Page 107 of The Neighbor Wager

“Yes.” He stands and paces the length of the table. “I meet women. And they think I’m a sort of sweet, dorky guy. Because—” He motions to his polo shirt and his boat shoes.

“Even here?”

“Everywhere.”

“Women expect something different with me,” he says. “Someone less—”

“Horny?”

He chuckles. “You are a straight shooter. She was right.”

“What is it exactly?”

“The size. The skill. The imagination. Everything.”

Holy shit, heisLexi’s perfect man. “You haven’t told Lexi this?”

“Only that I wanted to wait because my ex…all my exes. It’s always the same thing. They have one taste and it’s all they want to do. We don’t eat, we don’t sleep, we don’t go to movies or museums or meet my parents. We fuck. All day, all night, until the flush of a new relationship wears off, and they’re too chaffed to keep it up.”

“You’re that good?”

“See. Six months ago, I would have said,I’ll show you, baby, and that would be it. We’d be horizontal in twenty minutes. Or vertical. I can do a lot vertical.”

Uh…

“But I’m not that guy anymore. I want love. Someone who loves me for my heart, not my dick.”

“And you don’t have that now?” I ask.

“Do I?”

My head spins. This is…ridiculous and completely right for Lexi. “Lexi cares about you. And she needs D. Her words. That’s what I know.” I know more, too. “And this waiting, I think it’s been good for her, too. Because she’s usually more love ‘em and leave ‘em. And she’s actually had time to get to know you.”

He nods, likesee, it’s working.

“But she’s waited long enough.”

“I should find her right now? Take her back to my place?”

“That’s what I would do.”

He nods, turning over the words. “Is it really that simple? We have sex and she asks me to play her fake fiancé and we’re happily ever after?”

“Maybe. If you two both agree to that.” If they have sex, she’ll probably lose interest in River. Assuming he’s even still interested in her. Since this is all an experiment. Not a normal thing. “Probably. But…can I give you some advice?”

He nods.

“Don’t ask her what happened,” I say. “During this break. If there was someone else, it doesn’t matter. It’s not personal. It’s just Lexi trying to meet her needs.”

He nods, taking in the information. “There is one other concern.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah… What if it’s not good?”

It’s a rare man who acknowledges that possibility.

“What if we’re too nervous? I… I’ve never waited six months before.”

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