Julia is stunned stupid.
And I’m about to vomit.
“Yeah, I am. I’m her Mister Perfect,” Nate says the words loud and slow and proud.
I shake my head.Was. The word is WAS. He WAS Mr. Perfect. “Hold on a minute. He wa—"
“Well, you can be with him now. But you really should have told me, Janie. You’re so special to me, I would have stepped aside.”
Yeah, right.
She plops back down next to Damian on the defiled couch. “Besides, I’m with Damian Miles now.”
“Simon,” I say, correcting her.
Simon turns to face her, confused. “I’m not relationship material, love. That was just a one-off.” He speaks with an accent again, like he had the first time I met him. “And to be quite frank with everyone, I’m missing my Damian Miles lifestyle. The music. The women. The drugs. The little bit of weed you brought over isn’t enough for me… what’s your name again, love?”
Julia blinks blankly. I’m not sure she’s ever been rejected before. Her mouth is moving but nothing is coming out.
I’m not sure I’ve ever enjoyed such a blatant display of Karma before. I need Dex here. I need him to witness this with me. I hope he comes here and not back to his house.
Julia’s voice raises and is joined by Nate’s and Simon’s. I lose focus and text Dex.
Jane:Hey! What’s up? I left work early because I didn’t feel well. All hell broke loose here and someone left the bag of idiots open, you coming over after work?
Jane: Seriously. This is insane. Karma came dressed up like Santa Claus on Christmas and shelled out gifts to everyone.
Jane: Dex?
The idiots spillout of my apartment and into Julia’s. Simon remains unclothed, and when I peek my head out into the hallway, I find him talking to Ms. Kinsey as she ogles his manhood with both her eyes and fingers. I’m officially disgusted.
An hour later, Dex replies to my texts.
Dex:Took a trip to see my mother. Be gone for a few. I’ll call when I can.
A trip tosee his mother? Then it hits me. I remember his mother lives in Connecticut. In New Haven.Area Code 203.
I get sick all over myself.
Chapter 13
Isquirm in my chair, trying to get comfortable in the silky little black dress I talked myself into buying this morning. It barely covers my thighs and it scoops low at the collar and shows off every curve I have. My skin tingles when I think about Dex seeing me wearing it. I’ve been fantasizing about his mouth falling open, his eyes bulging wide, his hands pushing me into the restroom, his body pressing me up against the wall.
I wiggle in my seat more.
Sometime last week, when Dex was still in California, he reserved a table for ten people at the Brothers Grimm Bar and Grill for my birthday.A small intimate gathering with just friends, he said over the phone.Then we’ll visit your family the next weekend to celebrate your birthday with them. He wanted to meet my parents. Just thinking about it made my stomach explode with butterflies. The weekend after that, he wanted me to meet his mom, his sisters would come later on. Replaying the sweet conversation in my head makes the room spin.
I wriggle and twist in agony. This dress is so sleek against my skin it’s turning me on. That, plus the fact I haven’t seen Dex since work on Monday, is making me ache between my thighs. The prospect of the explosive orgasms I’m going to have tonight has me giddy.
I tap my fingers on the table and focus my eyes on the entryway to the dining area, hoping to catch Dex when he walks in. I look down at my phone. It’s seven o’clock. They should all be arriving soon.
They are killing me with the wait.
I pass the time watching the room. A man in a suit hunches over the end of the bar, speaking to the bartender in low muted tones. A group of women in business attire sit laughing at a table with an impressive collection of empty glasses and half-eaten meals.
Back here in the dining area, it’s darker than the front bar section. The room flickers with thousands of tiny strings of lights that hang from the ceiling and drape across the walls. Candles glow and dance on each table and the smell of freshly baked bread and spices mixes in the air.
A server comes to the table with a smile. “Would you like anything to drink while you wait for the rest of your party?”
