Page 26 of I Love You, So What?

“Lexy, is that you?” I freeze. No. I spin on my heel slowly.

“Mother,” I spit venomously, my eyes narrowing. What the fuck is she doing here?

“Hi, honey. It’s so good to see you.” She moves like she’s going to hug me, but I step back, stumbling into my new date and catching his attention again.

She pauses her advance, and I’ll at least give her credit for that. I haven’t seen her since I moved out at 18. “What are you doing here?” My voice is flat.

“Same thing you’re doing here by the looks of it.” She smiles brightly like she’s proud we are trolling for men together. “Seems I taught you well.”

“You didn’t teach me anything,” I challenge. If there was more alcohol soaking into my stomach, I might have thrown it up at the thought of my mother and me being the same. We are not the same. She’s here looking for love to consume her, destroy her. I’m chasing the elusive orgasm and anything that isn’t love. But fuck if it doesn’t make me feel all sorts of cringy seeing her at this bar like she’s a cougar among the younger crowd on the dance floor. I might be looking back at a gorgeous, middle-aged woman with perfect blonde curls and fake lashes that make her matching blue eyes pop, but I refuse to be a younger reflection of her on the inside.

“So, how’s my baby girl?” she asks sweetly, ignoring my hostility.

“We’re not doing this, Mom.”

“Mom?” Unnamed guy joins our conversation, confused.

“Not really,” I tell him, spinning where I stand, his hands instinctively finding my waist. This is too fucking easy. Before he can question me, I add, “You down to get out of here?” I pinch the red straw to the side of my glass with my finger and chug what’s left of it.

“Uhh, yeah.” He tips his drink back then sets it on the bartop and lays out his hand in front of us. “Lead the way.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LEXY

IfIwasn’talreadyconvinced kissing Troy two weeks ago and hooking up with him last week were the worst mistakes I could have made, I am now. Sex has always been a way for me to, ironically, disconnect. I figure if getting physical is what typically forms bonds between a couple, my only option is to dissociate and prevent that from happening. It’s a game, a good time. Get in, get out. That’s it.

But not this time. This time, the Universe was likeHey, hold my beer, and watch me kick your ass at this game you think you’ve mastered. This time, I couldn’t even try to focus on the orgasm I knew would never come. All I could think about was Troy. Hell, I almost did get off just thinking about him while I was with guy-whose-name-I’ve-already-forgotten. Levi, I think?

Maybe I just need a little more time to get him out of my system. If anything, my pull toward him is nothing more than the way he takes care of me in bed, in a way that no one else has even tried. Now that I’ve seen what a man is capable of, it’s hard to want to choose my vibrator over that. The worst he can say is no. If he does, I’ll be fine.

Me:Can you come over tonight? I get off around one.

Troy:Hi, Lexy.

Me:How’d you know it was me?

Troy:You’re the only person I’ve given my number to.

Me:Oh. So…

Troy:Does this mean you're willing to reconsider this possibly being more than sex?

Me:I already told you I’m not.

Troy:So, this is you booty calling me?

Me:What’s the problem? You came when Lauren called.

Okay, that was probably a little uncalled for. Why am I worked up about this?

Troy:I didn’t want to date Lauren. I had nothing to lose.

Me:Sex is all I can give you, Troy. Take it or leave it.

Troy:Sex isn’t enough, Lexy. I’ll see you around.

What kind of guy turns down no attachment sex? Especially a guy who has literally been in a no attachment sex contract. Though, I guess it's good he’s honest. I can’t complain about him having the one quality I feel like everyone else in this town is missing.

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