Page 90 of When You Blush

Looks like I’ll only be having one drink.

I glance over at him, and he smirks before he turns to have a conversation with Brooks, who also just joined us.

Something swoops through the air above us, and I press my lips together.

“Huh,” Billie says, looking up with a frown. “I didn’t know that birds fly around at night.”

I look at Blake, and we both smile.

“That’s not a bird, angel,” Connor says, kissing her temple. “That’s a bat.”

Dead silence.

No one moves.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?” Billie yells, making us all laugh.

“No, I’m not kidding,” Connor replies. “We’re in the wilderness, even if it’s bougie wilderness.”

“You can’t exterminate everything at the top of amountain,” Brooks reminds his sister. “Don’t worry, they don’t want you.”

“This is legit the best thing I’ve ever been invited to,” Ava says as she clinks her mug against mine, keeping one eye on the sky and potentially more bats.

“How are things with Joe?” I ask her, and Billie, Polly, and Millie all come to attention.

“You’re holding out on me.” Billie scowls at Ava. “Who’s Joe? Tell us everything.”

“I want to know,” Millie adds, and Polly nods. Ava scowls at me.

“What?” I shrug a shoulder. “You didn’t say that vanilla Joe was a secret.”

“VanillaJoe?” Polly asks.

“He’s not terribly …adventurous, if you know what I mean,” I reply, and Millie snorts.

Ava stares at me in horror, and I laugh.

“What? You announced to my entire cafeteria at work that he wouldn’t even pull your hair and that you prefer to be spanked. These people are our friends, not strangers.”

Blake snorts next to me, and I look over at him, catching him smiling at me.

“Tell us about vanilla Joe,” Polly urges Ava. “Use the dirty words.”

“There’s really nothing to tell.” Ava sighs. “I showed up at his office the other day, during an appointment slot that I scheduled, by the way, and told him to fuck me on his desk.”

Holden chokes on his cookie.

“Oh, stop,” Millie tells her husband. “You’ve fucked me onyourdesk more times than I can count.”

“I don’t want to know this,” Ryan says, then glares at Holden. “Keep your hands off my sister.”

“She’s mywife,” Holden reminds him.

“Anyway,” Ava continues. “He was so scandalized that he choked on his Fanta, and I told him we were too different to make it work. Too bad. I was hoping to corrupt him a little.”

“I’m sorry.” I reach over and pat my friend on the shoulder. “Someone else will pull your hair and smack your ass.”

“Jesus,” Brooks says. “Is this what they talk about when men aren’t around?”