Page 13 of A Moment for Us
“Delia, I love you, but you are. You can’t have sex with Joshua Parkerson and pretend like it isn’t a big deal.”
“I’m not pretending.”
She purses her lips and raises one brow. “Is that so?”
“I’m fully aware that it’s a big deal. But don’t you see? This is a good thing.”
Ronyelle crosses her arms. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear this bullshit.”
I love my friend, but right now . . . not so much. “It’s not bullshit.”
“You randomly hook up with the guy in the bar, not the guy you’ve been dreaming of marrying for over a decade.” She moves to sit beside me, and her rich brown eyes are filled with sympathy. “You know I love you.”
“I do.”
“It’s why I need to tell you that you’re going to have your heart trampled.”
“My heart is out of this,” I reassure her.
The sound that escapes her says she doesn’t believe me. “Okay, let’s say that is true, you think having sex with him doesn’t complicate things?”
I groan. “You’re killing my post-sex buzz.”
“I’m killing your delusions, that’s what I’m killing.”
I grab her hand, squeezing it softly. “I know that you’re just looking out for me, and I love you so much for it, but we had sex, I’m fine, and that’s that. It’ll probably never happen again, so let me have my day of triumph.”
Her dark brown hand covers mine. “Fine, but when you fall apart, which will happen once this haze you think you’re in clears, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I won’t.”
“And don’t be stupid enough to do it again.”
At that, I pull back. “I just said I wouldn’t, but why the hell would I turn him away if he offers?”
“Oh, Lord,” she says under her breath. “Because you’re going to get hurt. Not him. He is probably well equipped to deal with sex without strings. He’s been single for a long time, and you can’t tell me that a man that good-looking has been a monk.”
I grimace. “I don’t think about it.”
“Of course, you don’t.” She laughs. “No one wants to think about it. I pretend my husband has never been with another woman. I know it’s a lie. But he lets me have it. Why? Because it’s better for all of us.”
I sigh deeply. “Buzz is dead.”
“Is the haze gone?”
“Yes.”
Ronyelle nods once. “Good. Now, you have two people who called out, and the general manager wants you to increase production this shift. Happy welcome to being a manager.”
I grunt and get to my feet. “Ishould’ve called out.”
She stands and moves to sit behind the desk. “But then you would be in your haze and living in la-la land.”
I walk to the door. “I like la-la-land!”
I hear her laugh as I walk out, and when I get to the end of the hallway, I stop, lean against the wall, and replay what she said. Then I close my eyes for a second and curse to myself. “She’s right, I’m stupid.”
Chapter 5
