Page 87 of Bad Love

In truth, the past week and a half has passed in a blur. I’d almost forgotten we were waiting on this fromBen.

Mostly because I’m doing more than I’ve ever done, but it doesn’t feelstressful.

I still haven't done salsa or taken improv or learned origami. But I've been on fire at work, getting lots accomplished for my otherclients.

I did take one thing off the “Do Me” list, as Logan calls it. "No fantasizing about hot strangers," has been replaced with "Be more sexuallyadventurous."

Because since I went to Hunter's apartment, we've been spending more time together. Mostly havingsex.

Bad Kendall is out of the box, and she’s calling the shots—at least the ones where nakedness isinvolved.

And nakedness seems to be involved more often than I expected. I’ve seen Hunter every couple of days, usually under the guise of work. But most of that—bouncing ideas off of him or getting budget approvals—could happen over thephone.

The part where he makes me scream with that wicked mouth and his too-impressive-for-words body requires in-personvisits.

But this update to the vibe? It gives me a legit reason to see Hunter. He’s going to bethrilled.

Ben lingers in the doorway, turning to face Daisy. "Come on. Don't I get a thank-you for this engineeringmasterpiece?"

She closes the distance between them, her heels clicking on the hardwood. When there’s barely a foot between them, she peers up at him. "Thank you,Benji."

He tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. "You gotit."

Rena and I exchange alook.

“She says they haven’t dated,” I remind her under mybreath.

Rena watches them, shaking her head slowly before pronouncing a single word. “Bullshit.”

* * *

"Mom? Where are we going?"

I lift my head from the paper shapes in front of me to see Rory in the living room in pajamas Saturday morning, staring at the bag by thedoor.

"Your grandparents’." We were planning to visit today anyway, but it’ll be extra special since it’s the first time since my mom’s fall. She seems to have made a full recovery, but she’s still due to go back for more tests nextweek.

"Do I have time to makebreakfast?"

"Always."

He pads to the kitchen. It’s our deal that on the weekend, he doesn’t have to get dressed until after breakfast. I don’t either, so it works out bothways.

“You still think you’d like to see your dad today?” I asklightly.

“Okay.”

I didn’t tell him his dad was “back” or that he’d bought a house next to Rory’s grandparents. I did say he was working near Orange and wanted to see Rory. Which is true and less likely to raiseexpectations.

Though I scrutinized my son’s reaction to the news, he hadn’t seemed afraid or upset when I told him. It was more like when he learns we’re going to see his cousins at a holiday—a mild surprise followed by the kind of vague curiosity that accompanies novel things that aren’t Food Networkrelated.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” I let himknow.

“It’s fine. I’ll tell him about mycooking.”

“I’m sure he’d like that. We’ll go visit him for a little while after we see Grandma andGrandpa.”

I want to tell Rory not to believe anything Blake says, but I don’t know how. I don’t want to color Rory’s view of his father with mine. But if my son isn’t anxious about seeing Blake, why should Ibe?

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