Page 79 of Semantics

Violet nodded and seemed to take in the information.

“Well, I still hope you have fun.”

“Thanks, I guess,” she said before she pushed open the glass door and let it close behind her.

It had been a great night and morning, despite them not having sex, but Violet seemed to be struggling with this whole VC thing, which hadn’t been part of Stella’s plan when she’d sent the email. If it ended up with Violet getting the money she needed, though, she could be happy for her, and maybe after it was all done, they could have a real conversation about what was going on between them.

CHAPTER 23

“Is she gone?” Sarai asked.

“Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t expect her to stay so long. I lost track of time. Honestly, I thought she would have left when she woke up.”

“Why?” Sarai asked.

“Why would she have left?”

“Yes.”

“Because we didn’t have sex last night. She just slept over because it was late, and I didn’t want her driving home.”

“And that means she would run out on you this morning?” Enya asked.

Arlowe was still in the garage, but Enya and Sarai were in the kitchen, sorting out their lunch, so Violet sat down in the chair Stella had borrowed the previous night for dinner.

“Not necessarily. I guess I thought she would text me and tell me she headed out or something. Then, she’s offering me cold pizza for breakfast and insisting I eat it, which you all know I don’t do.”

“Cold pizza is the best,” Sarai suggested as she started making herself a sandwich.

“Agree to disagree on that one.”

“I liked her ideas,” Enya said, sitting down with a sandwich of her own. “I think it’s smart to consider at least some of them. She has experience with VCs.”

“So do I,” Violet reminded.

“Yeah, but her experience has clearly gotten her somewhere. No offense,” Sarai added and squirted mustard onto her sandwich. “Enya’s right, Vi. Stella had some good ideas in there. And if they can help us get this investment money, shouldn’t we at least try some?”

“You want to take the ideas of the woman I’m sleeping with over the ones we’ve all been working on for this presentation for the past week?” Violet asked.

“First of all, I want their money. Second, you’re not just sleeping with her,” Sarai said as she sat down in her chair.

“Yes, I am.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Because I let her crash last night instead of making her drive home?”

“We have a couch,” Sarai stated before she bit into a pickle spear. “She also doesn’t live that far away from here, and it wasn’t all that late. She could’ve driven home, Vi. One of those sofas in the living room pulls out into a bed, so if she were just crashing, she could’ve crashed out there. She slept in your bed instead.”

“So? She’s done it before. You really think I should’ve relegated her to couch status like a woman who hasn’t slept in my bed before?”

“Why exactly aren’t you two dating?” Enya asked.

Violet laughed and replied, “Because we don’t like each other.”

“Says who? Twenty-two-year-old you?” Sarai asked.

“Violet hasn’t ever trusted herself.”