“How are you doing, Julia?” she asked in an undertone.
Julia shrugged. “Good days. Bad days. How about you?”
Obviously Julia wasn’t willing to talk specifics yet. “About the same as you. I don’t think I’m relationship material. Every one of them finishes the same way, with me ending up alone. I think I’m doing okay, then things get mucked up and everything ends badly.” The words burst free, making Maggie realize how much she’d needed to talk.
Julia gave a sharp bark of laughter, one that held little humor. “You and me both. What say we give up on men and have a raging affair with each other?”
“Julia!” Christina said in clear shock. “Did you just proposition Maggie?”
“Why not?” Julia winked at her, but made sure Christina didn’t see. “We’re both off men, but like sex. I’m sure I could spank you, Maggie. Let’s talk.”
Susan spluttered, while one of the young rugby players picked up on a pertinent word.
“Spanking?” he asked. “Which one of you is into spanking? There’s a great spanking blog that one of the other guys in my team put me on to. I thought it would be strange and kinky, but it’s interesting.”
Susan blurted, “That’s Mag—”
“That’s great,” Maggie cut through Susan’s words, shouting loudly, and her friend clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes full of apology. “You sound open-minded.” A pity he was too young for her.
In that moment, she decided to meet with her cyber lover. He pushed every one of her buttons and already knew she liked spanking.
“Where do you play rugby?” Christina asked, diverting the conversation.
Susan wasn’t so easily diverted, her speculative gaze going from Maggie to Julia and back. Maggie felt Susan’s gaze follow her down the bar while she served several beers and mixed drinks. It was another hour before things calmed down enough for her to check on her friends.
At least the initial stiffness had faded, although Maggie wasn’t fool enough to think their friendship would continue as if nothing had happened.
“Susan thinks we’re interested in each other. Connor would have a good laugh about that. He’s always said two chicks together are hot,” Julia said.
“Susan is gullible.” Maggie didn’t want to talk about Connor. She hadn’t seen him, not even at the gym. She hoped they didn’t mention she was working here. The last thing she wanted was to see him with his new blonde. She didn’t think she could cope with a sighting. The tight sensation behind her eyes told her she was far from over him.
Betrayal hurt—from both sides, which made her want to work to repair the rift with her friends.
“I’ve missed you. I haven’t been going out much. Just work and Susan and Christina dragged me out tonight. I’m sorry I didn’t make more of an effort to see you,” Julia said in a low voice. “I am sorry. You’re a good friend and you deserve better.”
“It’s okay,” Maggie murmured.
“It’s not, but thank you. Are you seeing anyone else?” Julia asked.
“Not really. Sort of,” she amended. Cripes, she was having regular cybersex.
“So, which is it?”
“I’ve been having torrid cybersex with someone I met through my blog.”
Julia’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Maggie moved away to serve more customers, noting the crowd had thinned. Some had left for home while others had moved to the adjoining restaurant.
When she returned to her friends, the rugby players had left. She gathered the glasses, stacked them into the glasses machine and switched it on to wash.
“You can’t leave me hanging like that,” Julia said. “Spill.” She turned to the others and whispered, “Maggie’s having cybersex with some guy.”
“Maggie!” Susan said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so critical. What I meant is that cybersex could be dangerous.”
“I intend to be careful,” Maggie said.
“For goodness sake, tell Maggie cybersex is dangerous,” Susan said.
