“And then, so will you,” Cassie adds. “Over and over and over?—”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me about the multiple orgasm thing?” I blurt out the question before thinking it through, but I don’t regret it. Honestly, I like that I finally have something substantial to bring to the table of girl talk.
Three pairs of eyes swing to me, and everyone stops laughing. “What?” Missy says.
Heat creeps into my cheeks, but I’m determined to press on with the risqué girl talk. I’ve never been part of it this way. I’ve listened, sure, but I haven’t had something noteworthy to contribute until now.
“I—uh—I guess I never realized it was possible to—” I give a flourished gesture with the knife, hoping at least one of them will fill in the blank.
Cassie grins and picks up her wineglass. “I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned—” She gives an exaggerated flourish to mimic mine, making my cheeks heat up again. “So to speak,” she adds. “Didn’t you believe me?”
I shake my head, torn between feeling embarrassed and excited. Like I’m part of the club or something. “I guess I never realized,” I say. “I never thought it could be like that.”
Missy studies my face, her eagle eyes missing nothing. “You’re talking about sex, right? Just sex? That’s still all it is?”
They’re all watching me, like they know the secret thoughts I’ve been having all week. Like when Dax called Tuesday night to make sure I got home safely from a job over in Gresham, and we stayed on the phone talking until almost midnight. It wasn’t even phone sex, which—FYI— should probably be on my sexual bucket list.
If I keep adding things, maybe The Test will never end? Like maybe I could propose an extension beyond the thirty days we agreed to at the start.
The ladies are still staring, so I force myself to keep a neutral expression as I pick up Cassie’s carrot and start to peel it.
“Right,” I say slowly. “It’s still just sex.”
I focus all my attention on the carrot, reminding myself to keep it that way. Sex without love, that’s what we agreed.
There’s a knock at the door, and Sarah looks down at her phone. “Oh, that’s Simon.”
“Don’t worry, I already told him he can’t stay,” Cassie says. “This is girls’ night. He’s just dropping off Junie.”
But as she gets up and opens the door for him, it’s clear she’s thrilled to bits to lay eyes on her fiancé. Her whole body seems to float, and she greets him like they’ve been apart six years instead of six hours.
Lucky bitch, indeed.
“Hi, everybody!” Junie hustles into the room. She’s wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with an electric guitar, the logo for the National Down Syndrome Association, and the words, “I’m rockin’ this extra chromosome.” She marches in wearing a Mariners cap and holding a plastic bag of produce. “I told Simon to stop at the store so I could buy things for the friendship salad,” she announces as she thrusts the bag at me.
“That’s perfect, Junie, thank you.” As I stretch my hand out for the bag of tomatoes, she tilts her head to study me.
“You’re in love?” Her expression’s so earnest, her words so startling, that conversation grinds to a halt. Everyone stops talking at once. The room goes silent, all eyes fixed on me.
“What?” My cheeks go hot, probably the same color as these tomatoes. “No, of course not. Why do you think that?” I glance from Missy to Cassie to Simon and back to Junie again, waiting for one of them to rescue me.
Unfazed, Junie keeps peering at me with intense curiosity. “I think you love somebody,” she says. “You look like you do. Like when Simon and Cassie started to love each other that way.”
My cheeks go hotter, and I decide to focus on the tomatoes. I set to work washing them—the tomatoes, not my cheeks—and hope no one notices how awkward I’m being. “I’ve been dating a man, sure, but it’s nothing serious.” I’m trying for breezy, but I sound like I sucked on a helium balloon. “You met Dax. The guy with the motorcycle? He’s really just a good friend.”
My voice wobbles a little, and I’m certain it doesn’t go unnoticed. I glance up to see Junie smiling like she’s just uncovered life’s greatest truth.
“You love him,” she repeats.
It’s a statement this time, not a question. Part of me that can’t help but wonder if she’s onto something.
“Come on,” I say, desperate to change the subject. “Let’s get this salad put together so we can eat.”
Junie smiles, and my stomach does a funny somersault.
I’m pretty sure I’m fooling no one, least of all myself.
Chapter 14
