Page 4 of Too Hot to Sleep
Georgia turned and stared at her flushed reflection in the mirror and talked while she drew an uneven line of mocha lipstick onto her mouth. "I'm restless, fidgety, distracted."
"Horny?"
Leave it to Toni to cut to the chase. She sighed, puffing out her cheeks, liking the way her laugh lines disappeared. "Toni, do you think I would know if Rob was gay?"
Her friend choked, then coughed out a cloud of smoke. "Probably. Why would you think that?"
She blotted the lipstick with a rough paper towel. "I don't really. It's just that I can't figure out his... likes and dislikes."
Toni chortled and dismissed Georgia's concern with a wave. "They all have hang-ups, babe. My old boyfriend liked Aerosmith on the stereo when we made love. Go figure." Shepressed fingers to her temples and closed her eyes. "Let me guess. Rob wants the lights off, and his sockson."
Georgia gave her a wry smile. "I wouldn't know."
Her friend's eyes bulged. "You mean the two of you have never had sex?"
"Right."
Toni pursed her lips. "Wow. How far have you gone? Second base? Third?"
Georgia quirked her mouth side to side. "I've never been quite sure what constitutes second and third base."
"You're stalling."
"Okay, we've kissed."
"No uncontrolled groping?"
"No."
"No nipplage?"
"Nada."
"No oral sex?"
She shook her head.
"Damn, no wonder you think he's gay. But I have a lot of gay friends, and I'd bet money that Rob's straight."
Georgia tilted her head and inspected her own reflection. "Which means he doesn't find me sexually attractive."
Toni's face appeared over her shoulder. "Look at you—great hair, great face and great body. I'm telling you, the man is probably intimidated."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, that's me, Miss Intimidation. I'm not exactly a siren, Toni."
"Precisely. Most of the time you look like Miss Untouchable." The cigarette bobbed wildly. With a flick of her wrist, she removed the clip that held Georgia's dark hair away from her face, then fluffed the long layers. "And here." Toni removed a cranberry-colored lipstick from her purse. "Toss that brown stuff and try this."
Georgia applied the new color, then frowned. "It's bright."
"Yes, ma'am." She twisted Georgia sideways, then unbuttoned her white shirt until the little pink bow on her bra was exposed. "Do you have to wear the bra?"
"Yes!"
"Okay, okay." Toni pulled out Georgia's shirttail and tied the front ends high enough to expose her navel. "There. You just need to loosen up. I'm sure all Rob needs is a signal."
She looked back to her reflection and pursed her mouth. "You think?"
Toni dotted the cranberry lipstick onto Georgia's cheeks, then blended the color with her thumb. Someday her friend would make a wonderfully smothering mother. "Definitely. Do something to shake him up a little. You know, show up at his place wearing nothing but a belt or something like that."
