Page 75 of Hot Summer's Prey

“Yeah, but what if you go off hunting down some other more dangerous mystery?” Teresa asks.

“You can solve a mystery for me, actually,” Taara says. “Like what happened? You went from trying to track this guy down so you could fuck his brains out and then leave him desperate and wanting, and now you’ve potentially returned from your honeymoon.”

“We’re not married, yet,” Teresa laughs.

“She didn’t leave me desperate and wanting?” I ask.

Teresa’s friends let out a scandalized, drawn out “ooooh!”

“Yet?!” Taara yelps.

“I don’t know if I can get married,” I say.

“Oh, don’t worry, it was just a joke. We’re better than married,” Teresa says, gripping my thigh as we sit on the couch. She throws a leg over mine and cuddles in close.

“Just rub it in our faces, why don’t you,” Anelisa says, grinning. “Cute.”

“What does that mean, better than married?” Dawn asks.

“Mated,” I say.

“Mated?!” Anelisa repeats. “Like ABO? Monsters? Werewolves? What romance book am I reading?”

“Um, yeah,” Teresa agrees. “Exactly like that.”

“Exactly like that?” Anelisa repeats. “Girl, we all saw what he’s packing. I didn’t see any knots.”

Teresa laughs. “I mean, well—I don’t think I need to explain that much.”

“Too much to hope one of us finds out monsters are real,” Anelisa sighs. “You find any, send them my way. I feel like if they’re anywhere, they’ve gotta be here. This place has such a vibe, you know?”

Zephyr stares at the floor. Teresa and I share a look.

“You got it, Anelisa,” Teresa promises.

“Sah-weet!” she exclaims, pumping her fist in the air. “Guess I can finally get off the apps. Those boys are a whole other kind of monster.”

Anelisa seems to be laughing because she’s joking. I wonder how earnest she is. If she would like one of my friends, though Kalixto is an unlikely offering.

“So, Pacari, what do you do for work?” Taara asks.

“Okay, mom!” Teresa whines.

“I uh…”

“He’s a sex worker,” Teresa answers for me.

I nod.

“Ohhh, is that why he was sleeping with all those other people?” Dawn asks.

“Yes,” I admit.

The energy in this room is a lot to keep up with. Each of them have their instinctual understandings of each other. I still do not know how they feel about me.

“And what do you do for fun?” Taara continues the interrogation.

“I told you we didn’t finish grilling you,” Zephyr laughs.

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