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“I went to high school here,” I answered. “My dad was headhunted by Boeing, so we moved to Chicago first. Then Arlington after I graduated.” I cocked my head. “What about you? You born and raised in DC?”

“Nah, but not too far away. I grew up in Haverford, outside Philly. Ever heard of it?”

I shook my head, presuming he meant Haverford, not Philadelphia.

“Now, that’s an uncool place to grow up in,” he said. “It’s practically mandatory to be in a country club, and you gotta name your kid somethin’ ridiculous.”

I laughed and pulled up my legs so I could turn in my seat. “I wouldn’t call Ash ridiculous.”

He leaned in as if to whisper a secret. “It’s short for Ashford. Don’t tell anyone.”

I beamed, unable to help it. Okay, I liked this guy. He was very kind and funny. He reminded me of Reid in my old community. He was always taking care of newbies and making sure they felt included.

Sir Ashford in holey jeans and a vintage tee—that was funny. And earlier, he’d arrived in utility clothes, so that sure didn’t scream country club either.

Movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I saw that Penelope and Greer were now on this side of the pool. They’d be here within seconds. My stomach felt tight with fluttery nerves, and?—

“I can be observant too, by the way,” Ash said. “You have about five seconds to decide whether I should leave room for the Holy Ghost—AKA, remain right here—or if I should scoot back to the other end of the sofa.”

Helvete. I swallowed a burst of anxiousness and anticipation, and I just barely managed to stutter out, “Stay there, please.” Because as much as I wanted Penelope mere inches away, I had a feeling she preferred distance.

I hadn’t exactly been subtle about my infatuation, and part of that was deliberate. Call it juvenile, but if the object of desire knew she was desired, her behavior would let me know how I should act next. All I’d needed to do was let said desire slip to a few people, and then word got around.

Unfortunately, things didn’t look great. If she’d been interested in me, she would’ve at least reached out to talk. Right? Chances were she wasn’t over Ella, and I couldn’t fault her for that. They’d been together forever.

My time was up. Penelope reached us, and while Greer aimed for Archie, Penelope plopped down on the other side of Ash.

“How’s the event plannin’ goin’?” Ash asked her.

Penelope blew out a breath. “We haven’t started. Greer’s just nosy and full of requests.”

Ash rumbled a chuckle. “He wants to help you bake the cake he’s gonna eat?”

Penelope tapped her nose.

“I’m surprised you signed up to be an organizer,” Ash noted. “I thought you liked that high-protocol shit.”

Did she really?

“I love the psychology behind it,” Penelope corrected. “I don’t necessarily want to live it twenty-four seven. But some scenes here and there—yeah.”

Interesting.

“What about you, Nora?” Oh, Ash was relentless. Why was he shifting the spotlight back to me? I could just sit here and go through the breakfast menu. “Are you signing up for the Game?” He turned back real quick to Penelope. “I’ve been getting to know the Swedish girl.”

“Really.” Penelope showed zero emotion on her face; she just eyed me, a little guarded.

I was so screwed. Whether she was hung up on her ex or I simply wasn’t her type—didn’t matter. This was a dead end for me.

I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. “I’ve thought about it, but it seems more geared to couples. We’ll see how tomorrow plays out, I guess.” I’d seen a handful of the attendees for tomorrow’s mini event were lesbians. Fingers crossed I got along with one or two.

Ash knitted his brows. “What’s the event tomorrow? I’m not online much.”

“Um, they call it Try a Kink,” I said. “It’s supposedly a casual party, and it starts early.”

Penelope nodded and addressed Ash. “Nathan’s gonna demonstrate bondage, just so you know.”

“Oh.” Ash frowned. “Then guess who’s not gonna be here. This guy.” He pointed his thumb at himself. “How early is it?”