“The guy from Jeff the Chef’s restaurant opening?” Ava asked, her eyes widening.
“Getout!” Bethany exclaimed in disbelief, fumbling her phone and nearly dropping it. “You slept with that fine-ass hunk of man?”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Ava nearly screamed, waving her wooden spoon in the air. “Shut up, Bethany!” Ava’s eyes cut to me, and I braced myself for the next words out of her mouth. “But you’re married.”
I glanced down at my empty ring finger out of habit. “We’re separating.”
“Separating?” Gretchen asked with a frown.
“You know what I mean,” I said, shifting feet, then stooping to take off my heels. “We’re getting a divorce.”
“Words matter,” Gretchen said, almost in warning. “Use the right ones.”
“You’re leaving your husband for him?” Bethany asked, leaning a hip against the counter. “I have to say, I don’t blame you. He’s one of the best looking men I’ve ever seen.”
I smiled to myself. There’d never been any question of David’s attractiveness. But he was also attentive, patient, kind, and thoughtful—as evidenced by the duffel he’d sent, even when he was upset with me. It was the only thing I’d heard from him since he’d left my office earlier, and my heart sank with his uncharacteristic silence.
“Hello?” Gretchen said. “Liv?”
“Hmm?” I blinked up to find all eyes on me. “Sorry, I zoned out. What’d you say?”
Bethany laughed and glanced back at Ava. “She’s obviously picturing him naked right now. And now I am, too.” Bethany’s eyes twinkled, even as Ava scolded her with a look. “Is he hung?”
“Gross,” Greg said.
I laughed. “Yes. Seriouslyhung. Can you fucking believe it?”
“Do you even have to ask?” Gretchen said. “You can tell by the way he walks, like heknowshe’s God’s gift to women. Not to mention he’s like six-foot-three—”
“Four,” I cut in. “And Gretch is right. I have absolutely no complaints in that department.”
“No guy is that confident if he ain’t packing,” Bethany said, shaking her head in awe.
“Itmustbe good, right?” Ava asked. “The sex?”
How could I put into words the command David had over his body and mine? He worked me good and thorough, pushing me to the edge and then further, fucking me to climax like it was his job. I rolled back my head until my eyes hit the ceiling. “Ava,” I said seriously. “You havenoidea.”
The three of them broke into a mixture of giggles, squeals, and I even heard an “Amen.” Greg, on the other hand, chugged Gretchen’s wine as if reaching the bottom of the glass would transport him anywhere but here.
“That’s so unfair,” Ava said. “You get two men, and I’ve got nobody.”
Bethany brought me a glass of wine, and I thanked her. “It must be crazy to be back in the dating pool after being married so long,” she said.
“I’m not really . . .” Back in the dating pool? I definitely wasn’t, but could I blame Bethany for thinking David and I were doing more than just fucking? I took a sip of wine. “Things with David are complicated.”
“You’renotdating around. I’ve seen them together, and David’s way too serious about her for that.” Gretchen made a face and turned to the girls. “David asked her to move in.”
“If you won’t, I will,” Ava said with a friendly smile. “Seriously, though. What’s stopping you?”
Just my own stupid shit. I opened my mouth to try to put into words what I’d miserably failed to convey to David earlier, but Gretchen interjected. “Nothing’s stopping her. Right?” she asked me. “When a girl meets a man like David, she never lets him go. And she certainly doesn’t drive him away. Does she?”
Gretchen didn’t have to be a mind reader to put two and two together. Especially since David had sent my things. I bit my bottom lip. “She’d be a fool to.”
“Are you guys, like, in love?” Ava asked.
“I . . .” I scratched the tip of my nose. “I haven’t . . .”
“Olivia,” Gretchen said. “You love him. I know you do.”
