Page 22 of Neighbors With Benefits

Me: I just sent you a screenshot of our conversation.

Cat: AWWWW. You two are adorable.

Cat: You should fuck him.

Me: Cat! No!

Cat: Let him mash your gash. Allow him to pound your mound. I bet he’s dying to smooch your cooch.

Me: How about you do all of that with your boring date?

Cat: Fingers crossed!

I went to bed feeling better about the situation. I was still embarrassed, but it was quickly fading. And work the next day helped take my mind off things.

When I got home from work, Bash waved to me from their front porch where he was watering plants. I waved back, happy that I had nice neighbors.

On Tuesday, I got lunch with Cat and showed her the text message from the wrong number. She whistled after reading it. “I forgot all about that. Too bad they’re just messing with you. Can you imagine? Havingthreeboyfriends?”

“I cannot imagine it, no.”

“I can,” she replied with a wistful sigh. “Polyamory is all the rage right now. I wouldloveto be the third for a straight couple. Sharing a bed with a mananda woman? That’s the bisexual dream.”

“Sounds like a lot of work.”

“Yeah, but it’s thebest kind of work. Being in bed with three guys who want to worship every inch of your body with their hands? And lips? And—”

“I get the picture,” I whispered, glancing around the cafe where we were eating. “But it was a wrong number, so it doesn’t matter.”

“I still think you should reply back,” she insisted. “If it’s fake, then you get to mess with them. But if it’s real…”

“Not interested,” I reiterated. “I’m supposed to be focusing on my new house. I don’t have time to date one guy, let alone three hypothetical ones.”

“Fine,” she grumbled.

“How’d your date on Sunday go?” I asked, hoping it would distract her.

It worked. Cat’s eyes lit up and she said, “This woman had the personality of a cardboard box, but a body like a pinup doll…”

The rest of the week was a blur. Work was busier than usual thanks to a few new hires who needed hand-holding. Then I spent the weekend making trips to Home Depot and fixing little things I didn’t like about my new house.

By Sunday night I was exhausted and only wanted to sit in front of the TV recharging my batteries. I liked keeping busy, but I hadn’t had any time to relax since the housewarming party a week ago.

I was debating between Thai and Indian takeout for dinner when my doorbell rang. I assumed it was a package being delivered; I had ordered a lot of stuff off Amazon for the new house.

But when I threw open the door, it was Bash standing there.

8

Jazz

“Hi!” Bash said. “Am I interrupting anything?”

“Um… no, not at all,” I replied. “I was just watching TV. What’s up?”

Bash nodded toward his house. “Aiden’s cooking dinner. It’s way too much food for two people. You should join us.”

“Oh.” I blinked in surprise. It was a Sunday evening, and I was mentally ready to stay in tonight. Especially since I had a bunch of new-hire meetings scheduled first thing in the morning.

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