“Hey!Happy hour?”Bettina trotted up beside me on my way to the elevator at five thirty.
I almost said no automatically, but then I remembered I was gonna spend the whole night horny and alone.That was worth putting off as long as possible.
Before I could reply, she said, “What, you got a hot date with another history podcast?”
“Hey, those history podcasts are always there for me,” I said with a snort.Fucking had my number, didn’t she?“But yeah, I’m in.Kyle coming?”
“Yeah, he’s gonna meet us.Where you wanna go?”
I wanted to go to Diego’s South Side bar, The Pike.But that would be weird of me, so I just said, “I’m up for whatever.”
We ended up at a martini bar on Penn Ave, since it was close to the building where Kyle, Bettina’s husband, worked.A couple of other people from work joined in, and I thought I was doing pretty good with the social stuff.Until Bettina elbowed me and asked, “You okay?You seem kind of out of it.”
“Oh.Uh.Just thinking about…” I wasn’t sure how to answer it.I was flailing between wanting to stare at Diego’s thighs in that picture and trying to come up with something equally alluring to send him.Wasn’t gonna be a dick pic—no matter how much he claimed to like mine, that was missing the point.But I’d never been much of a tease.Not visually, anyhow.
Bettina, who’d declared herself my work-wife ages ago and had many times lured me into a TMI chat after hours, leaned forward eagerly.“Aboutsomeone?”
“Yeah.”
“I knew it!I knew you’d be over her in no time!”Bettina clapped her hands.“Who is she?”
I took a deep breath.No one else at the table was paying attention to us, since they were all enraptured by one of Kyle’s stories.So I went ahead and said, “He.”
Bettina clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes scrunching up with a huge smile.“Oh my god!”
I swallowed hard.See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?“This guy I used to—kinda date in high school.We reconnected this weekend.I don’t know.”
“What?Oh my god, that’s so romantic.Also, how did I not know you’re bi?”She frowned.“Pan?”
“Yeah, either one, I think.”They both seemed to explain it fine, but also not quite, so whatever, right?“Queer, anyway.”
Yeah.That felt right.Felt good to say it, actually.
“Girl, tell meeverything.”
Bettina had never called megirlbefore, but here we were.I laughed and sipped my martini as I filled her in on the basics of me and Diego.I conveniently left out the part where we had a huge fucking fight—our only fucking fight, actually—right before I left for college and never spoke to him again.
Bettina and I were close, yeah.But not close enough that I wanted to tell her all the bad shit about me, too.
“He sounds adorable,” she said.“If you need date night ideas, just let me know; I make Kyle do at least one every weekend with me.”
I wasn’t desperate for ideas there yet.I was desperate in other areas, though.“Actually—those photos you had taken for your tenth anniversary?”
“Yessssss?”She grinned.
She’d been really proud of getting some boudoir photos taken last year.She hadn’t shown them to me or anything, but she’d told me all about the shoot and how fun it was, and Kyle had assured me that he appreciated the gift.
Seemed like she’d be a good person to ask, “Did he do anything like that?No—wait, no, I don’t wanna know that,” I corrected myself with a laugh.“If hedidsomething like that… what would he do?Like, what would you want a picture of?”
“Not a dick pic, right?”
“No, definitely not,” I said.Which was funny, seeing as last time we hooked up, Diego had insisted I get my dick out before he even touched me just so he could see it.But… well.Diego.“Something way more low-key but with that vibe.”
“For him?”
I nodded, flushing and trying to hide it behind my drink.
She considered.Looked me up and down—not in a creepy way, but just like she was sizing up a prospect.“Do you have any gray sweatpants?”
