Page 6 of Peak of Love
It was in the throes of screaming at some house hunters that a text from her real life came in.
Jerome:Mom, can Scott sleep over?
The neighbor was a good friend to both boys and was already a semi-permanent fixture in their household. It was up to the current babysitters to decide.
Celina:What did Aunt Kit Kat say?
Jerome:That it was up to you.
Celina was hit with the need to hear her boys’ voices, so she called.
“Hey Mom, you’re on speaker,” Jerome said.
“Hi, Mom!” Jonas’s voice carried from farther away. “I’m beating Max in Mario Kart!”
“He’s cheating! He’s not showing me what all the buttons do!” Max retorted.
“Don’t be a bad sport,” Kat said. “And give the kid back his candy!”
Easily imagining the chaos in her living room, Celina resigned herself to the sugar binge of Kat babysitting. “Your aunt and uncle are deciding what’s up tonight. If they have plans that don’t include Scott, you know you can invite him some other time.”
“She said it was fine,” Jerome declared.
“We don’t mind,” Kat said. “Just wanted to run it by you.”
Celina gave her official permission before the usual farewells consisting of “I love you” and “be good” and “see you in a few days.”
Before she hung up, she remembered her predicament.
“Hey Kat, what should I watch on Netflix?”
“I’ll text you,” her sister said.
A second later, it came in.Porny or not porny?
Celina:There’s porn on Netflix?
Kat:Nah. Just porn-y. I’m scared to watch at your house because it will mess up your wholesome algorithms.
Celina:Trust me, those boys’ horror shows are not wholesome.
Kat:You haven’t seen my watch list.
Celina:OK, now I’m curious.
Kat:I’ll start you off easy. Watch 365. It’s about a woman kidnapped by a billionaire and given a year to fall in love with him. Hawt!
Celina had to read the text twice before answering.
Celina:When did kidnapping become hot?
Kat:When an Italian with a yacht and a six pack knows how to bind you.
That made Celina snicker, knowing Kat enjoyed shock value.
Kat:Don’t worry—it’s totally consensual.
Celina:Consensual kidnapping is all the rage, huh?
