Page 133 of The Holy Grail
“Groping?”
“Well, when I’m kissing someone, I tend to get a little handsy,” Evan explained. “Especially when couches are involved.”
“Fine. You can get a little handsy.”
“Over clothing or under?” Jules wanted to know, with faux seriousness. “Because that has a direct impact on the experience of groping—both giving and receiving.”
“It’ll be up to you.”
Jules and Evan looked at one another and said, “Under.”
“And that would obviously also apply to me and Jules, and … you and me,” Malcom told Evan, feeling a bit of a flush rising, which hopefully no one would notice.
“Of course,” was Evan’s quick response. “I’m counting on it.”
Jules picked up her wine glass. “Here’s to making out on the couch and groping one another under clothing!”
Even though it was a ridiculous toast, Malcom and Evan both lifted their glasses and repeated it. “Here’s to making out on the couch and groping one another under clothing!”
As they all clinked glasses, a voice to Jules’ left announced, “Here are your entrées.”
Three pairs of eyes glanced over at Anthony, as he began setting plates down on the table in front of Jules, Malcom, and Evan, with a bit of flair. “Be careful, the plates are still hot,” Anthony warned them.
“Thank you,” Evan said.
“You’re welcome. Is there anything else I can get you?”
“No, I think we’re good for now.”
“All right. Then I’ll leave you to enjoy your dinner,” Anthony said with a little tilt of his head, before leaving.
As soon as they were alone again, Malcom asked Jules, “You didn’t see him that time, either?”
“No, I’m sorry.” She made anOopsface. “I was distracted, thinking about … copious amounts of groping under clothing.”
At the warm feel of Evan’s hand squeezing his shoulder again, Malcom glanced over. He could tell by Evan’s expression what was expected, so with a sigh, Malcom said, “I know. It goes in one ear and out the other.”
Chapter 41
Parking lot therapy
Because Malcom and Evan were gentlemen, they walked Jules to her car after leaving the restaurant. She kissed Malcom goodnight first, and when she pulled back, said, “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“The kiss?” he asked, confused.
“I meant dinner. In public with both of us,” she clarified.
“No, it wasn’t bad.” He paused briefly. “I did notice you got some, uh, attention when you arrived and kissed both Evan and me, but that was about it.”
She nodded. “I noticed it, too, but fuck those people.”
“I will say I could have done without Anthony overhearing some choice bits of our conversation, but … it’s not like we have to come back here again, so—”
“The hell we don’t. I love coming to this place, so we’ll definitely be back.”
“Oh. Okay.”
That piece of news seemed to not thrill him at all, but she didn’t care. “We’re probably going to experience some judgmental attitude everywhere we go, so it’s not like we can quit going to places where we do. I mean, we’d run out of places to go, right?”
