Page 35 of Somebody To Love

“I had a friends-with-benefits guy once.” Cassie reached out to grasp Penny’s hand in her own. “It started out all fun and, well, more fun, but then things got complicated when we realized the fun had turned into something more.”

“What happened?” She realized she was holding her breath, waiting for the answer of impending doom, a horrible break in the friendship, a colossal mistake that could never be taken back.

A wide smile graced the future bride’s face. “I’m marrying him this weekend.”

Well, crap! That was even worse. BJ didn’t want to get married. She highly doubted their relationship would go in that direction and she didn’t want it to go the opposite way into weird awkwardness once they stopped sleeping together.

“Marriage is…big,” she said.

“Sex is big,” Cassie replied.

Charlie snorted. “Not if it’s meaningless.”

Cassie sighed. “Charlie, sweetie, I love you, but you are not as big a ho as you want people to think.”

“Am too.”

“Remember I know you. You’re a big ol’ softie on the inside.”

“You take that back, you evil witch.”

She chuckled, the women’s teasing easing some of the rising panic inside her.

“Seriously, Penny,” Cassie said, focusing on her again. “Think long and hard about the outcome you want before you jump into bed with anyone. Because sex changes things.”

“Yeah,” Charlie came over to her side—fully clothed again—slinging an arm around her shoulders. “You can never be sure if a guy is a prince or a frog until you kiss him.”

BJ wasn’t a frog or a prince. The way he kissed…the man was a god.

“And you never know if a guy will stick until you bone him.”

“Lovely, Charlie.” Cassie frowned.

“Blunt, but true.”

BJ would stick. He had to. They would have a child together. They weren’t getting married or anything, but he would be in her life, in her child’s life. He’d be there. Right? He had to be. He always had been. Since she’d been an awkward, shy fourteen-year-old in need of a friend. He wouldn’t abandon her after they…went there. Would he?

No.

She knew BJ. He wouldn’t do that to her. He’d stick. They could have their sex and friendship too. She was sure of it.

Mostly sure.

Eighty percent sure.

Two to three odds in her favor.

She smiled. Thankfully, the women let the matter drop. Cassie deemed the dresses ready for the wedding. Bridesmaid duties done for the moment. Penny changed back into her clothes. The dress shop promised to have the dresses cleaned and steamed and ready for pickup the following day. Cassie and Charlie invited her to dinner with them in the city, but she declined with a promise of a rain check. Tonight, she had work to do.

As she drove back to Kismet, she made a mental list in her head. One she planned to chart out, graph, and detail until she came to the most logical conclusion. The only problem was, in matters like this…logic rarely held any weight.

CHAPTER 15

Penny zipped up her dress, catching sight of the tag still attached hanging right below her armpit. Dang it! Running to her kitchen, she grabbed the craft scissors from her junk drawer and snipped the tag off. She’d bought the pretty sundress yesterday when she realized she had nothing to wear to the rehearsal dinner. She wasn’t really a dress girl. Unless you counted her R2D2 cosplay dress from Comic Con last year.

Somehow, she didn’t think that would be appropriate for a wedding rehearsal.

Thankfully, Kismet was full to the brim with charming tourist shops overflowing with one-of-a-kind clothing. A quick afternoon shopping trip and she’d bought a very simple, but pretty, forest green cocktail dress. The crisscross bodice gave her the illusion of boobs, and the skirt flared out enough to allow her to walk without tripping over her own feet.

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