“I’m celibate.”
She froze.The word, yes, she understood, but… no fucking way.Her laugh started slow and took time to build mass.It really needed to ramp up to full hilarity.
Judging by his smirk, it was a reaction he expected.
“Sorry,” she said, catching her breath.“I’m sorry… wow.”Wiping moisture from the corners of her eyes, she tried not to smudge her makeup.“No one’s ever tried the virgin line with me before.Good one.Really.You get an award for originality, I may screw you just for that.Want me to pop your cherry, baby?”
“I said celibate, not a virgin.”
Okay, the moment had arrived.This was it.This was when he’d admit the lie, joke, whatever he intended to dub it.Except… Why did he look so devout?
“Oh, wow…” Gravity seeped in.“You’re serious?”He nodded.Bouncing off the wall, she pulled the lollipop from her mouth and rested her other hand on his bicep.His rather impressive bicep.“Was there a trauma?”
He snickered.“No, nothing like that.”
“Then why?”
“You’ve always done the relationship thing, now you have oats to sew,” he said and shrugged.“I got tired of sewing oats.Everything was temporary, shallow, I got sick of it.”
“So you gave up sex?”
“It’s a distraction.”
“Yeah, but a fun one if you do it right.”She squeezed his arm.“Were you doing it right?”
He leaned in.“Too right.You can only score an eleven so many times before it becomes passé.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“You don’t have to.Your oat sewing will show you I’m right.”
Her chin angled up.“You talk about sex a lot for being celibate.”
“Right,” he said on another laugh.“Wasn’t that you led me there.”
“No!Sheesh, you’re not much of a gentleman, are you?Are you sure your celibacy is voluntary?Or did womenkind come to their senses?”
“You’re odd, Candy, anyone ever tell you that?”
She sighed.“All the time.Stop changing the subject.We have a lot to unpack.Until now, I’ve never met a unicorn.”
“A unicorn?”
“One, apparently, I can’t ride.I’m actually in shock right now.Is this real?For real?”
“All the way, Candy.All the way.”
“Or none of the way.None.Like none?Wow, a real life unicorn.”
TWO
SHE AND THE unicorn talked until a server appeared to say the bar was closing.Closing?They had barely even touched on—had she ever talked so long that time disappeared?Didn’t that only happen in movies?
By the time they left their nook, the bar was empty of everyone but staff.Every other place was closing too.In their hurry to the flooded streets, they got pulled into the crush of departing end-of-the-night partiers.She only just heard the unicorn offer to take her home.Sweet, but there would be no happy ending.She wouldn’t be the one to break his celibacy streak.
Two years.It had been two years since he’d slept with a woman!
A guy like him.Hot.Personable.Respectful… there had to be something she was missing.Shame she’d never delve deeper.
