Page 26 of The Invitation

I stare at Gary’s back as he leaves, my mouth lax.

Arlington Hall.

What the fucking hell?

Chapter 7

I’m three miles down by the time Abbie and Charley find me in the gym, and their arrival is a thankful distraction from my most recent encounter with the Adonis. I wasn’t able to focus for the rest of the day at work, and that’s unheard of. My two late-afternoon calls were a mess of gibberish as I tried to recall what advice I was supposed to be giving my clients, both of whom were most unsettled by my uncharacteristically disorderly meetings. Thank you ...

What the hell is his name?

Abbie hops on the machine on my right, Charley on the left. This isn’t our usual pattern for running. I’m always to the far right, Charley to the far left, Abbie in the middle. Age order, oldest down to youngest, which is me. I’m trapped between them, feeling their eyes on me as they find their pace.

“Talk,” Charley demands, tying her wild curly hair back as she jogs.

“Now,” Abbie adds, adjusting her sports bra to get her huge boobs comfortable.

I blow out my cheeks, my sweat building. “He asked me to dinner again.”

“Tell me you said yes this time,” Abbie begs. My awkward smile pointed her way gives her the answer she didn’t want.

“No, that would be stupid,” Charley pipes in, pulling my attention to her. I smile, happy she’s on my side.

“She’s already had hand sex with him.” Abbie laughs. My eyes go back to her. “What’s dinner between two people whose hands have made out?”

I roll my eyes.

“Explain this hand sex,” Charley says, lifting her hands and looking at them.

“It was more a massage,” I reply, my breath a little shorter than the girls’. A very sensual massage. “I was soaping them for something to do.”

“Other than ripping off his clothes?” Abbie chuckles.

“Yes,” I breathe. “Have you seen how handsome he is?”

“I have indeed, which begs the question: Why you won’t just have dinner with him?”

“Because she’s smart,” Charley says.

“I’m smart,” I reiterate. So why did I let him practically seduce me in the restrooms in my work building? I pout. I should be forgiven.What that man can do with his hands.

“You’re fucking dumb.” Abbie sighs. “You’re single. Free. Let a man wine and dine you.”

“It sounds like he wants more than wining and dining,” Charley muses.

My head swings back to her.

“A bit of bodily attention after the wining and dining can’t hurt,” Abbie says.

Back to her.

“Can’t it?”

Back to Charley.

“Definitely not.” Abbie smirks. “I can’t even begin to imagine how boring sex was with Nick.”

I frown, my head turning back to Abbie. “It wasn’tthatbad.” Was it?

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