He thought for a second, then grinned.“Man Wipes.”
“Like, the butt wipe things?”They were in every store, nowadays, and in weird seasonal scents too.Nice to see the straights finally getting on board with ass hygiene, but still kind of baffling.
“Yeah.They’re just baby wipes in a different package with different branding.They look sporty and manly and whatever.They cost way more than a package of baby wipes.”He cocked an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair.
“I mean, I love me some ass hygiene, but…” If anything, a wipe would just make my ass taste weird.Bidet for life.“Yeah, that’s fair.”
“No man in his right mind was running around out here going, “Wow, if only there was a butt wipe specifically for my gender identity!”And yet, that company makes bank because they preyed on a societal weakness to create a new market that didn’t exist a few years ago.”
“Cursed knowledge,” I said.It was diabolical how easy humans were to manipulate.Was this seriously what Taran thought about all day?That was… kind of badass.“It’d warp your whole view of reality.”
He shrugged and sipped his mimosa.“It does make you more aware that you live in a capitalist hellscape, yeah.But that’s pretty inescapable these days.”
“I think you just made me interested in something to do with business.Wow.”
He laughed.“I mean, don’t get me….”But then his face paled a little and he went quiet.
I glanced over my shoulder to see a tall, gorgeous, blond woman in a sundress, frozen in place and staring at him.
My stomach clenched.No way.No fucking way this was…
“Jennie,” Taran said, voice suddenly gravelly.He shot me a look that was all apologies.“Hey.”
That seemed to snap her out of her trance and she approached the table, inspecting him like she was his professional stylist and had some notes.“Hey.Taran.How have you been?”
His eyebrows went up, and for a second I thought he was going to laugh.Instead, he just nodded.“Great.Jennie, this is Diego.Diego, Jennie.”And this time when he caught my eye, it was clear he was over the initial shock and now very, very amused by this sudden turn of events.
Which instantly put me at ease.I held out my beringed hand to her like I was the fucking Queen of Pittsburgh.“So nice to meet you.”
She took my hand like she wasn’t sure what to do with it, so I gave it a little squeeze and then left her hanging there.When she didn’t say anything, I took the liberty of explaining, “I’m the new girl.”
Taran laughed.
And suddenly, violently, I was reminded why I’d liked him in the first place all those years ago.In spite of all the reasons I should’ve mistrusted, disliked, and maybe even feared Taran Kovacs in high school—he always laughed at my jokes.No matter how fucking stupid they were.
“No,” Taran said, still chuckling.“He’s not a girl.Pronouns first or it’s confusing.”
“Right, he/him, butalsothe new girl,” I clarified.So we weren’t an officialthing.What she didn’t know absolutely could hurt her, and I was here for it.
“Oh.”Her nose scrunched in what could’ve been confusion, irritation, or some combination of those with other things.And then she apparently realized and said, “Oh,” but this time with more feeling.
“You here on a little matinee date, too?”I asked sweetly, sipping at my drink.I eyed her up coldly, the full Tyra Banks treatment.
In truth, she was goddamn gorgeous.Beautiful blond hair pulled back tight, large, dark eyes like a doll’s, great contouring that made her look like she had cheekbones to die for.Average body, but nothing to scoff at, from what I could tell, and she clearly had an understated and elegant sense of style.
I hated her immediately.Which was stupid, because this wasnota competition, and even if it was, I wasclearlyhotter.But I don’t fuck with cheaters.
Except that Taran wasn’t my problem, and I, of all people, didn’t need to be sticking up for him with his ex-lovers.
“Oh, no.Just a girldate.”She waved one hand and took a step backward.
“Technically we’re on a boydate,” I pointed out.
“I mean, um.”Her smile was a thousand watts of forced, false sunshine.“We had a boozy brunch and now we’re just.You know.”
Taran said, “Diego’s a theater guy.”
“So, uh, how do you two know each other?”
