Page 73 of Take My Love

“Well, now I definitely wanna know. Is it about those videos and comments?” They shouldn’t bother her this much, but I can’t figure out what else it’d be.

She folds her arms and the movement pushes her breasts up, tempting me to look, but I don’t. “No, although now I gotta ban cell phones durin’ class. It’s gettin’ outta hand.”

“It was your idea to make me demonstrate.”

“Not half naked!”

“You’re basically half-naked there too.”

She rolls her eyes because we’ve already had this argument. She’ll say it’s different because it’s all women there and being the only guy meant I should’ve stayed clothed.

“If it’s not that, then what is it? Maybe I can help.”

She scratches behind her ear and fidgets with her earring. “I’m havin’…a woman issue.”

“Like what? You have your period?”

“No.” She blows out a breath. “While you were gone, I decided to participate in someself-carein the tub with one of my vibrators. And it wasn’t workin’.”

“The batteries died?”

“No!” Her cheeks flush while she looks everywhere except at me. “I’ve always been able to finish on my own. Either my fingers or a toy, even if it took a while, I could always get there. But tonight, I-I just couldn’t and it pissed me off ’cause I feel more broken than usual. It’s bad enough guys get mad about it, but how can I go on dates knowin’ they’re eventually gonna be disappointed?”

The stress lines between her eyes are evident and her nostrils flare as she speaks.

“It’s completely normal to struggle when you’re already tense. You gotta be in the right headspace, too. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

I try to sound as sincere as possible because I appreciate how open and honest she is although she’s embarrassed about it.

“It’s hard not to when it’s already somethin’ I’m insecure about and now it’s all I’m gonna think about the next time I’m with someone.”

My jaw twitches at that thought, but I push it away.

“If it makes you feel any better, guys go through the same thing. We get insecure about performin’.”

“But y’all always finish, don’t ya?” She pins me with a knowing stare, daring me to argue.

“So…you rage clean to deal with your emotions?” I ask, genuinely wanting to know so I’m aware for next time.

She narrows her eyes.

“Not usually, but I’m sexually frustrated and it’s your fault, so yes, I was tryin’ to work through it by stayin’ busy since I couldn’t sleep.”

“Wait, what?” I point to my chest. “My fault?”

“Yes.” She crosses her legs, but I’m tempted to stand between them and demand answers.

“I don’t see how that’s possible.” I’ve stayed within her friendship-only rules.

“My vibrator used to do the trick but ever since your littleI’m not vanillaspeech in my ear the other day, nothing is workin’, and it’s like being edged over and over with no finish line in sight.”

I try not to laugh out of respect for herproblembut I can’t help it. She’s seriously blaming me for this?

“It’s not funny!” She jumps off the island, closes the gap between us, and pushes against my bare chest. “It’s one thing when a guy can’t make you finish, but it’s torture when you can’t do it yourself.”

“And it’s my fault ’cause of what I said?”

“Yes ’cause you said things that my vibrator can’t replicate and my brain is no longer satisfied with a little buzz buzz action…now it needs words in my ear to get me there.”