Page 11 of Seduction in the Mountains

I've gathered the women I trust the most to help me through this conundrum, acutely aware that the current customer lull only gives us about seven and a half minutes to discuss this, and all they want to hear about is the sex.

"Betty! It doesn't matter that the sex was amazing. I can't date him. Jeremy needs stability. He needs to trust the adults in his life. And me sleeping with histeacherdoesn't lead to either of those things."

"So the sexwasamazing, right?" Melody asks.

I throw my head back and scream to the heavens. "Yes! It was fucking amazing. I've never been fucked like that before, and I never will again. Okay?"

Betty and Melody laugh and high-five each other like teenagers, and Scarlett's catcall rings out through the entire shop. It’s only as I return my gaze to the mostunhelpful brainstorming team I could possibly assemble that I realize Ellen is standing at the shop's front door, clearing her throat and looking unsure if she should still come in for her shift.

"Oh, my god, Ellen. I'm so sorry." Mortified, I cover my face with both hands and throw myself down on the counter.

Ellen tsks as she makes her way into the shop, apparently making up her mind it’s now safe to come in. "No need to apologize to me, Mir. I wasn't sure if you wanted me to hear the conversation." Ellen slowly moves behind the counter, placing her purse on the lower shelf and pulling out an apron. "I'll go into the kitchen and wash some dishes for you, hon." Ellen pauses at the kitchen door. "But I do hope you're talking about the new teacher you were crawling away from the other day. Somebody needs to ride that man all night long."

Betty cackles and Melody nods in agreement as Ellen disappears to start dishes.

"I'm surrounded by sex-crazed women!" I say, exasperated and trying to remember why I wanted feedback in the first place.

"Can someone please text me a picture of this sex god?"

"On it." Betty leans close to the speaker to respond to Scarlett. "I have them from multiple angles."

"Oh god. You guys. I need help!" I exclaim, realizing I'm on a runaway train with this group.

It's Melody who asks the million-dollar question. "What do you want us to say, Miranda? The fact that he's Jeremy's teacher is inconvenient, but certainly not the first time in history that a teacher has dated a student's guardian. If that’s the only thing holding you back, you have our permission."

The truth is, I don't know what I want them to say. I want to grin like a love-crazy horny schoolgirl. I want to catcall myself after remembering everything he did to my body last night. I want to fantasize about the next time Cole is in my bed, but I keep thinking about the moment he gets bored and moves on from me. How will that affect Jeremy?

"Oh. My. God." Scarlett's shriek startles me. "Betty, the last pic shows two men from behind, and Miranda, Cole is tasty, but who owns the other butt?"

Betty takes a sip of her coffee. "Well, Scarlett dear, that would be Levi."

I glance at my phone curiously when Scarlett remains silent on the other end of the speaker. "Scar, are you still there?"

She clears her throat. "Yes. I'm here." Her voice sounds strained, but she continues before I can ask what's going on. "I have to get back to work before my boss finds me, but Miranda, you deserve to be happy, just as much as Jeremy." She pauses and says quietly, "You lost your parents, too, and they would not want you to put your life on hold like this."

My eyes fill with tears, but I manage to whisper, "I know."

Melody jumps off her stool and comes around the counter to give me a big hug. "Honey, if anybody understands your hesitation, it's me. I would love to be ravaged by a sexy man, but if he wanted to have a relationship with me, I'd probably run too."

Her acknowledgment that this is complicated, combined with my exhaustion from the night before, causes me to sag into her embrace.

"Love you, Mir," Scarlett calls tentatively from the speaker.

"Love you too, Scar."

"Perhaps that one will take her own advice someday." Betty eyes the phone as it disconnects, taking another sip of her coffee before looking directly at me. "She's right, Miranda. Your parents had you at a young age, and they managed to build a life while raising you. And I happen to think you turned out perfect. If not a little consumed with self-flagellation and a need to deny yourself sexual pleasure that borders on masochism."

I wipe my eyes on my apron, laughing. "How's the online psychology course going?"

"Splendidly. I've diagnosed half the town with some particularly interesting mental health issues."

Melody laughs. "That's my cue to get back to the shop." She gives me one more quick squeeze and Betty another high-five before scuttling off to work.

"So, darling," Betty prods, placing both hands on the counter in front of her. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Look, if sales keep going like they are, I might be able to hire someone to help in the afternoons through closing. Maybe next year, when he's not Jeremy's teacher, and if he's still planning to stay in Duhring Park...I could be open to dating him. But I’m barely hanging on as it is. So, I stand by what I said last night. We will be friends." I nod at Betty for emphasis as she eyes me over the rim of her cup like she's about to say more.

I look over her shoulder when the door opens, and a delivery driver walks in with a package.

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