Page 39 of Feast

“Good. I took one, but then I got all sweaty again.”

“Braggart,” Halley called after her as she disappeared into the bath.

Maddie made quick work of washing up, then wrapped a towel around her head, slathered on moisturizer, and headed out to dress.

“Why is your ass so red?” Halley wondered.

Maddie poked her head into the closet. “Because I had a good time.”

“How is that good?” Halley asked, perplexed, then shook her head. “Never mind, I don’t think I want to know.”

“Sorry. I’d put on a robe, but they don’t fit me.”

“You could wrap a towel around yourself,” Halley pointed out.

“They don’t fit either,” Maddie replied and stepped out with the two outfits she’d brought with her. “Which one?”

“For the wedding?” Halley narrowed her eyes, considering. “Well, you can’t wear the dress.”

“I can’t?” Maddie turned the dress to look at it. The cashmere wrap dress was soft, flattering on her full figure, and perfectly respectable if you didn’t mind showing some cleavage—which Maddie did not. “Why not?”

“I don’t think wearing white to Heather’s wedding is the way to show you’re open to a relationship with her.”

“Oh, damn.” Maddie stared at her sister. “I didn’t even think of that.”

“Definitely go with the jumpsuit,” Halley said firmly. “Although…”

“What?”

“It might not be dressy enough,” Halley decided.

“It’s silk,” Maddie pointed out. “How is silk not dressy enough?”

“And it’s kind of bright,” Halley went on, frowning as she considered the garment.

“It’s emerald green, not glow-in-the-dark orange,” Maddie said, exasperated.

“And I’m wearing my red dress,” Halley went on, her frown deepening. “If you wear green, we’re going to look Christmassy in the wedding photos.”

“We’ll just have to make sure not to stand next to each other, because these are the only two options I brought.”

“Well, it’s too late to go buy something else,” Halley complained. “Since you spent the day banging He Who Must Not Be Named.”

“Worth it,” Maddie said cheerfully and, tossing the jumpsuit across her bed, went to hang up the dress.

“Seriously, how do you fuck someone without knowing their name?” Halley asked. “Do you just…not talk?”

“I talked,” Maddie said, pulling out panties and a bra. “He talked. A lot, actually. He’s not a real gregarious guy, but he’s sure a chatty fuck.”

“But like, how? What did he call you? I assume he doesn’t know your name, either.”

“He doesn’t.” Maddie stepped into the panties. “He called me a lot of things. Baby, sugar, that kind of thing.”

“And what did you call him? Darling?”

“Well, I was calling him 3A, because that was his seat on the plane.”

“Hot.”

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