Page 35 of Swept Away

“Ex-military. Yes, they both are. They became friends in the military. I don’t remember seeing Mason around when we grew up. For sure, he’s not an original Bostonian. I’d know if he was. I know everything in this town. Plus, you can’t miss someone like him. He could fuck his way through half of Boston and no one would complain.”

I try to ignore her last comment, wondering if she knows whether Mason has a stepsister. She probably doesn’t know that if he hasn’t even lived here.

This story gets weirder and weirder.

“What about Carter? Isn’t he interested in being with you?”

She finishes applying her lipstick and smiles.

“Don’t you know men?”

Probably not as well as she does.

For sure, I don’t know these men.

“They like to fuck a lot…” she drones on. “But you have to be their type. At this stage, they don’t pick up women for more than that or put much effort into it as they really want to have some fun.”

“Interesting…” I murmur, my voice trailing off.

Mason fucked me with ease.

Everything about us fucking came easily.

Even him fucking me tonight when there was not even the right time or enough time was a breeze.

He had no problem doing it.And I had no problem saying yes to him.

“What about you and Mason?” she asks. “You hit it off right from the start? I’m pretty sure you did. I bet his dick tasted good while Carter and I waited in his car this evening.”

I almost liked Monique, her insightful observations on men and the useful information about Mason and Carter, but this comment irritates me to no end.

My cheeks burn, and I don’t know what the rebuttal to that is.

I knew even when it happened that his friends would know we were fucking, but her putting it so bluntly cheapens the moments I had with Mason.

“Mason is fine…” I say neutrally. “Are we done?” I add, shifting gears, no longer in the mood to talk.

Moments later, we exit the bathroom, and I feel relieved to never have to talk to her again.

8

GEMMA

Thatpretty much explains Monique’s behavior.

She’s so resentful of the fact that she’s attracted to Carter that she thinks drinking, acting silly, and stirring up trouble is the way to go.

We dance another round only because I want her to stay away from the bar and the barista who can’t stop showing up and asking Carter if he wants anything else.

The woman has a crush on him, and Monique’s erratic behavior is not enough of a deterrent to make her stay away from him.

He doesn’t encourage her in the slightest, turning his back to the bar and watching me and Monique dance.

Mason stands next to him, holding his drink, and at one point, he leans closer to Carter and says something to him.

Carter nods, looking at me.

I’m a little nervous about their exchange, so I turn my back to them and continue dancing.