Page 84 of Tell Me What You Want, Or Leave Me

“Something has happened between you two, I know it.”

“You’re too nosy.”

“And you’re a terrible actor.”

“Shut up!”

“Oh my God—it wasn’t hard to see that you barely talk to her, and you won’t go near her. That’s strange in a predator like you. She’s very cute, and the logical thing would be that you’d be throwing everything at her.”

Björn smiles. I’ve surprised him. “All I will say is that I’ll be happy when she leaves.”

“Does Eric know you can’t stand her?”

He shakes his head. “No.”

“Will you tell me what happened?”

“Yes, but not now. Another time.”

I nod. I’m sure he will, so I go back to playing. I shove him, and he shoves me back. When I get out of the pool, Eric hands me a towel.

“It’s so nice to see how well you and Björn get along,” says Laila.

“He’s a good friend,” I respond.

“The best,” Eric says.

Björn looks over and smiles.

“Well, you can’t deny he’s very handsome,” adds Laila.

“Thank you, Laila,” says Björn, but the expression on his face is telling her to shut up.

“Yup, Björn is very handsome and sexy,” I say.

Eric looks over at me. I grin and give him a kiss.

“But there’s no one like you, my love!” We all laugh. But then Laila decides to take it up a notch.

“If you hadn’t met Eric, would you have been interested in Björn?”

Her question strikes me as funny, and so I respond honestly, like always. “Of course. I’ve always liked dark-haired men more than blond ones.”

“Seriously?” says Graciela, laughing.

I nod, and then Eric grabs me by the waist and lifts me up.

“Well, you’ve married a blond man who doesn’t plan to let you go.”

“I don’t want you to let me go,” I say as I kiss him.

My crazy love throws me over his shoulder like a caveman. “Hey, everybody...we’ll be right back.”

“Let me go!” I say, laughing.

“No, my love...I’m getting payback for what you said.”

“Go on and make her pay for the nerve of liking dark-haired men, my friend,” says Dexter.

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