Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 65192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Um, yes. I am,” I say, still too new to the girlfriend gig to feel comfortable announcing that he’s actually my boyfriend and we’re totally going to have sex soon.
Maybe tonight.
Maybe this weekend.
Who knows, but we’re definitely headed in that direction and it’s going to be amazing.
But that’s on a need-to-know basis, and Boob Woman and her friend do not have a need to know. I haven’t even told Evie and Harlow yet, and I’m not sure I’m going to until after the deed is done. I don’t want to jinx it, not when everything is going so well.
“See, I told you,” Boob Woman says to her friend, a much younger blonde with equally large boobs, though I’m pretty sure hers are real. They fill out the top of her flowered summer dress with the ruffles at the bottom but don’t give that “about to poke your eye out” vibe Boob Woman has on lock. Turning back to me, BW adds, “Erica and Sam used to date. It was pretty serious, wasn’t it, Erica?”
The blonde—Erica—waves an embarrassed hand. “I’m sure Sam’s friend doesn’t want to hear about that. It was a long time ago, anyway.”
“Two years isn’t that long,” BW says, adding to the free-fall, tumbling-through-the-terrifying-void-of-space feeling in my stomach. “Not when you’re my age, at least. And Chaz and I got back together after five years.” She fluffs her perfectly curled hair. “It was like no time had passed at all until he cheated again. And if Sam’s in the country now, that would solve the long-distance-relationship problem.”
“You had a long-distance relationship?” I ask, a part of me still not wanting to believe this is what it seems. After all, Sam never said he hadn’t dated other people, just that he hadn’t banged anyone else. And yes, this woman is gorgeous and sexy and looks like the type of person who would be having lots of awesome sex with her boyfriend, but maybe the distance got in the way of taking things to the next level.
Or maybe she’s really religious and wants to save her hymen until marriage.
Or maybe Sam couldn’t get it up for her because he secretly loves short girls with cellulite under their butts instead of tall, athletic blondes with no pores and blue eyes like the prettiest summer sky you’ve ever seen.
Or!
Or maybe this is a big misunderstanding, and they have Sam confused with someone else!
“You and Sam Burgos?” I add, crossing my toes inside my high-tops, willing her to wave that elegant hand of hers again and explain she dated a different Sam.
But she doesn’t. She nods and looks even more uncomfortable. “Yeah, he was my first serious boyfriend. We met while I was studying abroad in London. We lived together for a while and tried to make things work when I came back to New York to finish my master’s but…” She lifts her shoulders with a tight smile. “It was just too hard. When you’re used to being together every night, talking on the phone or doing a video chat just isn’t the same.”
Boob Woman slaps Erica’s knee while I do my best not to throw up on the dingy tile floor in the waiting room. “Which is why you should track him down on social media and slip into those DMs, girlfriend. It’s time for you two to reconnect and enjoy another summer of love.” She arches a wry brow my way. “I mean, someone should be having a summer of love, right? Since the two of us are giving up on love and becoming cat ladies. I’m fostering two. How about you?”
“I’m um…” I trail off, swallowing the bile rising in my throat as a panicked voice in my head insists everything is a lie—everything, from Sam’s virginity to his apparent adoration for me to his promise that I’m actually great at sucking dick, even though Sunday night was my first time, and I only got a few licks in before my dad came busting into the house.
And what about the job offer? Is that suspect, too?
Or am I blowing all of this out of proportion?
Before I can remember how to form coherent sentences or talk myself down from my state of panic, Amy appears at the door leading back into the kennel and vet offices. “Hey there, Jess. Handsome is ready for you. Want to come back and visit a little while before we put him in the carrier for the trip back to your place?”
“Um, actually, I um…” I stand, but my stomach stays on the floor. “I have to go. Something came up. I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll arrange a time to pick him up, soon.” I back toward the door, my heart slamming in my chest. “Or send him home with someone else if they’re a better fit. I’m just…” I’m a mess. An idiot. A dumb virgin naïve enough to think a guy learns how to touch a woman the way Sam touches me without some serious prior experience.