“Truce,” I agree. “But real talk—the way they look at you is making me salty.”
He closes his eyes. “All I’m hearing is that my abs are no longer soft. Just in time for Florida next month. Go me.”
I huff. “You’re not going to be shirtless at the wedding, Asher.”
He smiles without opening his eyes, a dangerous edge sharpening the curve. “You don’t know that.”
“I hate you.”
“Yo, Foley!” shouts a voice from the covered porch.
Asher turns toward Geoff, shading his eyes. “What’s up?”
“Where’s your remote, man? I can’t get the TV to work.”
Asher heads toward the porch, and Yayoi falls into the lounger he vacated. “Well, my pregnancy test this morning was negative.”
I slide my sunglasses on, willing my heart to behave. “Bummer.”
“Right?” She takes an obvious gulp of her White Claw—not pineapple since I hid those. “Like, what’s the point of all the sex?”
“I mean... it’s fun, right?”
She scoffs. “I guess. Yes. Yeah, okay? It’s fun. But also... I want a frickin’ baby.”
“Is he a good lay? I assume so, since you married him, but I need a story to live vicariously through. My last couple dates have been... not great.”
Yayoi gives me a commiserating smile. “What’s wrong with your dates?”
“They’re boring.” I pseudo-shudder. “It’s like a chore instead of fun. Used to be kind of exciting, you know? The stranger aspect.”
She looks at me like she’s trying to decode me. “And now the stranger aspect... isn’t exciting?”
I shut my eyes beneath my sunglasses. “That’s not what I mean. It’s annoying having to show someone what I like every time.”
“Sounds like you want a boyfriend.”
Without looking, I wave a dramatic hand in her direction. “Don’t be extra. I just want someone who knows his way around a clit.”
“Men are like dogs. You have to train them. If you don’t, they wind up jamming their face in your crotch as soon as you walk through the door, then hump your leg for a minute and fall asleep.”
Imagining Geoff humping Yayoi’s leg, I drop into a bucket of giggles. “Gross.”
“Exactly.”
I turn on my side to face her. “How’s everything else? Any more annoying daughters ruining photoshoots for you?”
“The last shoot I did was senior photos. She was super cute.” Yayoi runs to grab her phone, then shows me a few stills of the girl.
Her photos are agonizingly pretty. They make me want to crawl inside them. I long to walk through that meadow, bask in that sunlight and be as carefree as that girl. Yayoi’s able to tug at my cold, dead heart.
“Yayoi, you are so talented.”
“It’s nothing.” She shrugs, all humble like the beauty she can create with a camera and a little glitzy magic doesn’t matter.
“Own it, girl. This is genius. Someday, I want to be photographed to look this good.”
“Okay!” She bounces in her seat. “I need some updated photos for my website. Will you model for me?”
