Page 36 of Mr. Hotshot CEO

Perhaps she’ll change her mind about the casual fling I proposed. I picture her kneeling between my legs, her tongue on my cock, moaning the way she does when she eats ice cream and pineapple buns.

I need another train of thought. I look down and my gaze lands on Joey the Cactus, which doesn’t help matters, because Joey really does look like an erect penis. He even has balls.

I choke on my gelato.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

“Something went down funny, that’s all.”

“I didn’t know it was possible to choke on gelato, since it melts in your mouth.”

“Uh. There was a whole pistachio. Yes, that’s it. A whole pistachio.”

Real smooth, Julian.

I swear, I’m normally well-spoken and good at expressing myself, which I can do in several languages, but a part of me feels like an inexperienced teenager when I’m with Courtney. I’m so out of my depth, spending two weeks without work and eating gelato with a woman in the park.

We look at each other for a moment, a moment both awkward and wonderfully full of promise. I pick up the cactus and move it to the other side of me. I’m about to slide my hand onto her knee and see where that leads, but then her phone beeps.

She jumps up, and the moment is ruined.

Chapter 10

Courtney

When I left the labyesterday evening, I wasn’t particularly looking forward to my weekend alone, but now I have Julian’s company, and I’ve enjoyed our day together thus far. I’ve enjoyed being a quirky, silly version of myself—it’s easy around him, somehow.

He’s been a surprisingly good sport, even as he rolls his eyes and shakes his head when I talk about scrapbooking classes and phallic cacti. I think he’s having fun, at least a little, and I’m certainly having fun.

We’re sitting in the backyard patio of a coffee shop in Leslieville now. It’s lovely here, with cute wooden furniture, trellises with flowers, and purple umbrellas. I dragged him into this place on a whim when I saw the “backyard patio open!” sign, and I’ll definitely come back.

I love where I live. It’s a short walk from Chinatown East and Greektown on the Danforth, and not too far from Leslieville. There are all sorts of great neighborhoods to explore, all sorts of hidden treasures, like that cactus and succulent shop on Gerrard.

I love Toronto.

And it’s nice having Julian with me as I explore the city.