Page 46 of The C*ck Down the Block

I answered that by taking another bite of my scone.

“Well, was it good? Are you in love with him now? Can we all stop pretending the two of you are just friends?” She did finger air quotes when she said the just friends part. “Are you going to get married and have lots of little football players of your own? Ooh, can I plan the wedding? We can have it during halftime. Do they allow weddings at Mile High?”

I love Lulu so much. I was ready to go out of my mind wondering about every aspect of what had happened last night, and she was already planning the wedding. That gave me just enough peace of mind to not freak out like I had all morning.

“Yes?”

“To which question?”

“Well, the first one at least. It was, well, not that I have anything to compare it to, but four orgasms is a rather good night, right?”

“Jesus, Mary, and the other Mary. Yeah. I’d say four orgasms is a good night.” She gave a small laugh-huff. “Although, to be fair, my record is seven, but Mina couldn’t walk the next day, so I generally just go for a couple now.”

“Please do not tell Chris that.” Or maybe do. No, bad. Although, based on last night, he could do it. “You know how competitive he is, and I would like to remain gainfully employed at my job, where I do, in fact, need to walk around.”

“No promises.” She paused for a second and took a long sip, like she was contemplating what or how she wanted to say next. “So are you really more than friends? No more of this fake dating stuff?”

This time a double thump hit my sternum from behind. “I think so. Yes.”

“And he took the whole V-word that shall not be named thing okay? Guys are weird about that, even if you aren’t and don’t want them to be.”

I choked on my scone. “I, uh, didn’t tell him.”

Lu’s face went cartoonish with her astonishment. But I held up a hand to stop her onslaught.

“Not on purpose. I meant to, I started to even, but, then everything started going so fast, and I think I literally forgot how to talk at some point.”

“Yeah, but you know how to now. Talk to him. Immediately, if not sooner.”

“You’re right, I should have already, but... no, no. I’ve got a lot of excuses, and that probably means I’m not as cool about it as I think I am.” Or as enlightened as I was raised to be. “But shouldn’t that be a face-to-face conversation and not a text?”

“I’ll grant you that. Yes.” Lu grabbed my bag and fished out my phone. “Text him and tell him you have something you want to talk about tonight and don’t want to forget, so he should ask you about it as soon as he sees you.”

Geez. “You’re mean.”

“Only to the ones I love.” She winked and took another sip of her coffee looking like the mastermind that she was.

I tapped out the text and sent it before I could lose my nerve. Oh yeah, definitely some inner feminist work calling my name in the near future.

His reply dinged back right away.

If it’s about how you have a praise kink, I already know. Feel free to tell me all your kinks and fantasies later, babe.

While I was trying to decide what to say to that, an email notification popped up. From Marie Manniway. I read it, my mouth dropped open, and then I read it again.

“What? Is he mad? Did he freak out?” Lulu growled and frowned at my phone. “Do I need to beat him up?”

“No, no, he made a cute joke, and I’ll tell him everything later tonight.” I stared at the message in my inbox again, still a little flabbergasted. “l just got an email from Marie Manniway.”

“Ooh, you fancy now.” Lulu stuck her pinky finger out for her next sip of her latte.

“I told her about Rachel, and how I think she’s purposefully sabotaging me for the fundraiser so she can swoop in and save the day last minute or something.” I had no doubt she’d orchestrated the missing jerseys, which were, of course, the only donations to have been mysteriously taken from the gym. I knew she didn’t want the actual fundraiser to go badly, because that would reflect on her. But making me look bad and then taking over to make herself look like a hero and me a zero? Yeah, that was high school bullshit at its finest.

“A. I didn’t know about this, and as second-in-command of your fundraiser committee, I should have been told immediately, so I curse Rachel with pillows that are hot on both sides.” Lu waved her finger around like a magic wand. “And B. What did Ms. Fancypants say? Doesn’t she do all kinds of fundraiser philanthropy stuff for the Mustangs?”

“Sorry, and yes. She wants to host the fundraiser at the Manniway estate.” If I could get the rest of the reunion committee to approve of the move, which, really, who wouldn’t want to be able to go to a party at the Manniway’s, we’d have to get a notice out to the rest of the class, transfer the donations we’d already gotten from the gym, and a whole logistical nightmare.

But the look on Rachel’s face would be priceless. Even she couldn’t pretend she was a big fish in Marie Manniway’s pond.

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