Page 18 of Sweet as Sin (Bad Habit 1)
“We’ll talk about it later.” I looked at Grace. “After Grandma goes back to the rest home.”
Grace threw a chip at me. It landed in my cleavage. I picked it out and ate it.
“You’ll thank me someday, Kat. These movie stars and rock stars and famous athletes, they’re not real people. They don’t function in the real world. They don’t have rules like we do. It’s just smarter to avoid them, that’s all. And you’re the one who said it: your dad. You know exactly what the story is with men like Nico. They can’t be trusted.”
To manage the uncomfortable silence, I took a swallow of my drink.
Chloe muttered, “Killjoy.”
“All right, ladies, enough of my sad story. Grace, any news on the man front?”
Grace made a face like she’d just been served a steaming pile of shit. “After the story I heard today in session, I think I might swear off men forever. Honestly, it’s like they’re a different species entirely. A race of giant walking penises with peanut brains. Or small penises with giant peanut brains.”
I snorted. “You’re just now figuring that out?”
“What happened? Spill!” Chloe was excited. She loved to hear how depraved people were, even if Grace had to change the names and certain details to protect the innocent. She guarded her clients’ privacy ferociously, even with us.
“Did you know that dressing up like animals is a thing?”
Chloe’s eyes grew wide. “What, like a sexual thing?”
Grace nodded. “Role play. Costumes. Even a whole unique language. I had a client today who walked in on her husband having sex with his secretary at his office. They were both dressed like Bugs Bunny. The secretary was shouting, ‘Yiff! Yiff!’ Welcome to the world of furries, my friends.”
“That must involve some strategically placed holes in the bunny outfits.”
That was my contribution to the conversation. I had become distracted by my cell phone, buzzing in my purse. I dug into my handbag as Grace and Chloe continued to talk. It was a number I didn’t recognize.
“Hello?” As Grace did an impression of Bugs Bunny achieving orgasm, I put my finger into my other ear to muffle the cackling.
“Kat.”
One word, and the world fell out from under my feet.
“Are you there?”
Three more, and all the blood drained from my face. It was a moment before I composed myself enough to speak. “How did you get this number?”
Grace and Chloe stopped cackling to stare at me. Chloe mouthed, Is that him? Grace mouthed, That better not be him!
“Can you talk?”
Barely. But that wasn’t what Nico meant.
“Hang on a sec.” I put the phone to my chest and looked at the girls. “So. It’s Mr. Galactic Ego. He wants to know if I can talk.”
Simultaneously, Chloe said, “Of course!” and Grace said, “Absolutely not!”
I looked at them. “Guys. This isn’t helping.”
“Did you give him your number?” Grace demanded.
“No. He asked for it, though.”
“You see? That’s exactly what I’m talking about! The man can’t take ‘no’ for an answer! Hang up! And change your number! And, by the way, he has a girlfriend!”
Grace had an excellent point.
“Give him a chance! What if he and Avery really did break up? He’s obviously into you!”
