Page 23 of Great Pretender
“My harem? God, Murray, I don’t have a fucking harem. I haven’t had sex in months. Is that the sort of thing a man with a harem would confess to?”
“You haven’t had sex in months?” He stares at me in disbelief, running a hand through his hair.
“No. You know I’ve been shaping up and taking things easy so I could focus.”
“But no sex? Man, what the hell?”
“Okay, back on topic, please. The lack of sex in my life is not the matter of discussion here.”
“I’m just intrigued. I didn’t know you could go without it for so long. You’re not sick, are you?”
I throw a cushion at him. “Ughhh, Murray, focus or go home.”
He catches the cushion like he would a football and chuckles at me. “I’m sorry. Okay, focus. As I was saying, you need someone who isn’t your usual type, but someone you know so you can trust them, or if it’s not a woman you know, then make sure you explain everything in detail and amplify the benefits. I can’t imagine anyone turning you down.”
I’m glad he has such faith in me.
“I’ll make a list,” I say, and again, it’s words leaning toward this insane idea.
The front door opens, and when Piper comes in carrying a little box, and the men I hired to help her move come into view, I’m instantly distracted.
“Hi, guys,” she says with a little smile.
“Hey, do you need any help?” I ask.
“No, it’s not much,” she answers.
“We got it covered, Bullet,” says the man closest to her, referring to me by my game name.
People called me Bullet because that’s how fast I was—faster than a speeding bullet. It was also my speed that did my leg in.
“Thanks.” I raise my hand in salute, and the guys continue following Piper up the stairs.
“What’s going on?” Murray asks, gazing fondly at Piper.
Through all that was going on today, I forgot to tell him about her. I left out that part, too, in my explanation of what happened the other night. He wouldn’t have known what happened with Heath when Piper came by last night either because she was crying so much she couldn’t talk, and when she eventually talked to me, he’d long gone.
“She’s going to be staying with me for a while,” I answer.
“What? How come? You can’t tell me asshole Heath is okay with that?”
“They broke up.”
Murray’s mouth falls open, and he gazes back up the stairs. He stares and stares and stares until Piper comes back down with the men, and his gaze follows her out the door.
It’s only then that he looks back at me, his eyes wider this time.
“Fuck me,” he says under his breath.
“What?”
“She’s staying here? For real?”
“Yes,” I answer, bringing my hand to my head. This is going to be another problem I never quite factored in.
How am I supposed to literally court some woman and bring her back here with Piperhere.
“Chad, for the love of God in his High Heaven, can I just remind you for one second how much you trust me?”
