Page 5 of Power Play

“Every day you're even stranger.” Jennifer gives me a concerned once-over as I shove open the office window. We both visibly shiver as a blast of cold wind swirls into the tiny office. “Are you getting enough sleep? Maybe a lack of vitamin D is making you odd.”

“I'm missing D, that's for sure,” I say around the cigarette pressed between my front teeth. “I can't remember the last time I had sex.”

“What about that guy you met a few months back? Brad… Brian… whatever his name was?”

I roll my eyes and blow a billowing cloud of smoke out the window. “Sorry, I retract the earlier statement from the record. What I meant was I haven't had good sex lately. That guy was a mistake.” I shake my head at the memory. “He was super nice and paid for dinner, but he was too….”

“Sensitive?” Jennifer interjects as she leans toward the window, blowing a puff of smoke out into the cold.

“No.”

“Hairy?”

“No, he was just—”

“Small in the one area that counts.” She gives me a knowing grin. “I'm referring to his penis.”

I let out an incredulous laugh. “I gathered that. And no to all that. He was too… handsy.”

“Handsy,” she deadpans.

“Yeah, too touchy.” I shrug as I turn my focus to the glowing ember at the end of the almost-spent cigarette between my fingers.

“Um, Randi, not sure what kind of sex you've had, but I’m pretty sure good sex requires you to be touchy.”

Again, my shoulders rise and fall. “He took his time too.” My body shakes on a shudder. “Why can't it be good, no-touchy, fast sex? Is that too much to ask?”

“You sound like a guy.”

“What? If it takes too long, then my mind wanders, and then I get antsy.” I wave my hand dismissively. “So anyway, back to the date. I finished myself off at home that night, then never returned his calls.”

“It’s a miracle you've ever had an orgasm,” she remarks with a snort. Her eyes widen at my one-shoulder shrug. “Randi, please tell me you've had an orgasm from sex.”

“Technically?” I glance out the window and flick the now-extinguished cigarette butt into the bucket we keep below for break emergencies like this. “Yeah, I think so, but how do you—”

“Seriously?” a man's voice says, cutting me off. “Typical lazy-ass politician.”

I cross both arms across my chest and lean a shoulder against the wall. “Ben.” My baby daddy. My first love. My first heartbreak. My first everything.Tall with shaggy blond hair, crystal blue eyes, and solid muscle from working on his parents’ farm—how could fifteen-year-old me not fall in love with him? Too bad his aversion to responsibility wasn't as glaring as his good looks.

“Randi,” he says with a dip of his chin. “Jennifer. What are you two talking about?”

“Did you know Randi has never—”

Jennifer squeaks into my palm that's quickly suctioned over her mouth.

“Nothing. What are you doing here?” I cringe as a wet tongue laps over my palm. Nose scrunched in disgust, I yank my hand from her lips and wipe my palm down my jeans. Glaring at Jennifer, I shut the window tight. Her unconcerned giggle follows me as I take the two steps back to my chair and fall into it.

“Ah, that.” Ben tugs off his ball cap and scratches the crown of his head. “I wanted to stop by, Taeler mentioned she spoke to you last night about her decision on college. Wanted to check in, see how you were doing with her news.”

My hands ball into tight fists beneath the solid wood desk. “You knew, and you didn't tell me? How long have you known?”

“She asked me not to,” he says, widening his stance and shoving his hands into the back pockets of his jeans.

“Fuck that, Ben,” I grit out. Standing, I press both palms on the desk and lean forward. “Co-parenting means we talk about things. We don't keep stuff from each other. I was fucking blindsided. If you would've done the right thing and told me her decision before she talked to me, I would've had a counterargument prepared.”

“It's only college, Rand.” Ben twists the toe of his worn work boot into the thin carpet. “It's not like going to college did you any good.”

True and false.

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