She pulled the dress over her head. “You just said that you did! Which I kind of already knew, but thank you for explicitly confirming it.”
He turned to face her. “That’s not what I meant. I meant— I meant I’m not going to be your—” He was so upset, he was sputtering. “Your sexualsafety blanketagain.”
“There was never anythingsafeabout you, Cary!”
“You’re giving me whiplash, Shiloh!”
“Go, then. Fly away home. Your shirt’s on the floor.”
“You—”
There was a soft knock at the door. “Shiloh? You in there?”
“Shit,” Shiloh whispered.
Cary groaned. He started looking for his shirt.
“I’m here!” she called. “I’m fine, Mom.”
“Because I’ve got my gun and a cell phone, and I’ve already dialed the nine and the one.”
“She doesn’t have a gun,” Shiloh said, moving quickly past Cary to crack open the door.
Her mom was standing there in pajamas, looking worried. “I heard a man’s voice.”
Shiloh held the door mostly closed and slid past it into the hall. “It’s fine,” she said quietly. “It’s Cary.”
Her mom’s eyes got big, and she mouthed,Cary?
Shiloh nodded.
“Cary?” her mom called out.“Is that really you?”
“Hi, Gloria,” Cary said from behind the door. He sounded miserable.
Her mom pinched Shiloh’s upper arm. “You broughtCaryhome from the wedding?” She was whisper-hissing. “I didn’t think you had it in you!”
Shiloh pulled her arm away and rubbed it. “Okay, well... I need to get back in there now and finish arguing with him.”
Her mom tsk-ed in disappointment. “Oh, honey, don’t argue with Cary. You don’t get to make new old friends, you know?”
“Yeah.” Shiloh nodded again. “Okay.”
“I know you’re out of practice, Shiloh, but the point of bringing men home isn’t to argue with them.”
“I thought you were worried about mysafety.”
“Well, I was, but that’s when I figured any man in your bedroom had to be a home intruder...” She frowned. “ShouldI be worried? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” Shiloh slipped back through the door. “Good night, Mom.”
“Good night.” She craned her head after Shiloh. “Good night, Cary! Don’t argue with my daughter! You can’t go making any new old friends!”
Shiloh closed the door. Cary was fully dressed and sitting on her bed. He’d turned on the reading lamp next to her pillow. You could see now what a mess her room was.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “She wasn’t expecting me to have a guest.”
Cary ignored Shiloh’s apology. His face was under control, but you could tell he was upset because his nostrils were twitching. “I don’t regret sleeping with you,” he said. “I just don’t want to go through it all again.”
