To Molly’s surprise, that kiss wasn’t her only affectionate physical contact of the evening. Lise’s shoulder bumped against hers every time something funny happened, in companionable nudges of mutual amusement. At regular intervals, Janel doled out Goldfish crackers and megawatt smiles to her couchmates, as well as approving pats on the arm every time Molly participated in the discussion.
It was all... lovely. Disconcerting and a bit overwhelming, but delightful.
A wise woman would leave the meeting now, before enjoyment turned to longing. Molly couldn’t seem to make herself go, though. If wisdom meant missing the rest of the meeting and truncating this unexpected joy, long live foolishness.
“Hey, everyone!” Janel half rose from the couch and waved her hand to catch the group’s attention. “If I remember correctly, Slatterns ‘R’ Us actually carries a limited-edition dildo inspired by Satan’s prehensile tail-dick!”
“They do,” Bethany confirmed through a mouthful of muffin.
Janel grinned, pleased. “And they’re having a ten-percent-off sale this week!”
To Molly’s left, Lise produced her phone from her purse and tapped out a quick note to herself. Molly chose not to read it, for plausible deniability’s sake.
Across the room, in a big winged armchair with a half-dozen casserole dishes stacked near his feet, Karl mutter-shouted to the bespectacled Black woman next to him, “I get why someone might want two. But what the fuck would the third dick evendo?”
“Vibrate,” the woman—Jackie?—told him succinctly.
Molly hesitated to ask, but... “Wouldn’t having three stone penises attached to a flesh-and-blood body be painfully heavy? If they got caught somewhere, couldn’t they just... rip off?”
“Excellent question, Molly.” Bethany swallowed her bite, then smiled at her. “They regenerate. And the third one isn’t located where you might expect.”
That... brought up new questions. Ones that would have to wait, because apparently it was time for a real snack break before the discussion resumed.
“Ten minutes!” Athena called. “Then we talk aboutBedded by Beelzebub!”
Lise grimaced faintly. When Molly patted her leg consolingly, though, she mustered a genuine-looking smile and bumped their shoulders together again.
As soon as Janel rose from the couch and beelined for the bathroom, Karl started Molly’s way—but was immediately swarmed once more by concerned Nasty Wenches bearing resealable containers and offering hugs. All of which he accepted with gruff thank-yous amidst his grumbling, his cheeks flushed pink in pleased embarrassment.
He’d tidied up for the occasion. His beard was newly trimmed, his hair still gleamed with fresh-showered dampness, his logoless tee was clean and a flattering shade of forest green, and his usual Crocs had been replaced by pristine-looking sneakers. His dark jeans also molded to his ass in a very flattering fashion, which Molly had noted with appreciation multiple times.
Sadly, the crowd surrounding him had blocked that very pleasant view at the moment. Just like when she’d seen him with Charlotte’s family, though, Molly couldn’t help being charmed by the sight of Karl with people who clearly cared about him—and whom he clearly cared about in return. Because yes, various Nasty Wenches had presented him with casseroles, but he’d somehow found time to bake and bring along those Wenches’ favorite treats in return. And yes, they were all asking him about his flu recovery. But in between their questions, he was posing his own. Prodding them for news on their parents’ health. Checking on kids’ grades. Demanding updates about how things were going at various jobs.
Even with his overloaded schedule, he’d listened to a book fitting this month’s theme. He’d participated in the discussion. He’d—
“Hey, Molly!” Athena appeared in front of the couch, wreathed in smiles. “You doing okay?”
“I’m great.” Did Molly not look like she was having fun? Because she really, really was. “Um... thank you for asking?”
Her befuddlement must have been clear, because Athena plopped herself down in Janel’s spot and immediately explained, “I know meeting us en masse can bea lot.”
Well, Molly couldn’t really deny that. “Only in the best of ways.”
“Oh, good.” After a quick glance over her shoulder, toward the corner of the room where Matthew and Karl were now talking, she turned her full attention back to Molly. “So... tell me more about life out in LA. Is it all tacos and sunshine and glamour, like I imagine?”
Molly laughed. “Tacos and sunshine, yes. Glamour, no. Since I work from a home studio, I generally wear my pajamas all day and don’t bother brushing my hair.”
“Aka ‘living the dream,’” Lise murmured.
Athena tilted her head, eyes bright with curiosity. “Was your studio hard to build?”
“Not especially.” Putting everything together had only taken three days, even without much help from Rob. “It’s modular, so it sort of snaps into place?”
“That’s really cool.” Athena pushed her cat-eye glasses up to the bridge of her nose. “Would it come apart easily too, if you ever needed to move it?”
“In theory, yes.” According to the manufacturers, as well as the online testimonials of several other narrators. “Although I’ve never personally tested that claim.”
“And you’ve been in Los Angeles since college?” When Molly nodded, Athena made a thoughtful humming noise. “I can’t even imagine living in such a large city. You must have an enormous circle of friends there.”
