Page 25 of Joey

“No. There was just some family stuff, is all. It was nothing,” I insist.

She stares at me, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “I wondered if maybe he was jealous of that guy flirting with you, but then…” She presses her lips together.

“Then what?”

She wrinkles her perfect nose. “There’s no way Maximo would ever be into you. You are so not his type.”

I certainly seemed like his type when he was fucking me against a building. Monique might be one of my closest friends, but I don’t trust her with this, so I simply nod my agreement even though it burns me to do it.

She changes the subject, telling me about what she did with a guy she took home from the club. Barely listening, I allow my thoughts to drift back to Max. Max with his hand around my throat. His other one in my panties. His lips on my skin. His dick in my…

“Earth to Joey,” Monique says with an overly dramatic sigh.

I blink at her. “Oh, uh. Sorry. What?”

“I asked you if you think I should go out with him.”

“Do you like him?”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re so juvenile.”

“And you’re a slut.”

“Better than being a frigid virgin.” She pulls a face at me.

“I thought you were hung up on Mystery Guy anyway.” She’s been after some super mysterious dude for months now, but she’s refused to tell me his name. Every few weeks, she goes off grid for a few days because he shows up and decides he wants to spend time with her. Then he disappears again, leaving her swinging in the wind. I’ve never seen her like this over a guy before, so I figure he must be married, super rich, or powerful—or knowing Monique, all three.

“Keeping my options open, Jo,” she says, flashing me a huge smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She turns away but not before I can see the hurt on her face. I guess she still has it bad for Mystery Guy.

“So are you going out with him then? The guy from the club last night?”

“Hmm. Maybe,” she says with a shrug. “I could see if he has a friend for you?”

“I’m good.” Well, Iwouldbe good if Max wasn’t being all noble and shit. His wholemy love isn’t the kind of love you needdeal is super annoying. What the hell does that even mean? Pretty sure I could handle a whole lot of his love.

“You should double date with us. Give you a chance to practice some skills before you meet a guy you actually like,” Monique suggests.

“Isn’t the idea to practice skills with a guy you like though?”

She laughs. “God, Joey, you’re so naive.”

My cheeks flush with embarrassment. I am so regretting that I told her I was a virgin. I guesswasis the key word now—not that I’d tell Monique that. But I hate the way she uses my lack of sexual experience to make me feel like a child.

“You could at least get some blowjob practice in. That way you won’t seem like a total loser when you finally do fuck a guy. You’ll be able to keep him interested with your oral skills even if you don’t know what you’re doing when it comes to fucking.”

I stare at her, and for a second I think she must be joking, but she’s serious. “You think guys would honestly be bothered that I’m inexperienced?”

She snorts. “Guys want a girl who knows what they’re doing, not someone they have to teach the basics to.”

I don’t think Max would make a girl feel bad for being inexperienced. I mean he didn’t even know I was a virgin until I told him, so it couldn’t have been that obvious.

“Yeah, I think I’ll just wait, thanks,” I tell her with a saccharine smile.

“Your loss.”

I sit back against the sofa and smile because Monique just gave me an amazing idea.

ChapterEleven