Page 16 of Crash

“Not that it’s any of your business, but he’s a friend.” She turns her attention back to Sandy. “He wants to be more, Sandy, but I don’t want to be tied down to one guy. I plan on exploring my sexuality.”

I start to choke on my coffee at her last statement. I cough so hard, Jake slaps me on my back a couple of times.

“Well, just be careful, sweetie,” Sandy tells her.

I get up from the table and grab a bottle of cold water. I press it against my forehead as I listen to her whisper to Sandy. Explore her sexuality? With a man? I slam the door of the fridge and practically collide with my brother when I turn around.

“I’m leaving,” I say to him. I slam the bottle of water on the counter and start to walk away, but he grabs my elbow.

“Why are you acting like such an asshole?” he whispers.

“I’m not.” I yank my elbow from him and look over at the table. She’s showing Sandy something on her phone. And she’s fucking smiling. The first time she’s smiled since she got here last night.

“Oh, he’s cute,” Sandy says. This gets Jake’s interest. He turns towards his wife, a scowl on his face.

“Who is cute? Your husband?”

“My husband is way beyond cute, but Vivi’s boyfriend here is pretty handsome.”

Jake stalks over to the table and grabs the phone. I follow and look over his shoulder. It’s some guy with a bald head and a muscle shirt, grinning like an idiot at the camera. Jake snorts and hands the phone back.

“He looks gay, if you ask me,” I say. I get a chuckle out of my brother and a scowl from Sandy. “He’s probably using you as his beard.”

“No one asked you. And he’s not gay,” Vivi says, studying the picture. “He’s not gay, right, Sandy? He’s not my boyfriend, though. I’m not looking for that.”

“Yeah, Vivi is the hit and quit it type.” I try to say it as a joke, but the words are bitter on my tongue.

She finally puts the phone down turns her eyes back on me. About fucking time too.

“Only people I like call me Vivi. You can call me Vivienne. Or better yet, don’t call me at all. Don’t speak to me.” She stands up out of her chair and points her finger at my chest again. “And if I want to hit it and quit it,” she put the term in air quotes, “I will. You don’t get a vote and you sure as hell don’t control me or my body. Got it?”

I take a step closer to her, thinking she would step back, but she doesn’t. She stands her ground and looks me in the eye.

“What body? You look like a fifth-grader.” It’s not true. Her frame is small, but her body is curvy, and her breasts are round. And right now, with the angry glint in her eyes, her breath is coming fast, causing her chest to rise and fall. Just one more little step and her nipples would be pressed against me. “And you don’t control my speech. I will call you whatever I want.”

Her eyes darken at the same time her cheeks pinken. Something in my belly stirs.

“I swear to god,” she hisses, “if you say one more word to me, you’re going to regret it.”

Whatever’s going on in my belly has traveled down to my cock, which has suddenly sprung to life. Because I refuse to back down, I lean close to her ear.

“One. More. Word.”

I watch, fascinated as her entire face turns red. She slams her hand down on the table and but before she can speak, Jake interjects.

“Okay, that’s enough. Luke,I’mtelling you to shut the fuck up. And Vivi, ignore him.”

“Yes, Luke, leave her alone.” Sandy has her arms around that viper again. She’s looking at me, and for the first time in a long time, she’s pissed at me.

“This is another reason to avoid marriage. The in-laws,” she says. She walks away from me, not even looking in my direction when she makes that statement. Jake laughs at that. “I’ll clean up here and then I have to get to the bakery.” She grabs two plates and walks over to the sink.

“Luke will clean up. Why don’t you go get ready?” Sandy says. “You can drive my Toyota for the time being.”

“Dee, that car hasn’t been driven in months. Let me do some work on it first. Luke can drive Vivi this morning.”

“What?” we both say at once. I nearly drop the plate I’m rinsing in the sink. They want her inside my car. Filling it with her musky scent. No way.

“He’ll leave me on the side of the road.”

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