“You haven’t got a clue,” I respond, reluctant to pull away, but I know we need to move. Before I can, Susie tightens her arms, nearly squeezing me to death like Silac, although his was a more pleasant feeling.
“Holy fuck, Lila. Who is that tall silver drink of water with you? Please tell me he knows how to use his tongue.”
I snort and then chuckle as we pull apart. Susie’s worth measurement for men is whether or not they give oral and if they can give you an orgasm without needing a road map to your clit. It’s what made her give Mark another chance after they had a quickie in the on-call room one day. That turned into many quickies, and eventually, they decided they liked each other as well.
“You havenoidea. No fucking idea,” I whisper quietly, and she holds her hand up for a high five. Her dark brown corkscrew curls bounce with the movement, and her warm chocolate eyes sparkle with delight.
“Hi, Lila.” Mark joins us, carrying both his and Susie’s luggage, and I see a valet driving away with their car.
“Hey, Mark. How was the drive?” I ask as we head toward Link.
“It was good, thanks.” He smiles awkwardly, and I decide that I am going to find out what the fuck is going on with him. He and Susie are solid, and I need to make sure that we are too, even if I don’t like what he has to say.
“Hey, guys, this is my boyfriend Link. Link, my bestie Susie and her partner Mark.” I introduce them, and they greet one another politely before we head inside to reception.
“Lila, how about you take them to lunch? I know you must be starving, and I’ll arrange for the luggage to go to our room before I grab the other two. We’ve got to get over to the circus for a little while,” Link suggests, letting me have alone time with my friends.
“Other two?” Susie asks as her sculpted eyebrows almost jump into space.
“Sounds great, I’m starving. Let’s try the restaurant here. I’m sure you guys are tired after your trip. We can grab some food, and then you can have a nap, because I have a big night planned. There’s the show and then a late dinner with Link and a few of our friends.” I ignore her question and give Link a kiss on the lips, whispering, “Thank you,” to him.
He just smiles and says goodbye as I drag Mark and Susie to lunch.
A short time later, we’re seated at one of the restaurants inside the hotel and Susie is bombarding me with questions about the circus, the performers, and my grandads. I skillfully answer all of it, but I feel guilty when I dodge the ones that dig deeper into the hows and whys of all of the acts. Luckily she’s too excited to notice.
Mark sits quietly, holding her hand and listening and smiling, but he still won’t look at me. My irritation at the dismissal is bothering me, and I can’t help but feel relieved when I finally get the chance I’ve been waiting for.
“I just need to use the restroom before our food arrives,” she tells us, standing up. “I’ll be back shortly.”
We watch her go, and once she leaves the dining room, I whirl on her boyfriend. “Okay, that’s it. What the fuck is your problem with me? I’ve been nothing but nice to you, and you are awkward and shady, and I’m worried that maybe Susie isn’t with such a good guy after all.”
Mark blanches at my outburst, but for the first time ever, he holds my gaze, staring hard into my face. I don’t blink, and he finally sighs and leans back in his chair.
“You really don’t remember me, do you?”
Oh fuck! Did I sleep with Mark? Was he someone I brought home from the bar for a one-night stand and then hustled out the door the next morning before Susie woke? She’d kill me.
He chuckles when he sees the myriad of thoughts that just crossed my face. “No, Lila, we didn’t fuck. Though I’m sad to hear you think I would be unmemorable. According to Susie, I have mad skills.”
I roll my eyes at his tongue-in-cheek arrogance. “She would know,” I mutter, and he stops laughing and takes a sip of his water.
“Do you remember wearing a glass of wine at work about eighteen months ago from an irate patron who thought you’d been flirting with his boyfriend?”
“Fuck yes. The man was batshit crazy. He said I kept fluttering my eyelashes at his partner and I should keep my whore ways to myself. It wasn’t the first drink I wore, but it was certainly the most memorable because he screamed like a banshee. His boyfriend was so embar—” I break off as I think back to that night then gasp. “Holy shit! That wasyou. You were the boyfriend who helped me clean up and apologized profusely.”
He nods, and a spark of relief shines in his eyes. “Yes, it was, and this whole time I’ve been thinking you remembered and were going to out me to Susie.”
I shake my head, completely confused. “You’re bi?” I guess with no judgment in my tone, and he nods again.
“Yes, and that was the problem with that date. He was gay as fuck and completely insecure. If I even spoke politely to a woman, he thought I was straying. I broke up with him later that night. I wasn’t into him enough to put up with that kind of behavior.”
“I don’t blame you. That guy seemed like a jealous fucking dick. And Susie doesn’t know?” I ask him pointedly, and I see him slump in his seat.
“No, I just haven’t thought about the best way to bring it up. The quickie I had with her was a couple of days after that incident. I thought it was just rebound sex, but it happened again and again, and before I knew it, I was in love with her. It never came up.” Regret flashes across his features, but he’s got to man the fuck up.
“Dude, just tell her. Susie is going to be the last person who judges. She had her experimental phases too.” I’m not outing her secrets, just reminding him that we’ve all been there at one time or another. She has no problem telling anyone she’s fooled around with both sexes. “So that’s why you’ve been so fucking awkward around me? You thought I’d let the cat out of the bag and ruin your relationship? Fuck, for a smart man, Mark, you’re dumb as shit.”
A small smile appears on his lips, his eyes looking less haunted. I just wish he would have said something sooner so we could have avoided all of this awkwardness.
