Page 57 of Grace on the Rocks

“Hell yeah, you did,”Wesagreed.

“AndI’mstill not sure my parents take this ‘book thing’ ”—she used air quotes—“seriously.”

Wes blinked at her. “Ah… so dinner was a little triggering?”

Grace looked away. “I’msorryI’mruining your vacation,” she said, nudgingWesley’sshoulder.

“Hey,I’mthe one who let oldAuntieEilidhcon us into that fiasco back there.”

“Maybe she thought if we were there, they’d all behave.”

“I don’t think that lady’s behaved a day in her life,”Wessnickered. “Iwant to be her whenIgrow up.”

“Whydidshe invite us then?”

“BecauseI’ma delightful conversationalist.”

Grace snorted. “You’rea delightful something, all right.”

“She probably wanted to study you like a specimen in a museum—you know, the rare and migrating writer who leaves her natural habitat only to bury herself in a stone cavern in a foreign land when she’s on a deadline.”

“Rude.”

“You know what might help?”

“Help who?”Graceasked, already guessing where the conversation was headed.

“We could figure out plans for your birthday,”Wesreplied, catching her off guard.

Inwardly,Gracegroaned. “Youcoming on this trip was all the giftIneed.”

“Great.Giftsorted.Wheredo you want to eat and how do you feel about those party cracker things they do over here?”

“Those are forChristmas.”

“Fine.Shortbreador cranachan for dessert?”

“I don’t know what cranachan is.”

“Forget it.Ihave a better idea for dessert anyway.”

“Oh?”

“You need to get laid.”

Grace groaned and threw her jacket at her friend, who balled it up for a pillow and reclined back on the blanket.

“I’m just saying.Birthdaybang could solve all your book problems.”

“Again,Iremind you,IwriteYA.”

“Not everything’s about research.Itmight help clear your head.Amongother things.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.I’mthe worst.HowdareIcare about your physical needs more than you do,”Wesagreed asDemetriusentered the stage pursued byHelena.

It wasn’tWesley’sfault.Shewas a girl who loved love and didn’t know all the gory details ofGrace’shang-ups.Sheonly knew it had been a long dry spell.AndconsideringWeshad broken up with her last boyfriend when he proposed because he was—in her words—incapable of finding a clitoris with a flashlight, she couldn’t possibly understand thatGracehad less than zero desire to get laid.

---