Page 149 of Prodigal Son

“Talk to him,” her friend mouthed, not so subtly pointing at the guy.

The fact that she was running into this guy again, at a different bar, a week after she’d met him the first time, only made his presence more suspicious. “He’s married,” Destiny hissed. She turned her scowl to the guy. “Are you following me?”

“I’m not married. I need to speak to you.”

She folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her stare. “Last week you told me you had a wife.”

“That wasn’t me.”

“Oh, okay.” She rolled her eyes and dragged her drink closer, sipping out of the straw.

“I’d like to buy you a drink,” the man said just as her straw reached the bottom of the ice and made an obnoxious slurp.

“She accepts,” Rochelle blurted, shoving Destiny out of the booth.

She clumsily clattered to her feet and the man steadied her. Destiny jerked back, preferring not to let the weird ones touch her. Pivoting to face her friend who just ejected her from her seat, she hissed, “What’s the matter with you?”

Rochelle threw her oversized purse on the bench. “In the words of Mean Girls, you can’t sit here.”

Appalled, she looked to Brenda and Carmella. Carmella wouldn’t meet her gaze and Brenda shrugged. “Rules are rules.” She arched her neck to look around Destiny at the guy. “She likes her martini extra dirty.”

The man grinned and Destiny rolled her eyes again. He was stupid pretty. “I have a seat at a table over there.”

“Right. I’ll meet you there.” As soon as he left, she pivoted and snapped at her friends. “What is wrong with all of you? The guy is married.”

“He said he’s not.”

“Well, the other day he said he was. He’s a total creeper.”

“I may be wrong,” Carmella said, chasing her straw with her mouth. “But I’m pretty sure we’ve all fucked a creeper at some point or another. He looks harmless.”

“And hot.” Brenda sat back and sighed. “God, did our husbands ever look that good?”

“Did you see his arms?” Rochelle asked. “They were like ropes.”

“Um, hello, this is how women get murdered. You all want me to have sex with this guy even though he could be a total psycho? Do you even see how he’s dressed?”

Brenda and Rochelle glanced across the bar and Carmella said, “He’s wearing clothes? I was picturing him naked this whole time.”

Destiny scowled, tapping the table to get everyone to focus. It was like an attention deficit convention when they drank. “What the hell should I do?”

“Um…” Brenda pressed a finger to her lips. “I’m pretty sure you let him buy you drinks while we spy and try to lipread, then go home with him and ride his face until you come.”

“Oooh, that’s a great plan!” Carmella cheered.

“But don’t just ride his face,” Rochelle said. “Ride that dick.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re all married. How could you possibly be that sex starved?”

“Honey, eating regular meals isn’t the same as enjoying a decadent feast.” Brenda pointed at the table where the man waited with Destiny’s martini. “That man is a banquet for the senses, and we need you to go make a meal out of him.”

Destiny reluctantly glanced back. They were right. He was easily the hottest guy she’d ever seen in person. “He offered to buy me a drink. It’s not a marriage proposal.”

“You don’t need to marry him to fuck him,” Carmella slurred and the girls laughed. She waved her away. “Go on now. Go.”

“I hate all of you,” Destiny hissed, then crossed the bar. She lowered onto the seat across from him. “Thanks for the martini.”

“You’re welcome, Destiny.”

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