Page 88 of Good Vibes Only
Ismiled at everything and everyone I passed on my morning walk to work. I might’ve looked totally obnoxious but I didn’tcare, because everything felt so bright and new under that great big smiling sun. I was a new woman, reborn. Full of hopes and dreams I hadn’t had in years—finding a decent man to settle down with, marriage, a house, maybe starting a happy little family, who knows?—things I’d given up on ever finding without even truly realizingI’d given up on them. But now that I’d met someone who allowed me to feelcomfortableopening my heart again, and those hopes returned? I felt rejuvenated. Like a clock had just been turned backyears.The lessons from countless dating disappointments would alwaysstay with me, and that was fine, that was life, that was how we learned. But whatwasn’tfine, I now understood, was letting those disappointments stick with me, taint me, like a stain on my aura.
But he believed in me. He believed inus,and you know what? So did I. And I could feel it now, my heart creaking and groaning as it lurched open. A rush of love poured out, cleansing and purifying me—making mereadyto take this risk we call love again.
And with whom?! Brett Allred. A professional hockey player. The exact sort of athlete that, after a bad experience, I swore I’d never mess around with again.
I never would’ve expected it’d be him, especially after how we met, but hey … sometimes, life works in mysterious ways, and all you can do is smile like a fool.
I was still smiling when I arrived at the shop. The door was already unlocked.
“I can’t believe I beat you in,” Raven said. “This is definitely a first.”
“Sorry! I had to walk to work. I left my car here yesterday.”
“Aaaah,” she said with a knowing grin. “That must be why you’re so smiley.”
With a happy sigh, I mused, “Raven, let’s just say everything is coming up roses right now.”
“Wow.” She laughed. “Sounds like last night wentverywell.”
“It was …mwah,” I said, making a chef’s kiss. “Perfect.”
“So how’d your plan play out?”
I started giving her the summary. When I got to the part in the story where I was ready to break my own “no sleeping on the first date” rule, Raven’s eyes bulged.
“WHAT?! NO! Mac!” she screamed. “Please tell me you didn’t!”
“Ah, see, this is where things get good.”
When Raven learned it wasBrettwho insisted we wait, so that I’d trust he was serious about me, she reacted with one word only: “Keeper.”
She liked the rest of my story, too. He was good with his hands, even better with his mouth—
“What about the gifts you gave him?”
“He loved the Tenga Egg.”
“And the Clone Your Own? Did you actually do that?”
“The mold has been made,” I said with a wry smile. “I’ll be pouring the cast tonight.”
“How’s it look so far?”
“Um. Huge. Just like the real thing,” I said, and we shared a laugh. “I am beyond excited to give it a try. He wants me to write a review.”
“Damn, y’all arefreaky,” she said.
I giggled. “Rave, he truly seemsopento things. He doesn’t get insecure or weird about toys or anything else. I just feel so comfortable with him. Which is why, when he asked me to be hisgirlfriendthis morning, I said yes.”
“Wait, what?! You’re official?! Already?!” She squealed a long note of happiness and embraced me in a hug. She squeezed me tight, and we hopped around together, before she jumped back and said. “Can you admit it now?”
“Admit what?” I asked innocently.
“I wasright.When Brett first came in here, you two were flirting hard-fucking-core.”
I giggled. “I dunno. It didn’t feel like flirting at the time but … ” I lowered my voice. “Yeah, okay, I guess we were flirting.”
“HA! FINALLY!”
