Page 77 of Let Me Say It Again

Bianca shrugged. “Not sure, but whoever is dating a Dallas is lucky because they’re dating someone with a hot name.” She rolled her lips.

“Okayyy.” That was all I could say because there really was nothing else to say. “Well, hot or not, it should all be over soon.”

Although, what if I didn’t necessarily want it to be? Especially after the way Red had stood up to Nate for me. Now, that was hot. But they didn’t know about that, and I didn’t feel like getting into it all.

Interrupting my thoughts, Perla cleared her throat. “You know what you need, Jade?”

A time machine so I could never have applied for the job as Red’s personal assistant? That way I would have never gotten myself in this situation, a situation that was feeling more and more complicated with each passing day?

“A date together. Like a real date.”Of course, why didn’t I think of that?

“I moved in with him. I think we’re spending enough time together.” Any more time, and I might actually do something stupid like—

Oh, who was I kidding, it’d all be stupid. And the last time I was stupid had been with his brother. I knew firsthand it wasn’t a good idea to get entangled with a man, especially a Lyons, not in that way. Not that they were anything alike. In fact, was one of them adopted? Switched at birth? Note to self: dig into that a little because something had to explain how drastically different they were.

Perla shook her head. “No. It’s not the same. Trust me on this, you need a real date. Real time together. He just has to know you want it.”

“Have you let him know you want it, Jade?” Bianca inquired, her brows raised.

“If you guys are usingitas a euphemism for dick, then yes,” I explained, seemingly much to Maria’s shock. “He knows I want it. In fact, I’ve already had it more than once.”

Banging her hand on the table, Allie leaned forward and seemed to quickly sober up at talk of Red’s dick, which should definitely be evaluated. Later. “Ohmigod! You didn’t tell me! What did you two do? How was it? How was he?” she asked, a brow hitched, as she moved her hands together, then apart like she was measuring something. “I want to know everything.”

Oh, who was I kidding? Denying them would have to be a sin or something. Almost like it was a sin that I had been denied his dick for as long as I had been. I licked my lips just thinking about it. “Well, I’ll say this—” I bit my bottom lip and moved my hands apart.Farapart. Wait, was that right? Hmm, maybe a little more. I moved them a tad more apart and then chuckled because fuck me.

“I knew it,” Allie practically shouted, her voice hitting an insanely high octave for a crowded restaurant, one I was sure only animals could fully understand. “You need to go on a real date with him, Perla’s right. You have to. Noifs,ands, orbutsabout it.”

So his package was better than all the ones I’d ever opened on Christmas morning, but what did that matter? That didn’t seem like a reason to date him. Not for real, anyway. “Why? He knows this is fake. Besides, I’m getting all the benefits, so I don’t see the point.” It wasn’t like things could get any better than this, right? Sex was the peak of a relationship. Just look at married couples, after about a decade together, they have sex, what, once a month? No, thanks.

“It matters,” Maria stated, her expression as serious as a heart attack. Then she pulled my phone from the pocket of my purse and handed it to me. “Text him. He texts you all the time. You can totally text him.”

“He texts you all the time?” Bianca inquired, placing a hand on her chin, like she was here to hear more about these texts.

She wasn’t getting that, though. Instead, I nodded, looking down at my phone. “A lot of the time,” I answered vaguely. But what did that have to do with the phone in my hand? Call me dense, but the two didn’t equate to anything for me.

“Do it!” Perla urged because apparentlya lot of the timemeant something to her. I really needed to learn to speak whatever language they spoke. Note to self: see if there was an online course for Morelli sister speak.

“You guys know I’m not a love and commitment type of girl. Foreplay and sex, yes, but not love and commitment. This feels like a waste. I’m already getting the best I’m going to get with him.” Didn’t they understand there was a real difference between caring for someone, for starting to feel somethingfor someone, and deluding yourself into thinking it could be something more serious?

Shoving my hands holding the phone up to my face, Maria looked stern as she said, “Text him.” It must have been something she picked up from being a mother because I actually considered doing what she said. For two seconds at least.

“Don’t ask for a date,” Bianca said, winking.

What was the wink for? Didn’t they just tell me to do exactly that.

Pull my hair out? Text Red?

Pull my hair out? Text Red?

Pull my hair out? Text Red?

Nope, I hated both options. Third one—get up and leave.

Nah, seemed rude.

Perla nearly choked on her own saliva, trying to get out what she had to say. “But suggest a date. Casually. No one likes an eager beaver.”

“An eager beaver?” I furrowed my brows. Where did she get this shit from?