Page 75 of Problematic Summer Romance

“Office.”

“Ah, yes. How’s Austin doing? Still being taken over by the tech horde?”

“That one’s unstoppable, I’m afraid. Maya, are you okay? Isthere anything you need?” There’s some urgency. Like he’s ready to jump on a plane.Again.

“I just wanted to talk to you.”

A pause. Alongpause. “When I said to call me if you need anything, I meant—”

“If I needed a kidney, or a rec letter for an internship, or five hundred thousand dollars. I know. But what if I want to…” A dramatic pause, for effect. “Talk.”

“We shouldn’t—”

“Talk?”

I can almostseehim leaning back in his chair. How long does it take to memorize someone’s mannerisms? Could it be less than forty-eight hours? “This is highly…”

“Fun? Joy-inducing? Welcome?”

“Problematic.”

I huff. “What does ‘problematic’ even mean? It’s way too broad a term. Variable definitions.”

“You knowexactlywhat it means.”

“Mmm, I’m currently dealing with memory loss.” I settle in the chair. Stretch my legs on the desk. “Did you close the Mayers deal?”

“Of course.”

“Is that why you’re dropping some serious cash on all these gifts?”

“No. It’s because—”

“You want to make my roommate think that we’re going strong, I know. I’m grateful that you’ve chosen to pepper the brand names with cute stationery. Andplease, keep the food coming.”

A noise on the other end, and—he’s laughing. I made him laugh.

My body is ablaze.

“So, yeah. I did want to thank you for the gifts. But above all, I wanted to thank you for the orgasm. It was insanely good. Best sex I’ve ever had.”

“Jesus Christ, Maya,” he says roughly.

I smile. “And I’ve been wondering…is it ayouthing?”

A confused: “What?”

“See, I’m single. And horny. I’m trying to replicate what you did to me as closely as possible. In order to do that, I’m going to have to isolate the variables—”

“Maya.”

“—and figure out where to get my fix of…carnal pleasure.”

Is that agrowl? “Donotuse the word ‘carnal.’ ”

“Why? You hate it? Is this amoistsituation?”

He sighs. I can feel the puff of air, even across the ocean.

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