Page 61 of Love Game

“Doesn’t matter. You’ll agree to anything as long as you keep getting some,” Avery said with a nod.

“Oh, she’s not that far gone,” Millie insisted.

“Not that far gone?” Avery turned her incredulous gaze on Millie. “Didn’t you hear her? He’s so perrrrrrfect.”

“Our personal relationship has nothing to do with our professional ambitions,” Kate said stiffly.

“Maybe not yours, but you aren’t the one who has nothing to lose,” Millie pointed out.

Dead silence blanketed the table. An excruciating minute passed. Then Avery sighed and sagged. “This isn’t at all how I wanted this conversation to go,” she muttered, lifting her glass of scotch to her lips.

Millie blew out a gusty sigh and planted an elbow on the table. “I just wanted to know how big a piece he’s packing.” Her chin dropped into her open palm, and she cast an apologetic look in Kate’s direction. “And if he knew what to do with it.”

Kate felt a little of her indignation ebb away as she studied her friends. They really did mean well, even if they were both shit stirrers.

“Why do we always say that? There’s not much to knowing what to do with the actual piece,” Avery mused, stirring her scotch with her fingertip. “The only thing to do with that is to stick it into an orifice.” A devilish twinkle lit her eyes as she sucked the booze from her skin. “I mean, a guy’s cock is a one-trick pony. More important they know what to do with their hands, or tongue, or—”

“We’ve got it.” Millie cut Avery off before she could ramp up to lecture mode. Turning her full attention to Kate, she smiled benignly. “You can tell by looking at her that he knows what he’s doing with…everything.”

“Can you?” Kate asked, genuinely curious. “Can you really tell just by looking at me?”

“Well, maybe not everyone,” Avery conceded with a shrug. “But we know you.”

Millie nodded. “And we know what you looked like when you were with Jeff.”

Kate frowned. “How did I look with Jeff?”

She flinched when Millie poked her in the forehead with one vermillion-tipped nail. “Like that.”

“Quick, stop furrowing, or she’ll whip a syringe of botulism out of her bag,” Avery urged.

Game face in place, Kate settled an impassive stare on the other two women. “Better?”

Avery’s lips curved into an affectionate smile. “Actually, I liked the grin you wore when you gushed about how perrrrfect he is.”

“I did too,” Millie agreed.

“Yet you both jumped me about it.” Kate picked up her beer and saluted her friends with it. She took a healthy slurp, then gave her head a sad shake. “Sheesh, women.”

“We’re a pain, but we’re still easier to deal with than men,” Avery asserted.

Millie shot her an exasperated look. “Some of us are more of a pain than others.”

Unperturbed by Millie’s jab, Avery shrugged. “I’m low maintenance. I’m happy with a drawer full of double-A batteries and my collection of rubber dicks. They don’t make a mess or any demands.”

“Speaking of messy…” Millie ran her hand over her blouse, then fiddled with her necklace. Curious, Kate watched as her normally confident friend fidgeted and fussed. “Something has come to my attention, and I wanted to get your take on it.”

“Is it about the football coach doing the basketball coach? If so, old news.” Avery blinked. “Oh, wow. I totally just pictured Coach McStud Muffin getting down and dirty with Ty Ransom instead of you, Katie, and I have to confess, I’ll be taking that image to my bunk with me tonight.”

Kate gaped at her friend, but even she had to admit the image Avery conjured wasn’t exactly repugnant. “Nice thought, but it would never happen in a million years.”

“In my mind, it’s already happening.” Avery grinned. “That’s it, just move your right hand a little, Danny Boy.”

“Stop,” Millie ordered in a voice stern enough that they instantly obeyed. “Leave Katie’s boy toy alone.”

“Yes. Please.” Kate added the last as an afterthought. Ready to escape the hot seat, she focused on Millie. “What’s going on?”

“Well, it does involve Ty Ransom,” she admitted with uncharacteristic caution.

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