Page 34 of The Moment We Know

For an apocalyptic moment, Paige actually thought the voluptuous, dark haired woman standing next to David was Ashley. But as Paige’s eyes quit playing tricks on her and she took in a few of the differences, such as the woman being several inches shorter and having lighter colored hair, it became clear that it wasn’t David’s ex-girlfriend.

The relief that it wasn’t Ashley was short-lived, however, because there was still a much younger, very attractive woman who appeared to be flirting with David. Paige had seen this enough times in the past and remembered exactly what it looked like.

Standing too close? Check.

Leaning in to make conversation seem more intimate? Check.

Coy expression while toying with her hair? Double check.

Paige also remembered how much she’d hated it when it happened, how it always made her feel invisible and anxious.

A divorce and five years later, Paige found she still hated it, although this time around she didn’t feel invisible or anxious. Nope, she pretty much just felt pissed off.

It didn’t matter that she and David weren’t really together and she therefore didn’t have the right to feel territorial. What mattered, was that the woman was going to be dealt with. Paige didn’t know how, exactly, but she’d figure it out when she got over there. And if there was even the slightest hint that David was either encouraging, enjoying, or reciprocating, he was going to get his balls punched and then immediately released from their sex agreement.

After that, Paige would call Jules and the two of them would meet somewhere for a few glasses of wine. Or several shots.

Taking a deep breath, Paige straightened her spine and made her way over to David and the woman, who were both now laughing together.

When David spotted Paige, he smiled and snaked an arm around her, bringing her to his side. “Paige, this is Carly,” he said. “Carly, this is my girl, Paige.”

Thankfully, Carly’s eyes darted to David, otherwise she might’ve seen Paige’s surprise at being referred to as his ‘girl’. It wasn’t just because he’d said it, but also because of how much she liked hearing it. It was sweet, without making her feel like a teenager, which being called his ‘girlfriend’ would have done.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Paige said, pleased when she sounded almost sincere. This was one of those times when her extensive dealings with assholes in her line of work really paid off.

Carly turned back to Paige, but instead of returning the sentiment, began assessing Paige with a critical eye. Paige saw the moment she got dismissed as a real threat, either because of her age or some other reason, like her tits were too small, and her dislike for Carly grew exponentially.

“So, what’s so funny?” Paige asked enthusiastically, pretending like she hadn’t just been snubbed and insulted. “What did I miss?”

“I was just reminding David that the last time I saw him, he didn’t look nearly this good,” Carly replied, with a cheeky wink in David’s direction accompanied by a throaty giggle.

Paige’s eyebrows drew together in contemplation. The last time Carly had seen him? When was that? And what did she mean by David not having looked good?

Paige gave David a quick glance and saw nothing but amusement on his face, which was clearly directed at himself. There was no sense he was uncomfortable with Carly’s reference to the last time they’d seen each other, so Paige assumed it had been innocuous and Carly was simply trying to make Paige feel like an outsider with the deliberate, inside joke.

“His hair wasn’t down, either,” Carly went on, this time with a tilt of her head toward David, accompanied by a sultry pout that chastised him for depriving her of that visual pleasure. “Unfortunately.”

The word was delivered with such suggestive inflection that Paige frowned.

“I would’ve really enjoyed that,” Carly added.

At her side, Paige felt David stiffen and a whisper of unease crossed his face. It made her think this was Carly’s first foray into flirting with him, since he wasn’t an idiot and would’ve known if she’d ever done it before. She’d clearly taken him by surprise and made him uncomfortable … with his ‘girl’ standing right next to him.

Paige’s level of pissed-off had just become a problem for Carly, and while that was bad for her, it was good for Paige, who suddenly saw the way forward.

She probably could’ve let David handle it because he surely would have, but she didn’t feel like letting him handle it. He’d likely try and be polite, and that just wasn’t going to cut it. This girl-woman didn’t deserve polite, because who flirted with a man while he was on a date with his ‘girl’? Someone who needed to be taught a lesson, that’s who.

Paige decided she was going to be the one to teach Carly this lesson … and really enjoy doing it.

Paige shifted, until she was tightly pressed against David and her mouth curved into a wide smile. That shouldn’t have been cause for alarm, but it triggered a moment of déjà vu for him, of Paige and Ashley going at it that night at Bender’s, with him stuck in the horrific middle.

Paige held his gaze as she reached up with her free hand and slooowly ran her fingers through the thick length of his hair. “He wears it down for me, because he knows how much I like it,” she murmured sweetly, before looking back at Carly. “Especially when he’s down between my legs, because it gives me something to really hold on to.”

David released a quick, surprised cough, and to Paige’s relief, it sounded more like an I can’t believe you just spilled super-hot, true-sex details with someone you just met cough, than an I can’t believe you just blatantly lied about super-hot, fake-sex details with someone you just met cough.

Apparently Carly thought so, too, because her expression flatlined. It pleased Paige to no end, but she knew she wasn’t necessarily in the clear because her outrageous claim relied on David letting it stand. In order to reduce the risk of being found out, she decided to bring the encounter to a swift end.

“It was nice meeting you, Carly, but David and I need to run. We’re going to a movie and want to make sure we get there in time to find a couple of seats in the back row,” she said, then turned to David. “Isn’t that right?”

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