Total pages in book: 150
Estimated words: 142818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
“I have a boyfriend. One who is hot, edgy, talented, plays a musical instrument and believes wholeheartedly in women’s rights, LGBT rights, civil rights … pretty much any rights that don’t pertain to rich, old, straight white men.” She winced, her eyes rushed to Elden as if she only just realized he was there. “Sorry, dude.”
At that, Elden’s brow raised a tad. “No apology necessary,” he replied. “I’m on your team, in your club, part of your collective … whatever won’t get me kicked out of here.”
I swallowed my smile at Elden exposing his neck to my tiny spitfire of a roommate, something I didn’t think even the baddest of the outlaws had been able to get him to do.
Sariah nodded as if that was good enough for her. “Actually, a man’s perspective might be quite valuable here.” She turned so her full attention was on Elden. “Okay, so as I said, I couldn’t have written myself a more amazing boyfriend. And technically, he does all of the right things in the bedroom, you know? He’s obviously spent a lot of time learning the female anatomy, and most of the time, he lasts a decent amount of time.” She screwed up her nose. “Okay, the majority of the time he lasts about five minutes. Which is honestly fine because I last about five minutes too, at least sometimes.” She reached forward to the glass I had just set down on the coffee table.
After she took a sip, she made duck lips. “There’s no booze in this,” she complained.
I stared at her then at my stomach. It was still pretty flat. “I’m pregnant.”
“Oh, and it’s frowned upon to drink while pregnant,” she teased.
“In some circles, I gather,” I replied dryly, grinning at Elden.
Sariah got up and went to the fridge, taking out a bottle of wine, a glass clanging as she took it out of the cupboard.
It turned out she’d taken out two glasses when she set them on the coffee table, pulling the cork out with her teeth.
“Uh, babe, I’m serious about the no drinking thing,” I informed her.
“I know you are,” she sighed, pouring. “This isn’t for you, it’s for him.” She motioned to Elden.
I pursed my lips to hide my grin. “Sweetie, does Elden strike you as the kind of man who enjoys a buttery Chardonnay?”
Her eyes trailed over Elden. “Don’t stereotype him like that,” she chastised. “He could love it but be imprisoned by conventional standards of masculinity that judge him for indulging in what has been categorized as a female only drink.”
“That is impressive, and thank you for standing up for me, but I don’t like white wine,” Elden told her with dancing eyes.
It was something of a delight watching him … unfurl like this, watching him speak in complete sentences and not brood as much.
I couldn’t hide my chuckle.
“Tough shit.” Sariah glared, holding out the glass. “My ride or die bitch cannot drink for me, and as the man who is responsible for this current condition,” she waved her hand at my stomach, “you have to take one for the team and drink with me.”
There was a challenge in her eyes as she dared him to deny her.
After a brief standoff, Elden took the wine.
I smirked once more.
“Okay, so, Elden, as a man, would you be mad if you found out Violet used a vibrator after having sex with you?” she asked, completely serious.
“She doesn’t,” he replied, looking at me in a way that made my ears feel warm.
“How do you know she doesn’t?” Sariah asked. “You could think you’re satisfying her, but really you’re not.”
Elden’s face was blank as his eyes fastened on me. “Am I satisfying you, baby?”
My toes curled, working really hard to keep my hormones under control with Elden staring at me like that. Suddenly I wasn’t so tired.
“Okay, I get it. You’re a sex god, and my best friend is very satisfied,” she moaned in exaggeration.
“He’s a boy,” Elden pointed out, going back to Sariah’s subject. “Whatever he knows about the female anatomy doesn’t mean shit. He obviously isn’t a man.”
She exhaled loudly, looking down into her wine glass.
“Maybe you could introduce the vibrator when he’s there.” I offered my friend a better solution than ‘he obviously isn’t a man.’ Elden was not well versed in giving dating advice.
Sariah sighed. “I guess.”
“Or you could get rid of him and find a man,” Elden suggested.
I shot him a withering look.
His eyes sparkled, as they did those days.
“Or I could get drunk on Chardonnay and avoid all my problems,” Sariah smiled.
I smiled back. “Sounds like a solid plan to me.”
Elden, the trooper that he was, stayed up with Sariah and me, watching Gilmore Girls while pretending he wasn’t getting his badass card revoked for doing such things. Then again, that badass card was tattooed into his very being; nothing could take it away.