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Lori was on herthird beer. She was just starting to get a pleasant buzz, but she frowned as shetook another swallow. “Hewasan asshole, wasn’t he?”

“Of course,” Sabrinasaid, picking the remaining cheese off the greasy cardboard and absentlyputting it in her mouth. “Don’t be stupid. Phil Rothe may be a tiny bit hot,but he’s a world-class asshole and he needs to shave.”

“Right. I mean,we’d only gone out five times. It wasn’t like I was holding out on him indefinitely.I’m not some frigid bitch.”

“Of course not.He’s clearly the one with the problem. Talk about assholes. He didn’t get whathe wanted soon enough, so he just moved on. He’s not worth worrying about.”

“I know.” Lorinodded, firmly believing her cousin’s words. But her frown deepened into ascowl just the same. “I wasgoingto have sex with him. I really was. Ijust didn’t want to rush into it. It’s not like I left him hanging for monthsor something.”

“He’s theasshole,” Sabrina said in full support mode, even if that meant repeatingherself for an entire evening. “Not you.”

Lori’s scowlturned into a sneer. “Asshole,” she muttered, picturing Phil’s dark, ruggedface.

A few days ago,Phil had dropped her quite abruptly and quite rudely so he could fuck atwenty-year-old model. While she and Phil hadn’t dated long enough for herheart to be involved, it was humiliating, disappointing, and infuriating.

With a sigh,she said, “Maybe he thought I was a tease.”

“Lori,” Sabrinabegan, an edge of warning in her voice.

“I know. Ididn’t lead him on. But last Friday, we kind of got going and then I made himstop. Maybe he thought—”

“I don’t give arat’s ass what he thought. You didn’t do anything wrong. You don’t have to giveit up just because he wants you to. And you have every right to stop sex at anypoint, whenever you want and for whatever reason.”

“I didn’tchange my mind in the middle of sex. We were just messing around some on thecouch. Still in our clothes and everything. But he was getting into it. And Iwasn’t. As much.”

Sabrina’sexpression changed as she set down her empty beer bottle. “Why weren’t you intoit?”

Lori shruggedand tried to articulate her somewhat chaotic feelings. “I don’t know. I likedhim—I thought. But when got going, it just didn’t feel right.”

“What didn’tfeel right about it?”

“I don’t know.”Lori blushed a little as she made herself admit, “It was all right, I guess.But it wasn’t as good as I’m used to.”

Sabrina snortedand opened her mouth to respond.

Lori spoke overher, “I know. I know. I’m not an idiot. I’m not expecting the same level asexpertise as I get with a professional. But...I don’t know. It just seemed likePhil was kind of selfish about stuff.”

“I was afraidof this,” Sabrina said with a sigh. “The truth is that, when it comes to sex,selfishness is pretty typical with guys.”

“Great. Howinfinitely comforting.”

“I don’t meanthey’re all jerks. I just mean it’s more common for them to go about sexfocusing on whattheywant rather than ensuring that you get whatyouwant.” Sabrina shook her head and clicked her tongue. “It’s a sad fact of theworld.”

Lori thoughtabout that for a minute. Then she raised her beer bottle. “Here’s to selfishassholes in bed. May they stay far away from us.”

Sabrinachuckled and toasted with her empty bottle. “I’ll drink to that. Or I would ifI had any beer left.”

“I’ve got morein the fridge.” Lori got up to get a fresh six-pack out of her refrigerator,and as she returned she heard a familiar bing that signaled she’d received a newemail.

She ran overand peered at her computer screen. Then exhaled in disappointment when she sawan ad for Viagra with every other word spelled incorrectly.

She sent themessage to her junk mail and returned to Sabrina with the beer.

“Who are youexpecting a message from?” Sabrina asked. “A new guy already?”

“No. There’s nonew guy. I’m not expecting anything.”

Sabrinanarrowed her eyes. “Lori?”

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