“Um, you know what, I might be remembering wrong,” Guy said, backing down. “It was just a wild guess.”
A wave of shock fell over me. “Annie? She didn’t like it?”
“Did you dirty talk her enough?” Mikey chimed in. “That can make up for a lot of skills issues.”
Sorrento nodded, pointing to Mikey. “He’s right. Words can be very motivating.”
“I told her she was pretty!” I scrambled through all the memories from messing around with Annie, or the ones from before we got caught. Didn’t our night in bed together make up for whatever I’d done wrong? Did that mean nothing to her? I felt more betrayed than I did with Shane. I got her period products, for fuck’s sake, and she turned around and told my friends that I suck at giving head?
Mikey leaned in. “Did you tell her she was a good little slut? They eat that up.”
“No way, not slut,” Guy said. “Good girl works better.”
“Definitely slut,” Leroy said. “Works like a charm.”
“That sounds . . . demeaning,” I said. “All of it.”
“Everybody wants to feel like they’re doing a good job,” Sorrento said. “But every person is different in what they like. It’s not one size fits all.”
“Slut always worked for me,” Leroy shrugged. “They’re half offended but mostly turned on.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Sorrento said. “He’s an anomaly. Many are fully offended.”
“Okay, but beyond words, you need to ask her what she wants,” Guy offered. “It’s the best way to learn. And again, everyone’s different.”
“I did ask her what she wanted!” I objected. “She asked me to go down and I did.”
Guy tossed his head from side to side. “Maybe more trial and error. Try something and listen. Feel her. And go gentle at first. Don’t be aggressive. That stuff’s sensitive.”
Mikey got a dreamy look. “Damn, Stelle, you got me wanting to go home and eat some puss.”
“No filter, ever,” Sorrento sighed.
“Ha, the real trick is you don’t have to eat pussy at all,” Leroy said. “Reverse psychology it until she’s giving you head instead.”
The other three groaned in unison. “Sounds like someone else is bad at eating, too. No wonder Sydney was mean,” Mikey grumbled.
“Hey!” Leroy objected. “Low blow.”
Mikey ignored him, pressing on. “And y’all complain about my filter, but if we don’t talk about this stuff, how will Obi ever get better? We can’t just lock up the state secrets.”
“I was gentle,” I said, going back to the only sane point made. “Or I thought I was?”
I couldn’t believe the betrayal. How could Annie do this to me?
“Get back on the horse, man,” Leroy said. “Go talk to that chick.”
I looked at Guy and Sorrento. Guy shrugged. “Yeah. You could start now. If you want.”
I gulped, slamming the rest of my drink for strength. And so I could ask her if she wanted a drink. I cracked my neck and shook out my shoulders, just like I would after a goal getting past me. If only I could spray my face with a water bottle without looking demented.
Just get back on the horse.
I leaned my elbow on the bar behind the pretty woman. “What are you drinking?”
She turned to face me with a grin. “Vodka soda.”
I flagged down the bartender. “A vodka soda for the lady and another beer for me.” I shifted back to her. “What’s your name?”
