Page 6

Satisfied, Nora moves back behind the hostess station. “I’ll send Tina over with coffee.”
Patrick leads me through the diner, to a booth near the kitchen. Sitting across from each other is a couple in their early-twenties. They’re arguing.
“I will not admit it,” the girl says, small hands flat on the table. She had short, dark hair with long layers falling across her brow that accentuates sharp features and a full mouth, currently set in a hard line that borders on hostile. “Matter of fact, the only thing I’m going to admit is that you’re a moron.”
“There’s no shame in being wrong, you know—” The guy is leaned back in the booth, sleeved-out arm draped across the back of it, laughing loudly. “and there’s no need for name-calling,” he tells the girl, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. Getting a good look at him, I stop in my tracks. I’d seen this guy at the party tonight. I thought he was Patrick when he opened his door an hour ago. It was the lack of tattoos that threw me.
“Is he your—”
Patrick’s hand tightens on my wrist for a moment. “No,” he says, letting go of me completely. “He’s my cousin.”
“I’m not wrong,” the girl hisses, lifting herself out of her seat just a smidge. “Superman is better than Batman. He has quantifiable super-powers. Batman is nothing but a trust-fund baby with a cool car and mommy-issues.” She returns the guy’s smirk. “Sound familiar?”
“You’re mean.” The guys sounds genuinely wounded. I would’ve bought it, if not for the grin plastered all over his face. “Hey, Boogey Nights,” he says, turning to look at us, still grinning. “Thought you had class.”
Boogey Nights? Patrick visibly flinches at the nickname, the look on his face unmistakable—don’t. “Yeah?” he says, casually, sliding into the booth next to the girl. “Thought you had a threesome.”
“I did—and it would’ve been a foursome if you weren’t such a prude,” the guy says, shooting Patrick a shit-eating smirk before looking at me. “Have a seat, Legs, tell me your safe word,” he says, giving me a grin that I’m sure has melted plenty of panties. “Mine’s peppermint.”
Threesome? Safe word? I look at the girl next to Patrick, waiting to see how she’s going to take having her boyfriend’s cheating rubbed in her face. I know from recent, personal experience that it’s not fun. Suddenly, I’m angry. Really angry. “What the fuck is wrong with you,” I seethe. “Talking about fucking other girls in front of your girlfriend doesn’t make you a man. It makes you a dick.”
All three of them look at me like I sprouted a second head. Then the girl starts to laugh. “Oh…” she keeps laughing. “You think… no,” she says, shaking her head while wiping tears from her eyes. “We’re not together,” she finally manages, hand pressed to her middle like her stomach hurt.
“Oh.” A warm flush creeps across my chest. “I thought…”
“She’s laughing to cover up the fact that she secretly—not so secretly—wants to fuck me,” the guy who looks like Patrick says, giving the girl a sweet smile. “Isn’t that right, Tessie?”
The girl lets out another hoot. “I wouldn’t let you fuck me with Cap’n’s dick.”
Tessie? “I thought your name was Audrey.”
“That’s just what Nora calls me,” the girl says, waving her hand. “As in Audrey Hepburn—it’s her thing. What she’d call you?”
“Veronica.”
“Veronica…” The girl gives me an appraising look. “Veronica Lake, I bet.” She nods. “I can see it.” She lifts her hand and aims it in my direction. “I’m Tess. This is Conner—and you’re right. He’s a total dick.”
The guy sitting next to me—Conner—laughs as I take her hand and shake it, returning her smile. “I’m Cari,” I tell her, feeling instantly accepted, which is weird because I’ve never gotten that from another woman before. Instant acceptance.
“Hi, Cari,” she says sitting back in her seat, to study her menu. “You have no idea how glad I am to finally have another girl around to help me keep these two fucksticks in line.