Page 48 of Tips and Trysts

I scoff. “First of all, get fucked. I’m not an instigator.”

“You are,” Lander rebuts.

“By definition,” Dalton piles on. “Indisputably.”

“Less skilled instigators than you have led monarchical coups,” Lander continues. “So, you’ve been watching her streams?”

I nod. “She’s so good at it.”

“And it doesn’t bother you?” Dalton asks.

I shake my head. “I know it’s still complicated, but it’s sort of a mindfuck. A good one. Being with a woman so indescribably hot that other men would pay to have her is like…” I look at Lander. “I mean, I get it now.”

A smile spreads over Lander’s face. It’s a new development, but the guy smiles constantly—ever since Valeria entered his life. “You’re done for, Ev.”

“Are you guys together?” Dalton asks before he takes a sip from his bottle of beer, ignoring the water I got him. He exhales like it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted—like he hasn’t already had three tonight.

“Not together,” I clarify. “We’re…”

“Figuring shit out?” Dalton ventures.

“Not quite. We’re…” I trail off, trying to find a word that fully encapsulates what’s going on. “…I asked her to fuck me, but she said she wouldn’t unless I abided by three specific stipulations, one of which is never telling a lie in her presence, which is impossible when you’re an aspiring politician.”

Immediately, Dalton frowns. “Why would you ask her to fuck you when you obviously want to be with her?”

It’s Lander who scoffs and says, “Because he’s running for office.”

“Yes, thank you for your astute observations, Lan.” Rolling his eyes, Dalton throws up his middle finger before he faces me again. “So, you’re going to screw up your chance with Cora because of your campaign?”

“No, I still plan on getting her.”

Immediately, Dalton claps his big hands together and lets out a bellowing, “FUCK YEAH,” before hitting his fist against his chest. Lander, on the flip side, grabs his pen from behind his ear and chucks it clear across the room before he slaps his palmagainst my kitchen table, blurting out, “You’ve got to bekidding me.”

“What the fucking hell is going on?” I demand, shifting my attention back and forth between the two of them.

“We made a bet,” Dalton replies, grinning massively and now tapping the sides of his fists against the table and making it shake. “We knew something was going on between you and Cora, and I bet Lander ten thousand dollars that you would drop out of the race to be with her.”

My brow tightens. “I’m not dropping out of the race.”

Dalton and Lander immediately freeze. They exchange another set of glances before looking back at me.

“Ev, there’s no other way to be with Cora,” Lander states.

“Why not?”

Dalton lets out a whistle. “I mean, to start, there’s the election. But never telling a lie? No chance. You’ll have to convince her to lower her standards for you, and you have a better shot at befriending the Loch Ness monster than convincing Cora to lower her standards.” He opens his laptop once more like he thinks we’re done. “By the way, the reason you can’t befriend the Loch Ness monster isn’t a matter of locating her. It’s because Nessie would find you insufferable.”

When I don’t respond, Lander reaches over and presses Dalton’s screen, closing the laptop in an unspoken message:This conversation isn’t over.He looks at me. “You’re still going to try, aren’t you? You’re going to try to run for officeandbe with Cora.”

At once, Dalton’s brow tightens. “Ev,” he warns. “Don’t.”

I furrow my brow. “Why not? We were all supportive of Lander when he wanted to date a camgirl while he was on the partner track at a huge law firm.”

Lander’s brow tightens. “Because I had no intention of ever hiding my relationship. What you’re trying to do is practically subterfuge.”

“You two don’t get it. This is America. Nobody is going to vote for me if they know I’m in a relationship with a sex worker. It’s bullshit, but it’s true.”

“So, Cora is game to sneak around?” Dalton questions. “That surprises me.”

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