“If she can join the military and get permanently inked without her parents’ consent, that’s good enough for me. She’s an adult.”
“Keep telling yourself that, old man, if it helps you sleep at night.”
“Weirdly enough, ‘sleep’ isn’t the thing that keeps popping into my head whenever I look at her.”
Josh drains the rest of his gin martini. “Is she a spitfire, too—just like T-Rod? How close a match is this, you fucking sicko wack job?”
“Yeah, she’s a spitfire. She’s already bitch-slapped me pretty good a few times. I deserved it, by the way.”
“Of course, you did.” He rolls his eyes. “You’re so predictable. Whenever you hear the word no, in any context, you do whatever it takes to get to yes.” He smirks. “Even if it means finding an uncannydouble for the one woman in the world you wanted desperately but couldn’t have.”
Is he right about that? Have I been losing my mind over Georgina because she subconsciously reminds me of T-Rod—and I’ve got a score to settle? Or do I simply have a type—and Georgina is the most glorious version of it I’ve ever beheld in my entire life?
Unfortunately, “no” was the final answer in regards to my desire to fuck T-Rod. She’s the Argentinian who got away, and always will be. Not emotionally, of course. I barely know the woman. But, God, how I’ve always wanted to experience her. And now, sadly, thanks to the rock on her finger and the babies who call her mommy, I never will.
My fascination with Theresa—you might even call it a low-key obsession—started the minute I met her. She was the highly organized, straight-laced twenty-one-year-old sent to Josh by a temp agency. And the minute I saw her, I wanted her. In fact, when I first saw T-Rod, I distinctly remember feeling like a nuclear lust-bomb had gone off inside me. The same thing I felt when I saw Georgina today.
Georgina.
Oh, God.
With T-Rod, it wasn’t meant to be. Josh proclaimed her off-limits out of the gate—and not just for me, but for himself, too, and for all his friends—and by the time I decided to disregard his stupid proclamation, T-Rod’s future husband was in the picture and my window of opportunity had decidedly slammed shut. But, this time, with sexy Georgina, she’s not Josh’s employee. Not his honorary little sister. And there’s no would-be future-husband cockblocker slamming the door in my face. No, this time, with Georgina, it’s smooth sailing for me to get to yes, yes, yes... In fact, there’s not a doubt in my mind I’ll be sinking myself inside her tonight—blissfully riding her, and myself, to four hours of heaven tonight.
“Aren’t you about a decade too young to be having a midlife crisis?” Josh says, pulling me out of my reverie.
“Actually, my brain keeps saying that exact same thing. But, apparently, it seems other parts of my anatomy are running the show.”
“Just be careful. The young ones fall hard.” He snickers. “Probably because their brains aren’t fully developed yet.”
“Fuck you.”
“Seriously, though. Tread softly, Rivers. I’m sure she’s got huge stars in her eyes when she looks at you. You’re gonna be able to manipulate her way too easily, so don’t.”
“She doesn’t seem starry-eyed or manipulatable at all. I saw her earlier today, at that panel thing, sitting in the audience. I flirted my ass off from across the room for an hour and made it clear I wanted her to hang around afterwards and wait for me to get through my line, but she left anyway. I think that’s what I like most about her—that she’s willing to walk away. So rare these days.”
Josh scoffs. “Sure,that’swhat you like most about her, you sick fuck. Clearly.”
He indicates with his chin, where, at this moment, Georgina is bending down to grab something off a low shelf, gifting us with an insane view of her ass.
“Well, that and a few other things,” I concede.
Josh laughs and sips his drink. “Is she a music student?”
“No. At least, I don’t think so. She claims to be a journalism student, graduating next week. She said she went to that event today to meet CeeCee.”
“Sheclaims? Shesaid?”
“I just think there’s probably more to the story than that.”
“Careful, Reed. Your paranoia is showing.”
“I dunno, man. My gut keeps telling me she’s got an agenda. Maybe she’s a model on the side, and she’s got her sights set on starring in RCR’s next video. Or she’s a dancer who’d ditch her big journalistic dreams in a heartbeat to back up Aloha on her next tour. I have no idea. All I know is, when I saw her at that event today, she zeroed in on me awfully fast, and came on like gangbusters. She’s way too confident, and way too flirtatious with me, not to have an angle.”
Josh shakes his head. “Shezeroed in onyou? Are you sure it wasn’t the other way around, player?”
I shrug. “No, I’m not sure. That’s my point. I’m usually sure when I’m the hunter, versus the hunted. With this girl, I don’t know which way is up—who’s got the upper hand. Who’s got the bow and arrow. She’s giving me whiplash in the best possible way.”
Josh rolls his eyes. “Then enjoy it. No need to analyze it.”
