“Sorry. It’s just so … exciting.”
“Exciting? Not the word I thought you’d go with. Weird, strange, ass backward, yes. But exciting, well, you’ve caught me off guard.”
She shrugs, sinking down onto a stool at my kitchen counter. I splash the soapy sponge onto the last pan left in the sink and turn my back to her, still freaking out that she knows about Forrest and me.
“Honestly? I think it’s great. More than great. You need a good release now and again.”
“Nice pun.” I crack up, and I hear her giggle behind me.
I use the dish towel I’d answered the door with to dry the last pan, put it in the drying rack and then turn to face her. My elbows slide over the cool countertop, my body squaring off with Presley’s across the island.
“How the hell did this happen?” Her expression is full of wonder, and the promise of titillating gossip.
Sighing, I know I won’t get out of this conversation without spilling all the beans. So I go to the cabinet, grab two wineglasses, and pour us each a glass.
“Let’s go sit in the living room,” I tell her, and she follows.
We snuggle into my couch, and I take a hefty swallow before starting. “First off, no one else knows about this, understand? It’s bad enough you found out … wait, how did you find out?”
Presley sips and smiles. “I went to get an electric razor for the cut-a-thon from Forrest, he promised to let Keaton use the nice one he has. I saw your old, ratty hoodie slung over the back of the couch.”
“Shit, I’d meant to pick that up from his house today. So I can’t even blame this on him.” I have to laugh because my careless sex romps became my undoing.
“I was so fucking shocked, I think I stood there like a fish with my mouth open for way longer than I should have. Forrest totally knows that I know. He was so damn frightened, I wouldn’t be surprised if you threatened to chop his balls off if someone found out.”
“That’s exactly what I did.” I cackle, and Presley joins me.
“So spill it, sister. Can I call you sister? Because technically you are one now.” She claps her hands together.
I point at her. “Hey, don’t go getting all sappy on me. That’s Lily’s job.”
Presley slaps a hand over her mouth. “Does Lily know? And you bitches didn’t tell me!”
“No, Lily doesn’t know. And please don’t tell her. She’d ask if I was all right, if I thought about Travis, and then she’d get some moony idea that Forrest and I were going to live happily ever after.”
My best friend is wonderful and kind, with a heart of gold. But I didn’t want my sex life to be mistaken for some psychoanalysis on my heart falling in love. Lily would turn it into a therapy session and then try to push me into ending up with Forrest. Right now, I was enjoying our agreement and didn’t want it to get too heavy.
Presley nods, her mouth flicking down in disappointment, but she doesn’t disrespect my ask of her.
So I start at the beginning. “Remember when we all went to the Goat that night? The night Keaton came to meet you out and then everybody left coupled up or upset about their love life? Well, it was just Forrest and me left at the end, and he always flirted with me or made crude jokes. I would tease him about his age and try to ignore that devilishly handsome swagger he has. But … after a few drinks, he was looking pretty good. Pretty delicious, actually, and completely available. He made a suggestive comment, and I ran with it.”
I shrug here, remembering the split-second decision I’d made in the bar that night. “I was horny, he was hot, and we ended up fucking in his car in the parking lot.”
Presley squeals in delight at the juicy retelling. “Tell me it was fantastic? Car sex is hot on its own, but torrid car sex with a younger man? This is something out of an erotic novel.”
I bite my lip, regarding her. “It was incredible. I’d only had sex with one other person before that, after Travis died, and it was …”
The way my thighs are burning causes me to break off, because I can feel everything south of my waist begin to tingle and isn’t it weird for that to happen with Presley sitting right next to me.
“You’re getting turned