Page 61 of Back for More
“It gets better. And also worse. But always worth it. Tell me.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “While we were…while he was in the middle of doing really awesome things to my body…I had a somewhat humiliating sex meltdown. Emotional, not physical.”
“Hmmm. An emotionalsmeltdown. And?”
“And in a matter of hours, he witnessed me barfing, crying, and having a smeltdown. He was so nice, but I can’t imagine why he’d ever want to put his magnificent penis inside me after seeing me like that.”
I can hear her snort-laughing and slamming the washing machine door shut. “Girl. Listen up. Neal has seen meliterallylose my shit after a baby was yanked out of my vagina, and he still wants to get up in there any chance he gets. Man plus boner equals no memory of anything—other than how to put the P in the V.”
I slap my forehead. “Okay, you really need to write a book. Or be a mathematician. But that’s completely different! You guys are married. Neal is legally obligated to love your V no matter what.”
“Wes worships you.”
That really makes me laugh. “No, he doesn’t.”
“Yes. He does. He always has. Whether you can handle it or not. And if you were here in front of me right now, I would smack you up the side of your beautiful stubborn head. Do you have any idea how many women I’ve seen throw themselves at him over the years? He’s basically just a really muscular statue who politely tolerates them, and then you come along, and there’s this flash of lightning and he’s transformed into a real live muscular prince who will bend you over a desk in your kingdom of isolation and make you let it go—let it go—until you can’t hold it back anymore and you lose your voice from screaming his name over and over and over…”
“Wait. What?”
“All I watch now is Disney movies and online porn. Shut up.”
“He is my boss and my father’s employee.”
“Hakuna matata, baby!”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want anyone at the Barnes Group knowing what he did to my tatas while I’m working for him.”
“Oh, lighten up. How is it possible that you’ve gotten even more uptight after living in New York and LA?”
“Honestly, Leesh, all I’m thinking is how is it possible that I managed to live five years of my life without talking to you every day? I’m so sorry I lost touch with you.”
“It’s okay, Auntie B-Face. We never really lost touch, did we?”
I bolt upright when I hear a knock on my closed bedroom door and my dad’s voice right outside it. “Lily? You home?”
“I gotta go. Love you.” I hang up on Alecia and tighten the belt around my bathrobe. “Yes! Just took a shower! Be right there!”
“Just come down to the kitchen,” he says. “I’m getting ready to leave for the airport.”
“Oh, okay. Be right down!”
I’m about fifty percent sure he couldn’t possibly have heard anything I said from out there, and he’s not the kind of man who’d lurk by my door before letting me know he’s there. It’s only slightly shameful how relieved and grateful I am that he came all the way upstairs to let me know he’s leaving. I get dressed quickly and hurry down to the kitchen.
I find my father at the kitchen island, organizing things in his briefcase. He’s wearing a suit, and he looks exactly like the kind of gentleman who’ll nod at you politely when you take a seat next to him in First Class and then never say a word to you for the duration of the flight.
I get this sudden pang of sadness in my chest, remembering how my mother would kiss him good-bye in this kitchen every day that he left for work and kiss me good-bye every time I left the house. A sudden pang of guilt for all those years that he’s been leaving this house without anyone to say good-bye to in the morning. All these pangs, despite his inability to say much more to me than good morning or good-bye.
He glances up at me and shuts his briefcase. “Morning,” he says. “I’m off to Seattle for a conference.”
“Yeah, I heard…I mean—I saw it on your online calendar.”
“Good.” He studies my face. “You seem happy.” It almost sounds like an accusation. I think. I’ve never been able to tell if he’s inscrutable or if I’m just tone-deaf when it comes to him.
“What? Me? No! I mean, I just had a normal fun night with my friends—friend. It’s good to be back in touch with Alecia.”
“Good. She’s well?”
“Very well. She’s happily married, with two adorable little kids.”
