Page 15 of You've Got Male

Then she pictured her father at breakfast that morning. Too tired from his treatment to even make it to the table. He said he’d try to come into the shop around lunchtime, but Evie wasn’t holding her breath. In fact, she’d rather have him home, resting.

Lenard was so upbeat and sunny he shined. He was the reason Grinder had been such a success for so many years. He created unwavering loyalty from the moment he opened his mouth. People loved Lenard and Lenard loved people.

“Hey!” Julie snapped her fingers in front of Evie’s face. “I see what you’re doing, and stop it.”

“He couldn’t even make it up the stairs last night without losing his breath. I feel like it’s getting worse.”

“He just started treatment a few months ago. Give it time to work. Plus, your dad is as stubborn as you. He isn’t going to let a little thing like his kidneys hold him back.”

“I just wish mine had been a match.” Because then allthe worry and stress would be nonexistent. Lenard would be healthy, Moira would be happy, and Camila wouldn’t have to worry that she might lose her grandpa sooner than any kid should.

“They’ll find him a match. He’s still young and otherwise healthy.”

All Evie could do was nod. She set the order on the counter, called out the owner’s name, and then went right into making the next order, glad to have something to do other than cry.

“Now, back to Jonah,” Julie said. “I heard he showed up looking like a sexy lumberjack with his bicep tattoo and shaggy beard.”

“Sexy isn’t the word I’d use.”

Julie smiled knowingly. “What word would you use?”

Delectable. Delicious. Dangerous for your wellbeing. “A dick head.”

“Are you sure this isn’t just the residual effects of Mateo Exposure?”

“Mateo Exposure is no joke. It’s a serious affliction with long-lasting symptoms.”

“Clearly. I mean when was the last time you had an orgasm?” Julie asked. Evie went to open her mouth and Julie shushed her. “I mean a man-made orgasm.”

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had orgasm-worthy sex. Mateo wasn’t the most patient of lovers. That should’ve been red flag number one. Evie already had a hard time getting out of her head and into the moment. It didn’t help when your partner asked, “Are you there yet?” two minutes in. Then there was the white stick that changed everything. Who knew that two little pink lines could cause the man who claimed he wanted to marry you to burn rubber out of your life?

It wasn’t that she hadn’t had sex over the years. Okay, she could count the number of lovers she’d had on one hand and stillhave fingers left over. But raising a kid solo didn’t leave a lot of room for dating.

Julie slapped a hand to her forehead. “Oh my God. You’ve never had an orgasm.”

“I’ve had an orgasm.”

“One that didn’t include batteries?”

Evie remained tight-lipped on the subject.

“How did I not know this?” Julie covered her mouth with her hands. “This is even worse than I thought.”

“Can you keep it down? I don’t want the entire shop knowing just how pathetic my sex life is.”

“Pathetic by choice.”

“Single by choice,” she corrected. “There’s a difference. And I don’t have time for dating. I’m barely keeping my head above water.”

“Then maybe it’s time you allowed yourself to go under for a few minutes. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

“I could drown?” Lose her family’s shop. Miss her dad’s appointments. Take her eye off the ball when it comes to Camila. The list went on.

“Who knows? Maybe a hot, young lifeguard would be there to give you mouth-to-mouth.”

“I don’t want a lifeguard, especially a young one. That’s more my mom’s MO.”

“Then what do you want?” Julie rested a hip on the counter and pulled her phone from her apron pocket and started scrolling through her inbox. “Hypothetically speaking, of course. If the perfect man were to walk into this shop, who would he be?”

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