Page 34 of My UnTrue Love
She’d been humiliated by the constant come-ons when she was younger. Boys in her classes who’d thought she’d have sex with anybody, just because of her species and bra size. If she went out with one, the evening would result in an argument. He’d realize that she was far more inhibited than the muses portrayed in porno films, and he’d stomp off in a huff. A few times, she’d had to threaten her dates with her big brothers to get free of their groping hands.
That was a huge reason why she’d started her relationship with Johnny. Even when she’d briefly been his girlfriend, he wasn’t disappointed that she was too apprehensive for sex. He cared far more about music. In fact, he’d seem downright mortified when he’d seen her in her sleeveless prom dress. Clem had thought it was pretty, but he’d insisted that muses’ bodieswere just “too extravagant” to show that much skin. As a result, Clem had kept her wrap around her for the whole dance.
That part had been a huge mistake.
Clementine had started growing more comfortable with herself around the time Bill arrived. She felt better about her taste in clothes, because Bill always said she looked so nice. She could talk to men and not worry that they were only interested in getting her into bed, because Bill was sure fascinated with what she had to say. She began to think that the stereotypes about muses weren’t reallythatbig a deal, because Bill never once mentioned them.
From there, her confidence had soared.
Now, for the first time in her life, Clementine was considering sex as aGoodthing. Not something to hide from, but something to seek out. She’d blossomed into an assertive woman, who knew what she wanted and was unashamed to go get it.
Woody’s sneering assumption that she was sleeping with Bill meant exactly nothing to her. Who cared what he thought?
Besides, shewasgoing to sleep with Bill. She was going to use all the muse-y attributes that she’d previously suppressed to entice Bill into her bed, because they were going to be a couple. She’d decided on Bill, and she’d make their relationship happen.
“Well,” Woody’s voice became customer-service polite, now that he assumed she was dating a hardass coyote, “it was a real pleasure to meet you, Miss Miner. You let me know if you need anything, ya hear? Anything at all.”
“Actually, there is something. The sink in the bathroom is leaking. Under the vanity. And the cabinet doesn’t actually have a back, so…”
“The cabinets here are all custom.” Woody interjected swiftly. “Custom cabinets don’t have backs.”
“That’s… not how that works.” Clementine shook her head, because she watched enough home decorating shows to know that wasn’t at all how that worked.
“They’reWonderlandcustom cabinets, is what I meant. Wonderland custom cabinets don’t have backs.”
Considering Wonderland was so weird, Woody’s revised claim did have a shred more credibility, but still not much. “The point is: The water is getting right on the drywall. It’s becoming saturated. Given the thinness of the walls here, it’ll eventually soak through tothatapartment.” She gestured towards Luke’s door. “Repairing the leak now will save you a lot of time, money, and mold mitigation.”
“Sure.” Woody edged towards the stairs. “I’ll get right on that. Happy to help. The Westward Arms is one big family, after all. Uh… Tell Bill I said so, okay?” He paused. “Actually, you don’t have to tell him that. Oranything. Because nothing happened and there’s no sense in dragging him into something when it didn’t even happen.”
He went sidewinding down the steps, thrilled to get away from her.
Clementine rolled her eyes. Well, that was an off-putting conversation. And confusing. And it ruined her morning plans for Luke.
She couldn’t go back to knocking on his door, just in case Woody was lying in wait, trying to catch the kid at home. Also, Luke hadn’t seemed eager to chat, what with slamming the door in her face and all. Maybe it was better to step back and regroup. Come at the problem from a new direction.
The boy was stubborn. It seemed to be a coyote trait. He probably wouldn’t listen to her advice about his playing, until she proved to him that she was right. Since shewasright, that shouldn’t be hard to prove.
Dinah had a whole storeroom full of old instruments, down at The Kitchen. Surely, she had a fiddle bow that she could lend to Clem on a permanent basis. Then Clemmightleave it right by Luke’s door, where hemightgrudgingly give it a try. If he did it his own way, he’d be more receptive to the idea.
Clementine had something to give Bill, too. Something he could hopefully use to help with his own musical career. And if she enticed him a little bit, in the process, so much the better.
Clem was a natural at managing things. The sooner the artists in her life realized that the better off they’d be. Her new plans set, Clementine headed back into her own apartment, seriously rethinking her shoes.
Chapter Eight
Deals are struck where three roads meet,
When thieves sneak from their homes,
As crafty hearts urge them to seek,
The things that aren’t their own.
Lyrics from the folk song “Crossroads Coyote”
“Lookit that, boys. Some rich boy’s favorite sex-kitten is loose in our yard.”
Bill didn’t bother to turn around. There was no point in knocking Stew Slewfoot on his misogynist ass, because the women working on the railroad liked delivering those beatings themselves. They were powerful and his crew had the combined IQ of a dead iguana, so it wasn’t much of a fight between the two factions.
