need more tacos and queso to deal with this.”
“I’ll be home late Wednesday night. Can I take you out Thursday night?”
“I’ll accept that. What do I have to wear for this benefit thing?”
“How about I have a few things sent over? What’s your size?” he asked. “I just guessed on the Princes stuff. Let me put you on speaker so I can write this down.”
“Mikey! I’m not just announcing my size over speakerphone for whoever is with you to hear! Besides, I do what I do for two reasons, and they are my right and left boob.”
The line went silent. “Mikey, are you alive?”
He coughed. “Yep. Yep. I just didn’t know what to say about your boobs without getting myself into trouble.”
“It’s okay, Ben. I know they’re big.” It’s true. My body is what it is. I learned to work with it as soon as my boobs made their presence known in middle school. The straight and narrow clothes for girls my age just weren’t working for my body type and I refused to wear baggy clothes. So, I learned to sew.
You could say puberty really changed my life, more than most people’s. My boobs ended up choosing my career path, and I’m not in sex work. As such, I’m very comfortable with that part of my body and talking about it. If I don’t talk about it, someone else will behind my back.
“So, you became a seamstress so you could make clothes for your boobs?”
“Pretty much. Nothing ever fit growing up, so I learned to tailor my own clothes.”
“Remember what I said about you not backing down from challenges, Sweet Cheeks? This is just another example.”
“Are you calling my boobs a challenge?” I teased, knowing I was making him uncomfortable and kind of loving it. Our roles were reversed for once.
He let out a choked sound that made me cackle. “It’s challenging for me to have this discussion. The event is formal. If you want me to have somebody send you some dresses, I will. Or pick out whatever you want and tailor it, I don’t care. I left a credit card in the silverware drawer just in case.”
“Yeah I saw that. You really must trust me, Jockey. I’ll find out what Kitty’s wearing and adjust. Anyway, I have to get back to work. They’re about to change scenes and I need to tape somebody’s hem.”
“Alright. Have a good day, Sweet Cheeks.”
“You, too.”
I was about to end the call when I heard his voice again. “Oh, and Jessie?”
“Make it quick, Jockey!”
He paused. “I kinda miss you.”
I sighed, a little tingle passing through me. “I kinda miss you, too.”
Chapter27
Mikey
I tried to be quiet coming in Wednesday night. It was almost midnight, and Jessie would have been long asleep if she wasn’t having an insomnia episode.
The smell coming from Cole’s apartment was pretty foul, but luckily it didn’t leak into my bedroom too bad.
I was disappointed to find my bed empty. Part of me wished Jessie would have been there waiting for me. I’d gotten so used to my strange bedfellow that it looked sad without her there.
I moped while I brushed my teeth. We were just faking. I didn’t deserve her in my bed.
That didn’t mean I didn’t want her there. Selfishly, all I wanted was her warm, soft skin against mine after the long road trip. Her sweet peachy scent. The ultimate welcome home.
