Page 101 of The Plus One Pact

"Not too sweet," I say.

She smiles. "Was Daniel right?" She moves towards the pick-up area. "Did Romeo convince you to play up how serious your relationship is?"

Uh…

"It's none of my business." She pushes her sunglasses up her head and looks me in the eyes. "But I won't share anything you say with him. Just FYI. I'm a strict believer in the girl code."

I can't tell her the truth. I can't say, actually, I hired your fiancé’s brother to spice up my sex life, which he did, and he convinced me that was the path to a great fake relationship. But I can give her a version of the truth.

I want to give her a version of the truth.

All this deception is exhausting. Like the last few years of my marriage.

And it's confusing, too. Because I don't know what's real and what's pretend anymore.

"It is true, we started casually," I say. "And it's true I only wanted sex at first. He's just… gorgeous."

She smiles. "He is."

"And he's patient and skilled. The way he drew things out the first night… I thought I was going to die. I wanted him so badly. I didn't know I could want anything that badly." My cheeks flush. It's not an act. The memory does warm me. And it is absurd, talking about sex, in this coffee shop, surrounded by people in business casual attire and moms with strollers. "My ex-husband and I weren't having sex for a long time. I forgot what good sex felt like. How it felt to be desired. To desire."

"I remember that feeling." Her eyes get dreamy. "Not that Danny and I have bad sex. It's good. He tries. If there's one thing you can say about Daniel Galante, it's that when he puts his mind to something, he accomplishes it."

"Including your orgasm?"

She blushes. It's barely noticeable with her dark skin, but it's there. It's adorable.

I can see why he fell for her. And why he's worried Romeo is interested in her.

"Yes," she says. "But that's not really an issue. Especially if I've been vaping. And, well… Danny would say I'm always vaping, but Danny doesn't mind how good the sex is after that."

"Do you usually have sex high?" she asks.

"No, no, no, I see what you're doing, Doctor Vaughn. I'm not here to talk about my relationship problems. Not that I have problems. Well, no more than any normal, healthy relationship." She pushes her sunglasses back down her face. "You're intimidating. Has anyone told you that?"

"I get it a lot." I check the time on my silver wristwatch. "Do we have to be back for anything?"

"I don’t know what Amara has planned for after the first game, but I think the boys can handle it on their own. I left a note saying we'll be back for dinner," she says.

"So, we have all day to talk," I say. "Plenty of time to discuss both our relationships."

She taps her chin, considering this option for a long moment. Finally, she nods okay, and speaks softly. "I wouldn't say I'm usually high. That's more a special occasion kind of thing. Most nights, I have a few hits, or a mint, or a one milligram. Enough to relax. The equivalent of a glass or two of wine."

"Do you feel you need pot to relax?" I ask.

She swallows hard. "Usually, yeah."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Work is hard," she says. "Busy. It's a lot of pressure."

"What do you do in the, what do you call it in the industry?" I ask.

"It depends how seriously the person takes it.” She laughs. “I’m happy to call it the legal drug industry. Some insist we use technical names. Others call themselves Reefer Experts.”

“And your title?” I ask.

“Chemist,” she says. “It doesn’t have the same ring as Drug Creator, does it?”