Page 10 of Four-ever Single

“Oh,” I said, grabbing my shoes. “Want me to sneak out?”

She scrunched her face as she thought about it.

“No, that seems a bit extreme,” she said, shaking her head. “But I don’t think I’m ready to explain us to anyone just yet. I kinda like having it as our little secret if that’s okay with you?”

I nodded, unsure what to say.

“So, what do you want to do?” I asked, letting her take the lead.

Just then, we heard the water turn on across the hall as the shower started in the master bathroom.

“She’s getting in the shower, so we should be okay. Sorry to kick you out.”

“It’s fine. Really.”

We walked to the door, and Bella stopped as she listened, then slowly opened the door. We got to the end of the hallway and almost to the kitchen when we heard a door open and footsteps coming down the hall.

I gently shoved Bella into the kitchen and then squatted down to look at an outlet by the cabinet.

“I don’t know why it keeps tripping, but we should definitely have it checked,” I said, bullshitting as I felt Lia walk up to us.

“Oh, hi. I didn’t realize anyone was here,” she replied, holding her towel tighter against her body as I glanced over my shoulder. “I was just coming to grab my coffee before jumping in the shower.”

“Didn’t mean to startle you,” I apologized. “I came by to check this outlet. Bella said it’s been going out often and was worried it might be a fire hazard.”

“I didn’t know that. I just used it the other day, and it worked fine,” Lia said, brows pulled together as she leaned forward. “Did you try plugging something into it, or can you tell just by looking at it?”

“We were just getting ready to plug this in,” I said, standing up and reaching for a box beside me on the counter.

I heard a small gasp escape Bella’s lips as she covered her face with her hands and spun around.

Lia’s eyes widened as she stared at me in disbelief.

“That’s what you’re going to plug in?” Lia asked, cocking her head to the side as she tucked the top of her towel in further.

I looked down to find a box with a flesh-colored dildo in my hand. But it wasn’t just any dildo—it was the fucking king of all dildos, measuring twelve inches long with a piercing through the tip. I swallowed hard, unsure of what to say as I continued to hold the bawdy package in my hand.

“Sorry, I must have grabbed the wrong thing,” I said, clearing my throat as I set it on the counter beside me. My cheeks burned hot as embarrassment washed over me.

Lia narrowed her eyes as she looked between us.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “Are you two messing around or something? Why is he here this early in the morning and trying to plug in your dildo?”

“Nope,” I said, shaking my head as I stared at the floor. “Just here doing a safety check, keeping the residents of Beaumont Creek from starting unnecessary fires.” I rocked back on my heels as I lied through my teeth.

“Here it is,” Bella said, interrupting at the perfect moment. “Sorry about the mishap. Sometimes I forget to put work stuff away.” She grabbed the box with the Dark Vibes logo across the top and pushed it back into the corner on the counter before handing me a different box with a hand mixer. Her eyes softened, and she offered a sympathetic smile while Lia wasn’t looking.

“Thanks.” I took it out of the box and unwrapped the cord before plugging it into the outlet. I slid the button up and turned it on. “Looks like this one is working just fine,” I said, turning it off and unplugging it.

“Perfect. Good to know.” Bella smiled widely, but I could see she was still nervous with how Lia continued to watch us.

“I thought you said it wasn’t working?” Lia asked, studying Bella.

“I must have forgotten to turn it on.” She shook her head and placed her palm on her forehead. “Silly me. Where is my head these days? Must be more tired than I thought.”

“Why are you so tired?” Lia probed, arms folded over her chest.

“I don’t know. Just didn’t sleep well last night. Maybe too many shots?”

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