Page 39 of Believe in Caloosa Springs

“What’s your interest rate?”

“It’s only four percent or something. I refinanced, like, a year ago. What’s the interest rate on your Expedition?”

“I have no idea. Some creepy fan from Connecticut pays for that shit,” I shrugged. “I’ve never even seen a bill. I only know it’s financed because of the insurance statements I get every month.”

“He pays the insurance, too?”

I nodded.

You lucky little fuck.”

I blew Mandy a kiss.

“We’ve gotten off-topic and somehow swerved into interest rates on car loans. Back to George's bar tab and kissing Mormon Boy.”

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, but ignored it in favor of continuing my recount of the morning's events, as an eager Mandy hung on every word.

“So, what are you gonna do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“About Porter? What are you going to do about kissing Porter?”

I took a deep breath. “I don’t know. I guess, just take it one day at a time? I’m still a little in shock, I think, to be honest. It was a weird morning.” I took a sip from the mug Mandy had prepared for me halfway through my ramblings.

“Are you going to tell him about BoysTown?”

“I think it would be very unfairnotto tell him, especially with the fuck-ton of members that still worm their way into my DMs. I’m just so nervous about it. He’s a good boy, you know? And a really nice guy. I don’t think he’s gonna be okay with a boyfriend who makes a living exploiting himself for rich oldheads on the internet.”

“But you don’treallyknow if that’s an issue with him until you discuss it. Besides, BoysTown is in the past.”

“I mean, yes and no. OnlyFans is my day job, and 99 percent of my followers are fans from the cam house.”

“See, that’s a check mark in the ‘pro’ column to me. I would kill to date a guy bringing in twelve grand a month for a few dick pics and the occasional jerk video.”

I snorted. As usual, she had a point. It sure beat slinging greasy french fries through a drive-through window; that’s for damn sure. “I think I’m gonna go take a hot bath and try to relax. My head is still spinning.”

Mandy got up from her seat and put her arms around my back. “I’m glad you are okay.”

I sighed. “Me too.”

I gave her a squeeze, picked my mug up from the counter, and headed towards the bathroom.

I plugged the drain and turned the water on as hot as it would go. Mandy needed to get her hot water heater checked. It got nice andwarm, but far from the scalding temperature I preferred.

I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and set it on the edge of the sink before taking my jacket off and slowly pulling my sweater off over my head, careful not to put too much pressure on my wrist. It hadn’t swollen up too badly, and only throbbed when I moved it the wrong way.

Getting my jeans unbuttoned and peeled off my legs proved to be difficult, trying to do the heavy lifting with one hand. For the first time in my life, I agreed with my mother… maybe my pantsweretoo tight.

“Nah.”

My phone buzzed again, reminding me of the missed notification from earlier when I was chatting with Mandy.

It was a picture message from Porter. Oh.Oh, shit.I could feel my pulse rate rising and my fingers getting slippery around their grasp on the device. Without even opening the message,I knew.

I instinctively guarded my phone screen and looked around, as if someone else might magically see my phone’s screen in the privacy of the bathroom.

My thumb hovered over the notification, my mind going a million miles a second.

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