Kate sighed. “Are you really going to make us beg?”
Kennedy tapped her finger against her lip. “I thought you were better than us, A. I thought you could be trusted to give us all the dirt without having to threaten, blackmail, or assault you. You disappoint me.”
Her lip twitched. She leaned back in the chair and gave herself up. “You want to know about my hot cop not stripper?”
“Yes!” Kate screeched, all dignity completely abandoned. “I haven’t had any time to get the dirt since he scooped you up all cavemanlike and carried you out the door. Oh my God, I wanted to die. And he stripped for you? Well, his shirt at least. Kind of. I was so hot, poor Slade had to call in late the next morning. I almost killed him.”
Kennedy looked quite satisfied. “Nate told me if I was going to come home like that more often, he’d hire a stripper himself. I told him it was the romance between you guys that got me crazy. Oh, and BTW? The stripper I actually hired was so not up to par with Stone Petty. If he ever wanted to quit and make a living taking off a quarter of his clothes, tell him he’d be rich.”
Arilyn laughed. It was fun being the one gossiped about for a change. When she was dating Jacob, no one asked her questions because he was off-limits. A dark, private secret no one liked to bring up. They’d gotten so used to her silence that her friends stopped trying to pry. She never got to cry, bitch, or chatter about sex or her relationship. Finally, it was her turn. “I’ll be sure to pass on the compliment. Knowing him, it’ll make his day.”
“Did you have great sex? Glorious, orgasmic, all-night, I-can’t-walk-this-morning sex?” Kennedy demanded.
“No.”
“What?” Kennedy threw up her hands. “Dudette, if that didn’t make you give it up, nothing will!”
Arilyn rolled her eyes. “I wanted to, but he said I was too drunk. Gave me the speech about wanting me to remember it and no regrets in the morning.” Every time she thought back on the scene, he edged a notch up in the respect department. It took a strong man in control not to follow his penis, and he’d been as crazy in lust as she had. Yet he wanted her to be sure. How sexy and cool was that?
Kate nodded in understanding. “I like. I’m sure you were pissed at the time. I think Slade did that to me once, but the next morning you realize he’s a real man.”
“Agreed,” Kennedy said. “So when are you guys gonna do it?”
Arilyn groaned. “Is nothing sacred?”
“Hell, no. When?”
“Not sure. Our date this weekend got hijacked by Poppy and Mrs. Blackfire.”
Kate choked on a sip of water. “What? You actually saw the Wicked Witch of Verily in a social gathering?”
“Worse. Poppy invited her over for dinner. It was quite cozy.”
Kate shuddered. “That woman scares me. Is she still trying to cut down the Tree of Spite?”
“She tried, but I foiled her wicked plan. Poppy likes her, so he keeps inviting her over.” She paused, trying to introduce the odd thought delicately. Ever since Mrs. Blackfire talked about her lost husband, she’d become more sympathetic in Arilyn’s eyes. “She seemed different. Kind of human.”
Kate shot her a look. “It’s a guise so she can cut down Gen’s tree in the middle of the night. Don’t trust her! Even Robert avoids going by her lawn, and he loves everyone.”
Arilyn decided it wasn’t a good time to list the few assets of her neighbor. “Well, they were the main reason nothing happened. We’re keeping the relationship hidden because of the anger management class.”
Her friends shared a pointed look. Kate gentled her voice. “Babe, you have to listen to us. Stone is not asshole Yoga Man. You can’t begin a relationship trying to hide things. Did you talk about what you both want?”
“Yes. He clearly said it will be an affair for however long we were both happy.”
Kennedy frowned. “Did he say he wanted to keep it private? Or is that your idea?”
“No, he said he wanted to date and take me out. I’m the one who doesn’t want my two other students from anger management to know. It would be awkward.”
Kate beamed. “Good, so he doesn’t want to sneak around. I want you to invite him to the wedding.”
Her mouth fell open. “What? No, that’s impossible; you already have the seating