I loved the idea, and I told him so.
“Okay, so I’ll go first tonight. Yes, that comment Ryder made this morning bothered me all day and I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to shut you out. I just got a little lost in the past for a while. Having him here is a constant reminder. Sometimes I deal better with it than other times.” I could understand that. I rewarded his confession with a kiss, but he didn’t let me turn it into something more like I wanted to.
“Your turn, Sunshine,” he said, pulling back and putting his hand between us so I couldn’t try to kiss him again. There were a number of things bothering me. It was going to be difficult to decide which one to tell him.
“Since I already told you about mine, which is what started this whole thing, can I be done?” I tried to give him a cute smile that would get me off the hook.
“Yes, you may have started it, but I shared with you. So I showed you mine. Now show me yours.” He moved closer to me, and I could definitely feel “his.”
“Fine. It bugs me that I have to have lunch with your ex-girlfriend. There.” I tried to kiss him, but he definitely put a stop to that.
“Wait just a second. I think I’m going to need more of an explanation than that.” Great.
“She asked me if I wanted to have lunch with her again. She’s told me that she’s not after you, but I’m still suspicious. I can’t help it. And then she came to my office like she wanted to talk about something and then she mentioned the lunch thing and ran away. I don’t want to think that she’s up to something, but she keeps behaving like she is. So that’s what’s bugging me.” I shrugged, because that seemed to be the only thing to do.
Lucah thought about that for a second.
“I’ll talk to her. I’m sure she’s not doing anything, but if it’s making you uncomfortable, it needs to be addressed.” And that was why I didn’t tell him.
“No, no. Don’t. I didn’t want to make a big deal of it, which was why I didn’t tell you in the first place. You don’t have to hop on my crazy train and ride it to the station. You asked what was bugging me, I told you. Doesn’t mean you have to do something about it.”
“If that’s what you want.”
“That’s what I want.”
He sighed.
“Okay. Then that’s what we’ll do. This concludes the sharing portion of our evening, and now we shall commence with the lovemaking.” Oh thank God. I liked that part much more than the sharing. Even though I’d pretty much asked for the sharing. The sex part was so much easier. He knew my body and I knew his and we gave and took and it was almost always perfect.
And then sleep. Sleep was the second best part, but it was made better by the sharing, I had to admit. I’d read somewhere that a clean conscience made a soft pillow, or something along those lines.
God damn if it wasn’t true.
Sloane continued with her recovery, and it became a source for me to tease her about at every chance I could. Even Ryder teased her, but she didn’t get as mad at him as she got at me when I teased her. Probably because I didn’t have a penis, giant biceps and tattoos.
“You all can just shut up,” she said at dinner the next night. “Like you’ve never done anything stupid, Miss Rory. I could tell Lucah all kinds of stories if I wanted to. But I’m an adult and I keep those things to myself.” It was true. She had tons of dirt on me. That threat was all it took to shut me up.
“I shall never tease you again,” I said with my hand over my heart.
“You’re so full of shit,” she said, throwing her napkin at me.
“Only sometimes.”
The tension from the night before was gone. So the stupid sharing had worked. I felt closer to Lucah, and he was much more affectionate and real.
“So did Marisol text you today?” Sloane said. I pulled out my phone and realized that she had, asking me if I wanted to be part of a charity dinner she was throwing. You paid like a bazillion dollars for a plate and then a bunch of chefs would cook and they usually had a comedian and a band. I’d done a few of them before, and they’d been fun, but I hadn’t had Lucah with me then. I’d brought Royce to a few and he had abandoned me for the bar, and sometimes the female bartender. Douche.
“So are you going to go?” she said after I’d read the text.
“I don’t know. I don’t think I could go alone and unescorted. I must have a man. But where could I find one?” I pretended to search the room before grabbing Lucah’s arm.
“Found one! You’ll do.” He looked at me as if I’d lost my senses.
“I’ll do for what?”
“Marisol is having a charity dinner. You pay, you eat, you dance, you try to make small talk. It’s a good time.”
Lucah still looked skeptical.
“It’ll be like the Company Ball. Only with the best of Boston society,” I said.
“What’s the charity?” Lucah said.
“Um, Cystic Fibrosis,” I said, reading back the text. “Come on, it’ll be fun. Sloane will make me a fabulous dress and I’ll get to see you in a tux and we’ll dance the night away. Don’t you want to dance with me?” I was really laying it on thick.
“Very well played, Sunshine. You know I can’t say no to you in a dress with the option of getting to dance with you.”
“So you’ll go with me?” He rolled his eyes as if it was a huge inconvenience and I was really putting him out.
“I guess.” I poked him in the chest. “Yes, Miss Clarke, I would be happy to escort you.” He kissed my hand and then twirled me around. Sloane sighed audibly.
“I’m guessing you also want to go,” Ryder said.
“Maybe,” Sloane said, sensing where he was taking this. “If I had someone to take me.” She sang the last part.
“Sorry, I don’t know anyone like that.” He went back to finishing the slice of blueberry pie Sloane had made. She waited for him to tell her he was joking, but he didn’t.
“Ryder?” Lucah said, trying to give him a hint.
“Yes, big brother?” Ryder played innocent. Clearly, he wanted to make a production before he actually asked her.
“You’re being a dick,” Lucah said, pulling me onto his lap.
“Why? What did I do?” Oh, he was good.
“So, I guess I’ll be seeing the two of you at the event? I’ve decided to go by myself. Some people just can’t handle my fabulousness.” Sloane flipped her long dark hair over her shoulder and turned away from Ryder.