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Thea lifted an eyebrow. “That was the only reason?”
Astrid looked from one of her best friends to the other as the corners of her mouth started to twitch. Damn it, there really was one major drawback to having friends who knew the real you, and that was you couldn’t bullshit them.
“Well, that and the fact that I had to take intro biology twice in college to get a high enough grade for it to count toward my general ed requirements,” Astrid said. “None of that changes the fact that there is no way I should be doing this with Cal.” She sank back against her chair, an anxiety tornado tearing up her insides like they were a trailer park. “Not that this is a date, but it’s close, and the only person I’ve ever been out on a date with is Tig.”
Her friends made sympathetic noises.
“Tig may be the only guy you ever went out on a date with, but at one time his was the only dick you’d seen, too.” Thea laid her hand on Astrid’s and gave it a comforting squeeze. “It’s healthy to change and grow.”
“And see more cocks,” Nola said, lifting her beer in an official toast. “Also, this is totally a date. You don’t have to pretend with us.”
“I’m not,” Astrid said, her cheeks burning (along with her pants). “Cal and I agreed it wasn’t.”
Nola shot her a dubious look. “Just like you two keep agreeing that you’re not going to have sex again?”
She opened her mouth to protest but closed it again. What was the point? Even if she could lie to herself, she couldn’t to her best friends.
“Why is that?” Thea looked at her like she was a fossil under examination. “If you both like to have sex with each other, why don’t you? You’re not hurting anyone.”
And like that, her nervous energy, already going strong, went up a thousand notches straight to level-six anxiety complete with clammy palms, too-tight lungs, and the inability to stop jiggling her knee.
“Because if people found out, I would be,” Astrid said, blanching at the idea. “The headlines would be all about how the Ice Knights’ coach’s daughter was banging another person her dad was in charge of—again. They’d replay all of the Tig stories. I don’t want my dad to go through that again.”
What kind of shitty daughter would do that to her dad during his last year in hockey just for a few orgasms with a guy who was just a good time? Not her, that was for sure. Not that she wanted him to stick around. She wasn’t interested in forever. There was no way in hell she’d be wearing her mom’s white lace ever again.
“But what about what you want?” Nola asked, her voice gentle.
Astrid’s stomach clenched as the memories she’d stuffed down deep tried to surface.
“I sure as hell don’t want to go through that again,” she said. “There were photographers hiding in my bushes. Then that sketch about it from the late-night comedy show went viral. My dad got asked about why Tig dumped me at press conferences. Repeatedly. Could you imagine that happening again? No thank you very much.”
Astrid slumped back in her chair and stared down at the drink coaster she’d been absentmindedly fidgeting with.
After a few moments of silence, Nola clinked her bottle against Astrid’s in solidarity. “Good thing this isn’t a date and you two aren’t going to have sex, then.”
Astrid pursed her lips in an effort not to giggle, but it was a losing battle. “It’s not funny.”
“Not at all,” Thea said, letting out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle. “Very poor form, Nola.”
They made it about two seconds before they gave in and were laughing hard enough that Uncle Mikey turned on his bar stool. He shook his head in censure at them like a hall monitor as if he wasn’t wearing court-ordered ankle jewelry, which sent them all into another fit of giggles.
“What do you even do on a date or a non-date or whatever the fuck this is?” Astrid asked when she caught her breath.
“You talk about why baked chips are an abomination,” Nola said.
Thea nodded a little too enthusiastically to even be close to serious. “You must discuss the importance of flossing.”
Nola’s serious expression didn’t even flicker with amusement. “Then you dare each other to kayak across the harbor.”
“Or you could take a swim in the MidCity Fountain,” Thea said before dramatically smacking herself on the forehead. “Both! You should do both.”
Nola went on with, “Deliver singing telegrams.”
“Act out your favorite musical in the middle of a train full of commuters,” Thea continued.
“Whatever you do,” Nola said, leaning forward and lowering her voice as if this was the most important life advice Astrid would ever get, “don’t use the word elbow.”
“Yeah,” Thea agreed, “that throws off the whole conversational flow. And if it’s being live-streamed, definitely don’t ask him if he wants to have revenge sex with you.”
