“You’re aware of it,” the two of them chorused with me.
Ora was standing there, nodding along with Taylor and Rand. “She just wants you because you’re currently hot and sexy and wealthy. “
Shaking my head, I stood and started to walk away from them. “I don’t have to explain my relationships to you yutzes. I’m aware that half of why she’s with me is the money.”
“Then let her go, for God’s sake,” Rand grumbled, following me through the doors and into the hall. Ora trailed him. “Let her go.”
“Why? We’re good in bed. It’s fun. We both get something out of this.”
“Her a hell of a lot more than you.” He grabbed my elbow. “Are youhappywith her?”
“Of course, I am.”
“Liar, you’re not.”
“I don’t hate her, either, Rand. I don’t know where you’re going with this.”
“The perfect reason to stay with someone: you find them pleasantly uninteresting. Something mild, like green peppers and discount box store tennis shoes or store brand soap. Brilliant, from the mind of our faithful leader. I’m staying with my girlfriend because I don’t want to spring for the Irish Spring.”
“Did you just compare my girlfriend to soap?”
Rand shook his head. “Not just soap. Store brand soap. Mild, pleasant, non-descript fragrance soap you bought on sale. Because that’s what you’ve always bought and what always worked.”
Ora cocked his head at me. “Maaaaybe, it’s time to start taking care of yourself. Treat yourself to a bar of moisturizing soap. Maybe a spendy trendy kind of soap. And a loofa. Something that smells good and feels good, not just comfortable.”
“You areseriouslycomparing my love life to a fucking moisturizer bar.”
“Well…yeah. It’s a good analogy, considering.” Oralooked thoughtful. “I mean, it’s better than just sayingdump the bitch.”
“Wow, don’t hold back,” I grumbled.
“How is she taking the Russia thing. I don’t get why she’s so keen to be seen at the Kremlin. It’s…a big brick fortress.” Rand shook his head.
“She figured out Grig was the one holding our visas up, but she still thinks her visa is involved in this. I’ve told her like ten times, she’s not going, and she just whines about Rome and Paris.”
“Suggestion?” Ora put his hand up. “Since it’s not about the money, just send her to Timbuktu. I mean Paris.”
“It doesn’t work that way. She won’t be seen withus.”
Austin stepped out from a doorway just ahead of us and dropped his fists to his hips. “What they’re trying to say is dump her. Just dump her. She’s a drain on you. You don’t need that. A real partner is going to be supportive, and worried, and she’s not.”
“Are you all on my case about this?”
Uriah stepped out and leaned against the wall. “Yes. I get why I can’t always go with Austin on a tour date, she needs to be more understanding or you should broom her ass.”
Austin’s face screwed up in confusion and he glanced at his boyfriend. “Uri? You okay?”
“Just fine.” He grinned.
“That was rather violent of you,” Rand said.
“I can be violent if I like. I don’t have to jump in front of a bullet to prove my manliness.” He hip-checked Austin, who just blossomed red.
“Is dodging bullets a thing?” Aaron was standing in the arch of the hallway, looking terrified.
Jace stepped around him. “And occasionally shooting people in the ass.”
“Wait, someone shot someone in the ass?”
