Page 31 of Don't Trust the Cowboy

“Were you wearing said shirt when he came out of the shower?”

I swallow. “Uh huh.”

“Then...he...well, honey, that man isveryattracted to you.” She glances out the window. “And you could do way worse. Hell, I haven’t bagged a dude like that in ages. He’s fit, rugged, rich, and he’s got eyes for you, clearly.” She clears her throat. “The question is, are you attracted to him?” As I sit there for a minute, thinking of the correct way to say yes, she reads my mind. “I bet your panties were wet staring at him fresh out of the shower with a hard-on.”

“God, Crystal. He’s my boss. I’ve lived here for two days. What am I going to do?”

She draws in a deep breath, enjoying this way too much, as she pops a handful of French fries into her mouth, like it’s a bowl of popcorn and we’re at the movies. “You’ve got three choices here, Piper. Get yourself one of them fancy vibrators that I’ve got for when I’m going through a dry spell, or you fuck his brains out, get it out of your systems, or, option three, you take it slow, and see if it’s more than just his hard-on that you want.”

I give her a look. “Crystal. You know that I’ve never been with a man before.”

“And, that, my dear, is a crying shame. But the good news is that you could not have chosen a better male specimen for your first time. Hell, if he didn’t have eyes for you, I’d be all over him.”

“But I can’t do anything. He’s my boss, Crystal.”

“I realize that, Piper. So, if you really like him, then you need to decide what to do. You can see if he likes you, too, and suggest finding another job and another place to live, to not complicate things, or you can just suppress those feelings with a nice vibrator.”

Two things bother me here. “I don’t know if he likes me, but he did tell me that he thinks I’m beautiful. And, how does finding another job and place to live keep things uncomplicated?”

She lifts a finger at me. “Good point. Get a vibrator.”

I laugh out loud. “I will not.”

“Why not? I have one. Several, actually. And he doesn’t seem to mind jerking off with you in the house, so why do you think it won’t be acceptable for you to do the same?”

“Because I’ve never...done that before.”

“Piper, get off it. You’re twenty-two. I had my first orgasm when I was sixteen. Geez.”

“And your parents used to screw all over the place. We were raised in different houses.”

“I know that, but still. You really need to get laid, already. Seriously.”

“What is the big deal? I’ve lived without sex this long.”

“How wet are your panties right now, just talking about him, Piper?”

I cross my legs. I am wet. And I was gushing last night when I saw him harden. He is the sexiest man alive. And the thought of him pleasuring himself, calling my name, drives me nuts. “Fine. I’ll buy a vibrator.”

“Good. Think about all the material you have, Piper. You are living a life most women would be envious of.”

“How so? I can’t have the man that I want, and I’m going to die a virgin.”

“That’s all in how you play your cards, Piper.”

I scoff, unconvinced. “Yeah, and either way, I’m going to lose something. My house, my job, or my heart. He said himself that he doesn’t want to ruin a good thing here. He said himself that he wants me to dress more professionally. If he wanted to pursue anything with me, he would never have said that. He would have just put the moves on me.”

“Not necessarily.” Crystal corrects. “First of all, he doesn’t know if you’re attracted to him.”

“He told me I’m beautiful. What more proof do you need?”

“My granddad tells me I’m beautiful all the time. Half the guys I’ve slept with say the same thing. It’s an expression that’s tossed around more than goddamn ‘I love you’, Piper.”

My heart sinks. He seemed genuine. His expression was so tender. He has no reason to pay me lip service. No ulterior motive. He said so himself that he doesn’t want to screw this up, so if he didn’t care, and he was only saying that for his own selfish reasons, he would have also put the moves on me. But he didn’t. He did the exact opposite. I don’t argue with Crystal, though, since I have no experience, compared with her years of it. And this is all new to me. I have nothing to gain here by refuting her, so I just nod. “Fine. I get it. I’ll watch my ass and keep that in mind.”

“Good. Now, tell me, how did you manage to see that hunk in the shower?”

I give her an unimpressed, irritated look. “He had his back to me. I didn’t see anything. The shower doors were all fogged up. I just heard him call my name.”

---