I wouldn’t be happy in those circles. Helping people and standing up for what matters is where I’ve always been the happiest. And I’m pretty sure that it always will be.
“You’re different today,” Rose says.
I tilt my head. “Why do you say that? I don’t feel different.”
“No, you are,” she says. “Your energy has shifted.” There’s a long pause, and then her eyes go wide. “You met someone.”
“What?” My response is way more shrill than I would like. “No, I didn’t. I mean, yes, I did. But trust me when I say that he’s not the type of man that you would approve of.”
Rose smirks. “Try me.”
So I do. I tell her all about the encounter with Keenan in his office and his frustrating wealth and ridiculous attraction and the fucking chemistry that still bothers me. I shouldn’t have any chemistry with someone like that. And how I don’t understand why he would give me that kind of tip as anything other than an insult.
When I’m done, my friend is just looking at me and sipping her tea. After a moment, she says, “You should fuck him.”
I nearly choke on the sip of mint I’d just taken. “Oh my god, Rose. You’re trying to kill me. What? No!”
“Why not? You said it yourself that you’re attracted to him.”
I make a face. “He’s everything that I stand against. I met him for five minutes, and I’ll never see him again. Was he hot? Yes. But I don’t need anything more than that. There are plenty of hot men in the world that aren’t him.”
“But chemistry like that is hard to come by, trust me. I’m not saying you have to date him, but if there are that many sparks flying between you, do yourself a favor and fuck him out of your system.”
I sit there for a moment, completely stunned. Rose is witty and sharp and fierce, and I have never seen this side of her before. It takes a few moments of me frozen in utter shock before she starts laughing. “My god, Justine, don’t act like I’m a sexless nun. I’ve got children. How do you think I got them?”
I laugh. “I know, I just wasn’t expecting you to tell me to fuck someone today.”
“No matter your principals, Justine, there is a shortage of truly excellent cock in this world. If you have the chance for it, take it and don’t look back. You won’t regret it later.”
Taking another sip of my tea, I laugh again. “I’ll keep that in mind. Though I’m dying to know what story you’re going to drop on me that proves the point.”
“A lady never kisses and tells,” she says with a grin. “But she does swallow and spill. There are more than I think you have time for today, dear. But I remember once upon at a time at one of those parties that everyone talks about—you know, ballgowns and tiaras and all that—I was invited, who knows why.” She stands and takes her cup to the sink slowly, another tradition of ours because she won’t let me do it for her.
This isn’t the first time that Rose has hinted at the fact that she had a glamourous life. It makes me wonder what her real story is and how she ended up here. She seems happy with where she is, and every time I try to ask her directly about her past, she shuts me down. But there are hints. Despite the age of this building, it’s beautiful and vintage and I have no doubt that it costs an absolute shit-ton to live here. Not to mention the services she pays for, like me.
“Anyway,” she continues, “we were dancing and drinking, and I saw this man across the room. Tall and blond and built—you know the type. And I swear that that man’s eyes set me on fire. It only took a few minutes before he was crawling under my skirt and giving me one of the best orgasms of my life. We left the party and didn’t look back. A night of some of the best cock I’ve ever had was well worth some dancing,” she chuckled to herself. “I didn’t find out till later that he was royalty. If I’d known, maybe I would have kept him another night.”
“Rose, oh my god. Talk about burying the lede here. Royalty from where?”
She waves a hand. “That doesn’t matter. The point is that you should enjoy yourself. Now come here, I have