“No one asked for a blow-by-blow. I’d settle for who’s the girl and when did it start.”
“You’re not getting that, either.”
“Since when? We’ve shared that kind of stuff since we were in middle school.”
Since the who is your sister and the when is when hell freezes over, as in I’ll answer your questions when hell freezes over.
I snag my mug off the desk blotter and drain the cold dregs of my afternoon coffee. “You did. I didn’t even date until tenth grade. And it’s not like there was all that much for me to talk about.”
He shrugs and stands. “Be that way. But I’m warning you. Ainsley’s a woman on a mission. And she has a way of making people talk.”
“Thanks for tipping me off.”
Jake leaves, and I lean back in my chair, tipping my head back to stare contemplatively at the ceiling. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t more than a little unsettled by our conversation. I’m tired of hiding. Tired of sneaking around. I want to man up and tell Jake about my relationship with his sister. We’re two consenting adults. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with us having a little fun together.
And maybe more than a little fun. Yeah, we’ve only been together for a couple of months. And no, our differences haven’t magically disappeared. She’s still the glittery, sparkly star attraction. I’m content waiting in the wings. But despite those differences, being with her feels right. It feels good. There’s window-rattling, mind-blowing, off-the-charts sex, sure. But there’s also easy laughter and casual touches and a comfortable, uncomplicated friendship I haven’t had with any other woman I’ve been intimate with.
Before I spill my guts about any of this to Jake, I need to talk to Brie. I’m not going public unless she’s fully on board. And it would be nice to know if she—like me—wants more than a short and steamy fling.
I sit up straight and grab my cell phone off my desk. I go to my recent calls and find her number—near the top, of course—but I stop myself before I hit send, remembering that she’s still with Ainsley, doing whatever it is women do when they get together. I don’t want to interrupt their female bonding time. What I have to say to Brie can wait a few hours.
I’m about to stash my cell in my back pocket and pack up my things to head home when it rings. A quick look at the screen tells me it’s Brie. Guess I won’t have to wait to talk to her after all. Although the more I think about it, the less I’m sure this is a discussion we should be having over the phone.
“Houston, we have a problem,” she says when I pick up.
I drop the file I’ve been working on into my briefcase and sit back down in my desk chair, spinning it around so I’m looking out the window at midtown. I love this time of day, when the sun has set and the city lights are coming to life.
“You and Ainsley get yourselves in trouble? Do I need to bring bail money?”
“Not me and Ainsley. She left a few minutes ago. I’m taking about me and you.”
I spin my chair back toward my desk. “What’s wrong?”
She drops her voice to a whisper so I have to strain to hear her. “Ainsley knows.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “Knows what?”
“About us.”
“How?”
There’s a long pause, then she lets out a long sigh that reverberates across the phone line. “I told her.”
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose with my free hand. “You what?”
“I had to. She saw our picture on my phone. I tried to convince her it was nothing, but she wasn’t buying it. She was going to tell Jake. Apparently, they had some sort of stupid bet on whether we were going to hook up.”
I pick up a pen and start nervously clicking it. “He was in here a few minutes ago sniffing around. Asked me if I had a new girlfriend.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing. I stalled him.” I throw the pen down on the blotter. “Do think Ainsley told him and that’s why he was asking questions?”
“No. She promised me she wouldn’t, at least until we’ve had a chance to tell him ourselves, and I trust her. But one of us has to. Soon. She won’t hold off forever.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Are you sure?”
