Page 39 of The Play

“Everything you and I talk about falls under doctor-patient confidentiality,” I say firmly.

“You got it, Doc.”

A woman in tight workout gear meanders over and starts doing squats directly in our line of sight. One might think her choice of location is unintentional, if not for the fact that in the mirror across the room, her thirsty gaze is super-glued to Hunter.

He notices the admirer and gives me a wink. She’s not the first female to try to catch his attention this evening, and I’m sure she won’t be the last. It’s ironic that he’s celibate, because any chick in this fitness center would happily have sex with him. In the gym. In front of everyone.

“I can’t believe Nico’s the only person you’ve ever slept with,” Hunter muses.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Wrong? Nothing. It’s just surprising.”

“We’ve been together forever—when would I have had the opportunity to sleep around?”

“You never cheated? Ever?”

“Never. There were some breaks over the years, but I never slept with anyone else.”

He cocks one eyebrow defiantly. “You’re saying you didn’t hook up at all during those breaks?”

“I kissed some guys,” I admit with a shrug.

“Becausethatisn’t the vaguest response I’ve ever heard.”

“God, you’re so frickin’ nosy. Fine. I kissed three other guys, and there may have been some petting during one of those encounters.”

“Light or heavy?”

“Light. Didn’t go beyond second base. He wanted to do more, but I felt like I was betraying Nico.”

“Really? You should’ve gone for it. Because I hate to break it to you, but Iguaranteethat Nico was going beyond second base.”

“I know he was. He and I are honest with each other. Plus, on one of the breaks I saw him making out with some girl at a party. That’s what led to me fooling around with the light petting guy.” I hesitate. “And I know Nico slept with someone else, at least once.”

“At least?” Hunter’s sneakers slap the treadmill as he increases his pace. Ugh. He’s running faster now! And he’s still not even breathing hard. It’s unbelievable.

I’m moving at a snail-paced walk by this point, and I’m not even on the cool-down setting. “I know there was one hook-up for sure, because he told me about it. But… I think he cheated on me once,” I confess, and then chastise myself for it.

It’s one thing to critique your boyfriend’s oral skills, but opening the closet and letting the skeletons tumble out? That’s crossing a line.

“Donottell anyone I said that.”

Hunter is smart enough to recognize I’m serious. “You really believe he cheated on you?”

I jerk my head in a nod. This isn’t a subject I particularly enjoy dwelling on. “The summer before senior year, I visited him in Miami and a bunch of us went on a camping trip to the Everglades. Well, not really camping. More like glamping.”

“Booooo!” Hunter exclaims instantly, giving me two thumbs down.

The woman who’s shaking her butt in our faces glances over her shoulder to see what the commotion is, but Hunter doesn’t even look her way.

“Nope, nope, nope,” he announces. “You’re not allowed to be one of those girls, Semi.”

“I don’t believe in outhouses, okay? I prefer camping in a place with walls and a toilet and Wi-Fi and—”

“That’s not camping!”

“Exactly. It’s glamping, like I said.”

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