He gave both cups, and one of the power cards to the woman at the checkout. “All on one card is fine, thanks.”
When the woman had weighed their tokens and loaded them onto the card, he handed it to Cleo.
A flicker of hope stirred in her chest. “Giving me the power of the Nerd rope? Wow. You seem awfully confident we’ll last, Mr. Darcy.”
“You have bewitched me body and soul, Miss Bennet. Body and soul.”
***
“He quotedPride and Prejudiceat you?” Molly swooned, the back of her hand over her forehead, collapsing onto the couch. “And he dropped you off at the door? No sexy times? Just a chaste kiss? Who the fuck is this guy? And why didn’t you grab him by the shirt and haul his ass up to bed?”
Cleo groaned against her forearm on the table. “I know. I have regrets. I’d say my vagina is weeping but that just sounds gross. Do you know how hard it is to ride that damn bike pressed up against his… his…”
“Everything?”
“Yes! Fuck! It’s awful.”
“And yet you sent him home.”
“Ah, ah, ah. I did no such thing.” Cleo lifted her head and wagged a finger at her friend. “I just didn’t jump his bones at the door when he dropped me off.”
“Booty call.”
Cleo cringed, though her lady parts were in full agreement with Molly. She pressed her thighs together. “I am not booty calling Lincoln Scott.”
“Right, you’re not. You’re booty calling your boyfriend. That’s kind of their job.”
“I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”
“This isn’t about me, Miss Cleo. This is about you. And if you don’t booty call that boy you’re going to need to take some batteries with you to bed for BOB. I mean, that’s an option. Just grab one of those pirate romance novels you love and use that for inspiration.”
“Excuse me?” Cleo’s face heated.
“Oh, dial back the outrage. I’m on to you, girl. Thar be smut in those pages, arrrr!” Molly held a hand over her eye.
“You make such a sexy pirate, Mol.”
“Don’t I though?” She pointed an accusing finger at Cleo. “Don’t change the subject. I was tidying up the kitchen the other day and found one of your books lying open so I took a look. What kind of monster leaves the characters mid-romp? I rescued them, I read a few pages until they got past their orgasms, so they’re feeling better now. But girl…”
She fanned her face. “That. Shit. Is. HOT. I thought you were reading like… Lord of the Rings, or some kind of adventure fantasy stuff… that… well, that’s certainly an adventure. I need to find a Knigh of my very own so he can do to my pearl what that Knigh does to Vice’s.” She gave Cleo an exaggerated wink. “Know what I mean?”
Cleo held up both hands in surrender, her already burning cheeks getting hotter. Why was Molly so comfortable with all thisstuff? A better question was probably, why was Cleo souncomfortable with it all. “Please stop talking about your pearl.”
“Only if you call Linc to come play with yours.”
“Oh God.” Cleo dropped her head onto the table with a thump when her phone chimed.
Lincoln: Just home. Hopefully a real life, in the flesh date wasn’t as bad as you expected it to be.
Molly stood a few feet away, hands on hips and an eyebrow arched in challenge. “If you don’t message that boy, I will.”
Cleo: So, on a scale of one-to-pissed where would you fall if I asked you to come back?
Lincoln: What’s wrong? Are you okay?
Cleo: Yes! Sorry. Please don’t worry, I’m fine.
Lincoln: I’m on my way.
