Page 62 of Cannon

“I bought a new car. It was time.” She beamed, practically vibrating with excitement. “A brand-new Lexus. Midnight blue. Leather interior. The works.”

“Damn, girl,” I said, genuinely impressed. “Good for you.” I was happy for her because she had been driving an old-ass car for a while. In fact we both were.

“Life’s too short to drive boring cars,” she replied, popping the cork on a bottle of Cabernet she’d brought. “And speaking of moves… what’s going on with you and the security guard with the body like a god?”

Heat rushed to my face as the other women perked up, suddenly very interested in my love life. “Nothing’s going on,” I lied, taking the glass Nori handed me.

“Mmhmm,” Nori hummed, her eyes narrowing as she studied my face. “That’s why you’re cleaning like a maniac on a Friday night and blushing like a virgin at prom.”

“I’m not blushing,” I snapped, taking a too-large sip of wine.

“You know what she’s doing,” Layla chimed in. “She’s nesting. Getting her place all pretty for when she invites him over.”

“I am not nesting,” I protested, but even I could hear the defensiveness in my voice.

Nori leaned forward, her voice dropping conspiratorially. “You fucked him, didn’t you?”

I choked on my wine, coughing as it went down the wrong way. “Jesus, Nori!”

“You did!” she squealed, clapping her hands together. “I knew it! I can always tell when you’ve been dicked down proper. You got that glow.”

“Can we please change the subject?” I begged, mortified as Layla and Gia exchanged knowing looks.

For the next hour, I endured their teasing as they passed around wine and shared stories about their own romantic disasters. I tried to participate, laughing at the right moments, but my mind kept drifting back to Cannon, to the weight of his body on mine, to the way he’d made me beg.

Eventually, Layla and Gia decided to head out, wanting to check out some new lounge downtown. Nori lingered behind as I walked them to the door, promising to catch up with them later.

Once they were gone, she turned to me with that look I knew too well—the one that said she was about to start digging.

“So,” she began, refilling our glasses, “when are you cooking for him?”

I snorted. “I’m not cooking for anybody.”

“Good,” she said with a laugh. “Because you can’t cook for shit. Remember when you tried to make lasagna for ZaZa’s birthday and set off every smoke detector in the building?”

“It wasn’t that bad,” I protested, though we both knew it was. “The top was just… extra crispy.”

“Girl, that wasn’t crispy, that was carbon. Straight charcoal.” She took a sip of her wine, her eyes never leaving my face. “So what’s really going on with you and Cannon? And don’t give me that ‘nothing’ bullshit.”

I sighed, sinking deeper into the couch. “I don’t know, Nori. We fucked. It was good. Really good. But I’m his boss, and he’s…”

“He’s what?” she pressed. “Too young? Too fine? Too much of a man for you to handle?”

“He’s complicated,” I finished lamely. “I just want to keep it light and fun. No strings, no expectations.”

Nori set her glass down, her expression suddenly serious. “You always do this, you know that? Keep men at a distance. Never let them get too close.”

“Because I know how that story ends,” I replied, my voice hardening. “I’ve seen it with my mother, with Javi. Men take and take until there’s nothing left.”

“Cannon isn’t Javi,” she said softly. “And he sure as hell isn’t your mother’s string of losers.”

“I know that,” I admitted, staring into my wine glass like it held the answers. “But what if I let him in and he sees all my shit? The mess underneath all this?” I gestured vaguely at myself.

“Then he’ll see you,” she said simply. “The real you. And maybe that’s exactly what you need.”

I didn’t respond, couldn’t find the words.

“You deserve more than just ‘light and fun,’ Queen,” Nori continued, reaching over to squeeze my hand. “Don’t be afraid to reach for it just because you’ve been hurt before.”