you mean!” I throw my hands up in exasperation. There’s no winning with these two. I totally give up.
“Carissa! Please!” Emy shouts as she grabs onto my arms and pulls back and forth. “I mean, look at the size of those biceps! Look at that smirk… ugh, he’s fucking gorgeous! Tell me this poster alone doesn’t make your panties wet!”
Shannon is guffawing. “Oh my God! Girl! I can’t with you!”
“Jesus, Emy! Chill!” I yell, rising from the couch.
Emy joins Shannon in a fit of giggles. I’m going to kill these two.
“How can you two be so damn—”
“Turned on?” Emy interrupts, cutting me off.
“Horny… definitely horny after looking at that and imagining the things—”
My eyes widen, and I cross my arms across my chest. “Shannon, you too? Your man would not approve.”
Shannon comes to my side and drapes an arm across my shoulders. “It’s a harmless comment. I’m not cheating on Chris. I love him. But come on, li’l sis. You have to admit that whoever he is, he is one fine piece of man meat… I can’t blame Emy for trying to get us to go with her. Well, you. I’m definitely going with.”
“Thank you, Shannon!” Emy exclaims, rising to her feet. She takes a few steps to reach us and holds out the flyer for us to see.
Honestly, I hadn’t even glanced at it when she first waved it around. It’s an advertisement for some big MMA fight coming up next month. Now, I’m looking at what they’re going crazy over. Some guy with his arms crossed—huge arms, might I add—is standing against a ring wearing a devilish smirk. A bunch of other muscle heads are to his left and right. Sure, he’s not bad looking, but like I said before, I’m not interested.
“Look, Em… She’s not saying anything. I think Guns got her attention… fin-a-fucking-ly!” Shannon states.
“I know, for real,” Emy says.
I furrow my brows and look at my sister. “Guns? I don’t see any weapons on this flyer.” I know what she’s talking about, but I love pulling their chain.
Once again, the two of them are cracking up.
Once Shannon catches her breath, she says, “Oh, Carissa. Sometimes I wonder if you were adopted. Guns… as in massive arms… not pistols.”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind seeing his pistol…” Emy says.
“Me neither!” Shannon chuckles.
I give the flyer another glance and then roll my eyes. “You two are ridiculous. I swear.” I walk back to the couch and take a seat.
Shannon sits on the love seat across from me, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. “I give up.”
Emy, instead, takes a seat right next to me. “Carissa, my best friend whom I’ve known since we were in kindergarten, please don’t make me drag you out of this house on the fifth to witness the eye candy the good Lord has blessed us with.”
Once again, I roll my eyes. “Emy, take Shannon’s advice and give up. I’m not attending any stupid AMM event.”
“MMA!” she shouts. “You know, UFC?”
I chuckle. “I know. I’m just trying to get under your skin like you’re getting under mine.”
I pick up my book, Anna Karenina, and dive back into the scene where Anna first meets Count Vronsky at the train station. No matter how many times I read this book, it always gets to me. Shannon and Emy are always calling me a bookworm, but I don’t care. I’m a sucker for romance novels—particularly this Tolstoy one.
I wonder if it’s because I’ve always wished for a love like the ones I read in books. Okay, not particularly a love like the one I’m currently reading about, but the passion for sure. Maybe it’s because this is fiction, and I know it doesn’t really happen in life. I’ll say that’s the reason so I don’t feel so bad about my own shortcomings in the romance department.
Sure, I’ve had a couple of boyfriends throughout my thirty-two years, but none of them have ever gotten me anywhere. My last was a complete disaster.
Well, he wasn’t my boyfriend when we split up. He was my fiancé, and he completely destroyed me after being with him for two and a half years.
What a complete fucking waste.
“Carissa,” Emy whispers to grab my attention once more. This time, I’m not totally mad at her. I’m thankful she’s pulled me out of my thoughts because every time I think of Steve, I want to strangle someone.
Placing my book to the side, I turn to face Emy.
“Shit, girl. I know that look. Are you thinking