Theo takes my elbow within his hand and looks around as if he’s searching for spying eyes. “Come here.” I follow him out onto the sidewalk in front of the development, and we walk a few more feet down the block. “I know everything seems out of the ordinary here. It is, okay? Just hang in there and keep doing what you’re doing. Everything will make sense soon.”
“What will make sense soon?” Other than the fact that I have all these men chasing me for no particular reason.
“Not everything is what it seems, okay?”
“And you are?” I question.
He lowers his head toward mine to whisper in my ear. “I’m not here for the same reason the rest are.”
“Why are they all here, Theo? Can you answer me that?”
He shakes his head. “I can’t, but just know you can trust me. I can be a good friend, and I’m not looking for anything more than that.”
I find myself staring at Theo, trying to read between the lines. “I don’t understand.”
He whispers, “I’m not into women. You’re safe with me, but let’s keep that to ourselves.”
The relief I feel hearing him say this makes my day. “You just became my new best friend, Theo. Please tell me you’re being truthful.”
He holds up his pinky. “I swear to you.”
I offer my pinky in exchange. “Okay, then. Anything else I should know?”
“A lot,” he says.
“But you can’t tell me …”
“I’m sorry,” he says, shaking his head in shame. “Let’s get back before we’re spotted having this conversation.”
I follow Theo back into the development, and without another word, he rejoins his lawnmower, leaving me with a quick wave and smile.
My head is spinning as I walk back into my villa, but it nearly explodes when I spot the scene laid out in front of me.
I’m in the doorway, the door is still wide open, and the slider has no blinds, which means anyone and everyone can see inside this house if they choose to right now.
Kricket should care, but Kricket doesn’t care. Kricket is in a black leather thong, a matching bra, knee-high black boots, and a pair of handcuffs hanging off the strap around her ass. She has one of the men up against the wall between the front room and the kitchen. He’s in a pair of tight white-boxer briefs with his hands pressed flat against the wall above his head. She has her hand on his chest. “Oh, shit,” she says. “This isn’t what you think.” The guy then mouths the word, “help,” to me as Kricket stares me down with a sneer inching across her pale skin.
“What the hell is going on in here?” I ask Kricket.
“I found him looking through the sliding door. I figured I’d give him what he was looking for,” she says.
“Kiss me, Tristan,” she says. “You know you want to.” Kricket presses her body up against his bare chest. Tristan. We met on the beach when he was playing volleyball. He twists his head to the side, keeping away from whatever it is Kricket is trying to do.
“No, I’m not kissing you,” he says. “I’m not here for you. Stop.”
“That’s not what you said ten minutes ago, is it,” she replies.
Kricket releases her hold on Tristan, and he cups his hands over his junk. I guess this is a junk kind of day. “I didn’t mean what you think—“
“You didn’t mean to look in our window?”
“I—uh, well, I was looking for Ashley.”
“Well, surprise! You found me instead,” Kricket says. “Ashley, just so you’re aware, I didn’t take his pants off. He took his own pants off. I was playing dress-up while I was home alone. It’s not my fault he wanted to come inside and play.”
“Why does he look so scared right now?”
“When I agreed to play back, he changed his mind.” Kricket shrugs, twisting her lips into a scary looking pout. “How am I supposed to read this guy’s mind?”
