do lots of guys, Taylor,” I say, sighing dramatically. “I’ve got it going on in all the right ways.”
Taylor grins. “I know your feelings were hurt with Goliath, but you’re strong. You have your friends and family. You have your detective work. You have the dogs. You can handle whatever happens.”
Resting my head on her shoulder, I whisper, “I love your pep talks.”
“Anytime.”
“I didn’t think Shane would handle it so well.”
“I think he likes the idea of you having a kid solo. You’ll have a baby of your own and stop stealing his. Plus, he probably figures being a single mom will keep you from hooking up with another man. It’s the best solution for a guy who doesn’t want to share you.”
“He does love his big sis.”
“We all love you.” Taylor takes my hand and gives me a soft smile. “I’m proud of you for having sex even if it didn’t work out.”
“The sex part was good, but it felt sort of empty too. Goliath is a stranger. Still, I had orgasms, and that’s probably the only thing that really matters. It’s like a football game. Sure, the teams might run back and forth and tackle each other and throw beautiful spirals, but without the touchdowns, would anyone care?”
“Sex without orgasms is just work. Well, maybe not with someone you love. But, otherwise, it’s a fucking job with no paycheck.”
“Fuck that shit,” I say and tap Hansel’s nose. “Orgasms rule, but I can give them to myself. I’ll just use a naked Goliath as fantasy fodder.”
Before Taylor and I can talk more about how fun masturbation can be, I hear Desi’s voice at the front door. The chatterbug rattles off the many boring details from her day. She learned stuff. People did stuff. She ate stuff. People played stuff. A kid sneezed a lot. More boring crap.
Bouncing into the kitchen, the eight-year-old smiles at Taylor and me on the kitchen floor. Max waddles into the house, having picked up her niece from school.
“I did the worst on my spelling test,” Desi announces, wearing a big smile. “The teacher says I might need extra help at school.”
“Is extra help good?” I ask.
“Yeah, I get to leave class and go with a lady to another room. Then the kids like me get to learn different. It’s cool.”
I smile at Max, who shrugs. “Different is cool.”
“Hell yeah,” I say and high-five Desi.
“I’m going upstairs to tell my mom the news.”
Bouncing again, she heads for the stairs. I watch her go and smile at Taylor. “I could be a boring wiener like Max and River or Shane and Ramona or—”
“Wait, what?” Max asks, having walked to the fridge. “Why am I a boring wiener now?”
“Best not to think about it,” Taylor says and then gestures for me to continue.
“Or I can be different by having my baby alone. And instead of living with a man I love, I’ll masturbate to thoughts of my baby daddy. Yes, I will be different rather than a boring wiener. You know, like Max.”
Taylor and I laugh at Max’s expression. She always experiences a moment of genuine horror before realizing people are messing with her. Then she smiles and gives me an awkward middle finger.
“She’s adorable,” I say while Max walks outside to look for her man. “I figure she’ll return when she realizes I’m pregnant.”
“Until then, you and I can pry our asses off the floor and get comfortable on the couch.”
“You’re probably just tired from all the sex you committed people to enjoy.”
Taylor grins as we gently shove the dogs off our laps and head to the TV room. Soon, we’ll be joined by kids and pregnant women. To prepare to be on our best behaviors, we take turns insulting each other. By the time she calls me a wet pussy fart, I’m okay with that whole different thing that I’m pretending to be okay with.
THE GOLIATH
Dione has a thing for me. The sweet butt isn’t in love or even interested in commitment, but she doesn’t like getting told no. She’s young and sexy and always smiling. My club brothers like her. I’ve seen guys sitting with one sweet butt—maybe even a chick they’ve been “loyal” to for years—only to walk off with Dione. She has a quality that men like—good girl gone bad.
I liked her in the beginning. She wasn’t my favorite. I never had one sweet butt that I fucked more than the others. Even when I was with Becklyn and then Jaymes, I