Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
I shake my head.
She nods, taking in the information, adding it to her picture of me. She doesn't say of course, you're a neat freak, but I hear it anyway.
Only I don't hate it on her lips.
I see the appreciation in it.
She waits while I pour the coffee and a cup of English Breakfast for myself.
"May I—" she motions to the stainless-steel fridge. "Or will I mess up the order?"
Probably, yes, but I don't want to admit it.
She notices that. Smiles. Opens the fridge door anyway. She pulls out a carafe of almond milk, pours a little, puts it back exactly where she found it. "How's that?"
"Close," I say.
"You are kinda like your dad, huh?"
"How would you like if I said that to you?"
She takes a long sip of her coffee. "I'd be surprised. People don't usually see that."
See what?
"That's actually… why I got here early." She runs her fingers over the handle of her mug. "I know I'm supposed to stay with Cass and you're supposed to stay with Damon. And I still want to do that. I haven't had enough time with her. But…"
But they can't stop talking about music.
But they'll have sex in one of the rooms.
But they're too fucking loud in both situations.
"I just wanted to make a pact, I guess," she says. "If either of us gets sexiled, we'll open the room to the other."
"What if I want to bring someone back to my room?"
Her eyes go wide. "Oh. Right. Of course. It's a weekend in Vegas. And you're single now. Say no more. I'm thinking about that too."
Not the way I am.
"I really need to… stop putting my foot in my mouth." She motions zipping her lips again. "But if you could not mention that to Cassie."
"Not mention your quest for dick?" I try to say it casually, but the words feel awkward on my tongue. I don't like thinking of her with someone else. Certainly not with some random guy who won't appreciate her.
"More or less," she says. "Yes. I won't mention your quest for—"
"Don't think about finishing that sentence."
She smiles and mimes zipping her lips again. "How about I text you if there's a sex-ile situation and you do the same. And as long as we're not busy getting busy, we'll help each other out."
"Are you really looking to get laid?" That comes out more flirtatiously than I mean it.
She perks up, hearing every drop of intent.
I dial back as fast as I can. "There are lots of assholes and creeps out there."
"Thanks, Dad. Do you want to make sure I have condoms too?" She makes a show of rolling her eyes. "I'm going to be a sex researcher, you know!"
"I thought you were researching addiction."
"Oh. Right." She swallows a long sip of coffee. "No. I, uh, decided on sex. At the last minute. But I haven't told anyone."
"Congratulations."
"Thanks."
"Is that what you're doing this weekend? Research?"
"Absolutely not. Anything except research. No. This weekend, I'm only looking to satisfy Daphne Webb, human being."
That sounds way too good. "Do you need help?" Fuck. Why did I say that?
I try to pull the words back, but it's too late. They fall through the space. They expand to fill the air.
I'm offering to help her satisfy herself.
She looks at me with surprise. Curiosity. Delight. She opens her mouth to say something, but her purse cuts her off. No, her phone. The vibration makes her entire pink purse buzz.
"As a wingman," I say.
"Perfect." She smiles as if I'm offering something entirely normal, and she answers her phone. "Hey. Where are you?" She laughs at Cassie's reply. "No. We can stop there on the way. Of course. Hurry up. I think your brother is scared of me."
No. I'm scared of being alone with her.
But it's the same thing, really.
Four days. And I'm her wingman.
Fuck me.
Chapter Four
Daphne
Cassie and Damon arrive the way they typically do: ten minutes late, with their hair and clothes mussed just so. An intentional attempt to look casual or a sign they spent the morning getting busy?
I don't know, and I don't want to ask. I may be more open-minded than most, but I'm not so enlightened I wish to hear details of my brother's sex life.
I push the thought from my mind as I greet Cassie at the front door. She throws her arms around me and squeezes tightly. "It's been too long."
"Days." I nod in agreement. Once upon a time, the two of us did everything together. We haven't grown apart as much as we've grown up. She's busy with her job as a songwriter. I'm glued to my textbooks.
"This feels like a last hurrah," she whispers as she releases me. "No. That's way too focused on me. I'm so happy for you, Daph. I'm just going to miss you."
"I'll miss you too." I force my lips into a smile. It's all the truth. I'll miss her. I'll miss her to pieces. But it won't be simply because I'm too busy to hang out as often. It will be because I'm three thousand miles away.