Page 19 of Mr. February

“Nope, I’m good,” Jenny said in that fake cheery voice again. “Do you need anything else before we head out?”

“Thanks, I’m ready, too.”

The overly polite behavior was painful, but at least they spoke. After they got to the car, they both stowed their belongings, though she kept her hoodie in the front seat with her this time. Her purse went on the floor under her legs.

Once Wade inserted the key into the ignition, Jenny forgot all about her previous awkwardness. The smutty book she was listening to on her headphones picked up where it left off and blared throughout the car’s speakers.

“I can’t wait to taste you. I want you to ride my face and come all over my tongue.”

“Oh, no,” Jenny whisper moaned as she dug around for her purse, hemmed in by the seatbelt that tightened when she jerked forward. Dammit, where was her stupid phone?

“Oh, yes. That’s just what I need,” Sylvia moaned as Patrick’s naughty tongue traced one of her nipples. His fingers plucked at the other one before that hand trailed down the front of her body. Sylvia tensed as his fingers crept closer to her aching—

“Got it!” Jenny shrieked as she frantically poked at her phone, trying desperately to turn off the narration, close the app, nuke her phone, something. Anything! Instead, her frantic, clumsy efforts led to her almost dropping it instead.

“Oh, baby, you’re so wet, you’re dripping. Is that all for me? Are you ready for what I’m going to do to you?” Patrick asked as he spread her legs wider and settled his mouth—

A loud silence filled the car as Jenny finally closed the application. Nervous laughter burst out of her, and she tried to squelch it to no avail. Jenny closed her eyes and begged for the rapture or something to remove her from this situation.

The phone she gripped so tightly in her hand vibrated, making her shriek, and she almost dropped it again. Her heart thundered until she saw Gloria’s name on her screen.

“Hi, Gloria,” she answered in a high-pitched voice. “Wade and I are still on our way to the conference hotel.”

“You sound weird,” Gloria said. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

“Everything’s great. We spent more time at lunch than expected because Wade had to fix something for the office, so we used the restaurant’s wi-fi. We’re back on the road now, and everything’s back to normal. Just the way it should be.”

Jenny’s voice was at least an octave too high, but it couldn’t be helped. She couldnottalk about this right now. No way, no how. But later, when she was in the privacy of her own hotel room, and after she’d had a good cry and maybe researched legally changing her name, she would tell Gloria everything.

Well, maybe not about the nipples. That would be her shameful secret. It was going to be embarrassing enoughwithout telling Gloria how wrong she’d been about Wade’s interest in her.

“No, you’re being super weird,” Gloria repeated. “He’s right there next to you, isn’t he? Can he hear me? Are you okay? Are you safe?”

“Everything’s back on schedule. We’re fine.”

“Then have you given more thought to my idea?”

“What are you talking about?” Jenny asked in a more normal voice.

“Youknow. Operation conference get-it-on.”

“Nope, that’s not something you need to worry about. We’re on the road to the conference, where we’re going to learn all sorts of techie things. I can’t wait.”

“Uh huh, sure. I just wanted to make sure you were safe, and since you can’t talk now without sounding like a weird, high-pitched robot, I’m hanging up.”

“Okay, I’ll call you soon.”

“You’d better, or I’ll do something crazy. Like order a singing telegram to be delivered in the middle of the opening reception, handing out boxes of condoms while announcing your name over a bullhorn.”

“Do they even still have those?”

“Condoms? Yes, of course. They even have ones that change colors when exposed to certain STIs. Surely it hasn’t beenthatlong since you’ve had sex with a real live person.”

“No, the other thing!”

“It’s the age of freelance deliveries and hustle culture. Of course I could order a singing telegram on short notice. I bet I could pay extra for them to wear an outrageous costume, so do not tempt me, woman.”

“All right, all right. I’ll call you back once we’re settled in.”

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