He chuckles. “Why are you so shocked? Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing too glamorous. I had a buddy who was gay. He took me out to this club with his friends, and I had a little too much to drink. This guy hit on me all night, so I followed him to the restroom.”
“And?”
“And he kissed me. I remember little, except that he asked me to, uh, take things further, and I realized I was irreparably straight.”
I snort out a laugh.
He leans closer and kisses my cheek. “What about you? Ever been with a woman?”
“I have, yes.”
“Relationship or hookup?” he asks, biting into a strawberry.
“Hookups,” I say, spreading jam over my pancake. “But a woman asked me out on an actual date once.”
He arches a brow. “And?”
“I said no the same way I would have to any man… except you, I guess.” I chuckle, thinking back. “Actually, it’s funny. You know who it was?”
“Who?”
“Vanessa.” When his smile fades, so does mine. “What’s wrong?”
“Vanessaasked you out?”
“Yeah, like, two years ago. Why—”
“How did she end up with Paige?” he cuts in.
I hesitate, brow furrowing. “Uh… they met a few months later.”
“But who asked who out?”
“Vanessa. Vanessa asked Paige out. Why?”
His jaw tightens as he sets his coffee down. “I knew I got a weird vibe from her.”
A weird vibe? From Vanessa? “You don’t think…”
“Could she be the one who sent those payments to Booked It?” he says, jumping to his feet.
“I… I don’t know.” My throat tightens as I think back to Vanessa sneaking up on me in the parking lot. She said she was on her way to the bank, on the first floor of the Booked It building. “I did run into her on the way to Horizon Trust once.”
His face goes white. “Holy shit.”
I stare at him, dumbfounded. I remember the feeling of someone watching me just before she appeared. How I figured I was just creeped out after Catherine’s murder. “Is that where the donations came from?”
“It is.” He walks out of the kitchen, his pancakes nearly untouched on the plate.
I follow, finding him at the entrance pulling his shoes on. “But why? I mean, she’s not even a fan. She only listens to the show because we’re friends. Why would she do something like that?”
His jaw ticks with annoyance, eyes set deeply into mine.
“Me? You think she’s doing this for me?”
