"What does that even mean?" I asked her before cutting up the last bit of my chicken fried steak.
She rolled her bright gray eyes while chewing. "That means just be you. You're beautiful on the inside and the outside, Kat. Just don't wear those fugly clothes I hate around him."
"Does that mean I can't wear my—"
"Yes! I've been telling you for years to burn those awful jeans. They look like something you stole from your pregnant mom twenty-six years ago."
I faked a gasp in horror; I loved those jeans. The material was super worn-in and more comfortable than cashmere, but they were pretty hideous. I wore them at home mostly.
Sometimes on grocery store runs.
I even wore them to go run other errands every once in a while.
Okay, I wore them pretty much every chance I got. "I'm not burning them, I'll just... avoid wearing them more than usual."
Zoey frowned at me over the bun of her burger. "Fine. Look, all I'm saying is this: I think you've gotten so comfortable having me, Nicole, and Josh in your life that you've quit allowing other people in because you're fine. Now, Tristan walks into your life, and I'm beyond happy that you're letting him in, but I don't want you to just give up and let him join the ranks with me and the other sluts, Kat. You want him? Get him. The Kat I know is no wuss. He chose to talk to you out of those thousand other people at the convention for some reason, and I'm going to guess it wasn't because you have nice hair, bitch."
Well, when she put it like that it made a whole lot of sense. I'd asked myself plenty of times why Tristan chose me to talk to, follow, and try to befriend out of everyone he came across. Especially when he told me that very few people knew his two identities, I questioned it. I started to feel better about not just myself but about being optimistic in the situation, but the problem was still the same.
"Zo, what am I going to do though even if he does like me? I don't want a boyfriend who does porn, and he practically refuses to talk to me about that."
She looked pensive for a moment and then nodded. "I think it's a good sign he doesn't want to talk to you about boning other chicks," she said with all the eloquence that is Zoey Quinn. "I don't know, Booger. What do you do when you get the porn star?" I knew that out of everyone, Zoey would be the only one to truly understand the situation I was in. She knew the pros and cons of being in the adult film industry but most importantly, she loved me. Zoey would never put me in a situation that would hurt me physically or emotionally. "I'd punch him in the gut if I found out he was with other girls at the same time he was with you. I guess you're,notliterally, screwed."
"I am screwed." The harsh reality of it was beyond disappointing. I knew that I was already the tiniest bit attached to Tristan, and if we were to get together, it wouldn't be casual and meaningless. At least for me. While I didn't consider myself a prude, I was not one for one night stands unlike my friends. I guessed I'd just have to weigh what was more important to me— a giant cock or a friendship that seemed as easy as breathing minus the sexual tension on my behalf. Fuck.
I think she recognized the look on my face as a positive because Zoey smiled and winked. "You might not be very tall—"
"Zoey you're practically a midget," I threw back at her.
She chose to ignore me. "Your abs might not be ripped—"
"That's rude." Sure I didn't look like a bodybuilder, but I mean, I was fit. My stomach was flat... unless you counted the two days before my period, and the four days during it.
"You definitely don't have the biggest boobs or ass—"
I had to snort that time because she was getting downright insulting. "Uh—"
"But what you have is perfect, Kat. Your personality is second only to mine. Any guy would be lucky to have you, and you know that. So just be his friend like he wants but show him those perky little Cs," she pointed at my boobs, and then palmed her own tiny, little mosquito-bite boobies, pushing up against the sports bra she had on— more for looks more than support, let me tell you. "Are better than any of those rock-hard, fake titties he's had in his mouth before. You hear me? I don't want you to change for anyone, regardless of how good his skills are orally."
I knew she wasn't telling me to go for anything with Tristan, but I felt like she was supporting me on my journey to be a good friend to him. Maybe he'd fall madly in love with me and then quit porn.Ha. Well, whatever. I'd been asked out on dates, I always just said no, because I had no interest in dating since my last boyfriend. I was happy with the way my life is going; between my dad, my friends, work, and my drawer of toys, I couldn't ask for more.
"You're the best, Zo. "
She looked at me with wide eyes, "Of course I am." Snapping her fingers all of a sudden, she continued, "I forgot to say that you don't really have a nice tan, but I mean, tans are kind of overrated. I like your shade of peachy colored skin."
"Zoey?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to punch you in the vag when we walk out of the restaurant."
Chapter 22
I'd just finished showering when my phone chimed from its spot on the counter. My first guess was that it was Josh, because I hadn't heard from him in a couple of days. When I went to reach for my phone, 'Magellan' showed up on the screen instead.
Come over. I'm bored.
I finished drying off before responding.
