Scandalous 2 Page 0,52

"Kate, I can handle this. I'm not naive. Please stop worrying about me."

"Fine," she says, pouring a cup of coffee. "I just don't want anyone to hurt you. You've been whacked in the head enough times to last a lifetime. Sorry if I was an ass. I didn't mean to be." There it is - the rare and evasive apology. Kate stirs sugar into her coffee as she says it, not looking at me.

"Me, too. I hate fighting with you." Kate glances up at me. Her prickly nature settles down. I smile at her and she smiles back. My smile turns into a lopsided grin.

"Cut it out. I'm not hugging you." She points her spoon at me as she puts it in the sink.

"No one asked you to." We're both laughing awkwardly. Neither of us is touchy feely, but she comes over and hugs me anyway. When Kate pulls away, I feel so much better. "So, I keep meaning to ask you, but every time I see you, something else happens."

Kate glances up at me from over the top of her mug. "Ask me what?"

"Who's the guy?" I give her a look that says, I know that you're seeing someone.

Kate spews her coffee and chokes. She slams the mug down on the counter and quickly turns away, which lets me know that I'm right. She's met someone. I thought she so. Kate had that perky I just had sex look on her face the other day.

Blotting her mouth with a napkin, she turns back, "There is no guy." She stares at me while she says it, like staring will make it true.

"No, of course not," I tease. "But you did sleep with someone."

"Stop it!" Kate squeals and turns away. "I hate it when you do that." There's laughter in her voice, but something else is there, too. This is a secret and she doesn't want to share yet.

"Okay, sorry. Just promise you'll tell me if things get going good." For the past few months Kate has shuffled through men quickly. Right before I moved back, some ass hurt her pretty badly. She didn't recover very well. Promiscuity seemed to be her thing for a while. I'm glad she finally found someone, even if she doesn't feel comfortable telling me about it. She's too great to be alone.

Kate turns slowly. She has a sheepish look on her face. Cradling her mug between her hands, she says, "He's really, ah..." She sighs, with a starry look in her eyes that is so not Kate. She smiles at me lazily and stirs her coffee. "It's just that things are going good for once, and I don't want to jinx it. I'll tell you soon. I promise."

"I'm happy for you, Kate." And I am. She deserves someone to love her just as much as Jack loves me.

Kate's sheepish smile contorts back into the wicked one. "So," she says, leaning back against the kitchen counter, "how's my little virgin's sex life? Gus said he walked in on you guys in the studio, and there was paint...which makes me wonder..." Her voice trails off and she holds up her cup like she's toasting me.

My face burns and now I'm the one hiding behind my mug. "That wasn't sex. We were doing something else. It just looked bad." Oh God. I'm going to kill Gus. Why'd he tell Kate that? I wonder if he told Cara, too.

"Well, then get on to the nasty stuff." She puts her mug down and claps her hands together and rubs. "Do you like it? My first fuck was horrible. You remember that Benji guy? He didn't know what he was doing. The guy needed a map. But Jack should know where all the goodies are, since he was Mr. Sexy and all that. So, is he treating you good? Does he always satisfy?"

"Kate!" I squeal. I'm not used to talking about this stuff at all, and even though Kate's my best friend, it feels strange. In a hushed voice, I lean forward and say, "We can't talk about that stuff."

She gives me a funny look. "Yes, we can and we will. We're not in high school anymore, Abby. And you're married. You shouldn't feel guilty about it at all, unless he's bad." Her smile fades and she looks totally serious. "He's not bad, is he?"

"No, he's wonderful." I get that stupid look on my face and I can't hide it. Kate laughs and urges me to tell her more. I finally