Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
“Good riddance!” she screams from inside. Then silence. No crying, no footfalls, no nothing. I stand there for a moment, wondering if Mrs. Piner is going to show her face again. But even the old lady knows to stay out of a lover’s spat, and with slow feet, I make my way back downstairs. I’m dejected. I’m destroyed. I’m an utter failure … and I did this all to myself.
10
Jamie
“Do you think it’s true?” I ask Kimber on the phone. “I mean, it’s just too fucked-up to be real, right?’
My friend pauses while burping her baby. Then, Lily lets out a satisfying belch and Kimber sighs while putting her daughter down.
“I mean, I guess it could be true. You know I’ve never actually been to a breeding party, so I don’t know if fluffers really exist. But maybe it’s true.”
I squint.
“But still, even if it’s true, the crock of shit about his friend Brad pulling out at the last minute because of some addiction to sex dolls! I mean, you can’t make this shit up. It’s so far-fetched as to be unbelievable.”
Kimber giggles despite herself.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to laugh,” she apologizes between more titters. “But yeah, that’s pretty insane, right? What did you say the friend’s name was again?”
“Brad,” I repeat in a glum voice. “Dane has some buddy named Brad. Brad evidently lives in the city somewhere, so they catch up whenever Dane’s in town.”
Kimber looks thoughtful, her pretty features scrunching up for a moment.
“Wait a minute. I think I know Brad, or at least I know of him. Did he go to school with Dane?”
“Yeah, I think,” I reply in a glum voice.
My pretty friend brightens.
“Then Ed knows him too! You know that Ed, Dane, and a bunch of other guys all went to the University of Wyoming together back in the day. I think I’ve seen a pic of Brad before. It’s Brad Thornton, right? You know, he’s the founder of Temu.”
I squint my eyes.
“Temu? What’s that?”
“Only the hottest grocery delivery start-up since FreshDirect came on the scene, girlfriend! Brad Thornton is gorgeous too. I haven’t met him in person, but like I said, I saw their class reunion pic and this guy is seriously a god.”
“So he actually exists?” I ask, dumbfounded.
“Hell yeah!” Kimber laughs. “He’s not a ghost. He was definitely in that photo.”
I shoot my buddy a half-smile.
“Yeah, but does Brad Thornton seem like the type of guy who would develop an addiction to sex dolls? Seriously, I thought that was for teenage boys in Japan who are shut-ins. You know, the kind who never come out of their rooms, and their parents have to leave food at their doors.”
“Oh that,” Kimber says with an airy wave. “Yeah, those guys are weird, aren’t they? I’ve heard of them too. There’s a term for them: hikkikomori. Evidently, all they do is play video games and watch porn on their computers. It’s seriously strange, and their parents are at a loss for what to do about their sons.”
“Hikkikomori? It sounds more like an incel to me.”
“Well, I don’t think hikkikomori hate women the way incels in the United States do. At least, I don’t think so. I think they’re just hermits, except instead of living in a cave, they lock themselves in their childhood bedrooms.”
“Holy cow,” I muse. “There are definitely some weird peeps out there. With massive issues too.”
“I know,” Kimber says wisely. “So maybe Brad’s not all that weird. I mean, as far as I know he’s running a business empire during the day. That has to be stressful, and so what if he prefers sex dolls when he gets home at night? Sometimes, it’s easier to deal with a doll than another human being, especially if you’ve been trying to manage human beings as part of your day job.”
That makes me pause because it’s become clear that this person “Brad” actually exists. Dane didn’t make his friend up. But is the sex doll thing for real? And is it true that Brad called in Dane at the last minute as a replacement? I don’t know, but at the very least, I should try and find out. I take a deep breath before turning back to my friend.
“Kimber, can I ask a favor? It’s a big one.”
“Sure, shoot,” she says in a cheery tone. “You know I’d do anything for you.”
I inhale deeply.
“Do you think you could ask your contacts at Club Z if Brad Thornton was actually supposed to be a breeder two nights ago in New York? I know it’s a weird question, but that’s what Dane claims. He says that he only subbed in at the last minute because Brad dropped out.”
Kimber looks thoughtful as she nods.
“I’ll ask around,” she says. “I don’t know if we’ll get an answer because they can be pretty hush-hush when it comes to confirming identities, but it’s worth a try.”