Page 8 of The Holy Grail
Evan tilted his head. It was obvious he wanted to ask for the particulars, but was holding back, so she decided to give him a watered-down explanation. However, before she could, the drummer was taking a seat next to her at the bar.
“Hi, Jules,” he greeted her.
“Eric,” she greeted him back, hoping that really was his name.
“It’s good to see you, again. You look great,” he said, his eyes roaming over her for a moment. “You know, I would’ve said ‘Hello’ the last time I saw you here, but you were with someone.”
Eric apparentlywashis name. She gave him a polite smile, then said, “You look great, too,” because he did, but deliberately left off any mention of it being good to see him again. She prided herself on being as honest as possible, lying only when it was absolutely necessary—and this wasn’t one of those times.
“Why did you send my drink back?” he wanted to know.
Jules refrained from rolling her eyes, even though his question made her want to. He was acting like she’d sent back the Hope diamond, for Christ’s sake, and not a five dollar gin and tonic. “I couldn’t accept it, knowing it would probably give you the wrong impression.”
“The wrong impression?”
“That I might sleep with you again. Because that isn’t going to happen.”
Eric blinked at her, presumably trying to process her blunt words, and at the same time trying to understand why she was saying them. “Why not? I thought we had a good time.”
She inwardly sighed, because this was where things would get uncomfortable—for him, anyway. “Wedidn’t have a good time,” she corrected him, looking directly in his eyes. “Youhad a good time.”
His brows drew together in a frown. “What are you saying? That you didn’t have a good time?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”
After a heavy pause, he said rudely, “You did a hell of a good job faking it, then.”
She leaned forward, keeping her expression neutral, as if he hadn’t just overplayed his hand with the ‘asshole’ card. “I never fake anything, Eric, and that especially applies to sex. If you thought I enjoyed it, that’s because you weren’t paying attention—and when I say you weren’t paying attention, I mean you weren’t paying attention to anything other than getting yourself off.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“It’s not bullshit. I can’t speak for all women, but when I have sex with a man, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for equal oral reciprocation.”
His expression turned to one of mild indignation. “You’re upset because I didn’t go down on you?”
“More like … disappointed.”
“But I’d just met you.”
Jules gave him a look that said he needed to acquaint himself with the concept of irony. “And I’d just metyou.”
“That’s different.”
“How is it different?”
Jules could see him struggle to provide a reasonable answer when he obviously didn’t have one. “It isn’t different,” she pressed. “It’s just something that didn’t matter to you once you got yours.”
“That’s not true.”
“It’s not?”
“No. Jesus, you’re making me sound like I’m a selfish asshole in bed, or something, and I’m not.”
“You’re not?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Well, then I guess that means you’re anunimaginativeasshole in bed.”
