Page 11 of Good Girls Beg

She lifted up a fry to offer me a toast. "Here's to men who aren't too mannish."

I toasted her in return before popping the fry into my mouth. While I ate, I kept half an eye on the door. What would I say if Blondie and his friends walked through it? Even without masks, I'd recognize the clothes they were wearing.

As it was, only a few people trickled in and out. A couple of tourists and some people I knew.

One of Indie's boyfriends came in to grab some takeout. For someone as quiet as she was, I was surprised she had three boyfriends, but I was happy for her. They all seemed to adore her. Why wouldn't they? She was smart and sweet. My dads would be lost without her at Loams. She worked hard for them and wouldn't hurt a fly.

As far as I knew anyway. She might secretly be a serial killer, murdering people at night and disposing of their bodies in the ocean. They didn't call this place Saltgrave for nothing. It had a dark history that most of the locals liked to pretend didn't exist. All except the ones who ran ghost tours of the town. They embraced it, of course.

"I know what you're doing, you know," Lyra said, as I looked toward the door for the millionth time. "You're hoping your wannabe fuck buddy's going to find you here." She gave me a knowing look.

"I am not," I protested. "Besides, it doesn't matter if he does. I'm here with you. I'm not going to ditch you for some random guy." Even if he did have a big dick. She wouldn't ditch me for a guy either. Girl code and all that.

"Who said anything about ditching anyone?" she asked. "You could introduce me to his friends. I'm sure I could handle both of them while you handle him." If anyone could handle two men with ease, it would be Lyra.

"I'm sure you could," I said, but I had the feeling at least the black-haired man wouldn't go there with her. I might have been reading too much into his look, but I got the impression it was me he wanted.

Would I welcome a round with him and Blondie? I wouldn’t have objected before tonight, but now I dismissed the idea. As far as I was concerned, they could fuck all the way off and then some.

"It doesn't matter," I added. "I'm never going to see any of them again. They're probably tourists down for a night or two before they go back to…" I gestured vaguely. "Wherever they came from."

Blondie might have a family back home. Ugh, I hated the hell out of that thought. I wasn't cut out to be the other woman.

She leaned in and frowned at me. "Teddie Ward. Have I taught you nothing? You didn't get his phone number? Or his name? What about his social media handle? How are you supposed to stalk his ass and make his life a living hell for what he did to you?"

“Why would I want to do that?” I asked. “Anyway, we didn't engage in meaningful conversation." Or any, beyond agreeing we both smelled good.

She sighed and shook her head, but a smile threatened at the corner of her mouth. "I'm starting to think you shouldn't be left alone. I would have insisted he gave you those details." She clicked her tongue like I was a naughty child. "Better yet, you shouldn't have given him the time of day."

"You were the one who slipped off to the restroom," I reminded her.

She raised her finger as though she might argue the point, but then lowered it again.

"You're right, I did. I thought I should give you some space. My mistake. Next time, I'll stick around," she said. "If anyone tries anything like that again, I'll knee them in the groin."

"Next time, you'll do exactly what you did tonight," I said. "Anyway, I don't want to stalk his ass."

She seemed to be taking this a lot more personally than I was. That was sweet of her. She was a good friend. I was lucky to have her in my corner, but enough talk about me and my sex life.

"Are you going to go out with Scooby-Doo if he asks you?" I teased.

"Knowing my luck, he'll be more like Shaggy." She grimaced. "Complete with weird snacks and that whole stoner vibe."

I laughed. "It could be worse. He could end up being one of the bad guys when you take the mask off. Or…" I paused for effect.

At the same time, we both said, "Scrappy-Doo," and started laughing.

"That would be horrible," she said when she'd finished laughing. "I'm almost certain he's not that bad. I mean, how could he be? He was wearing a Scooby mask." She raised one outstretched hand as if that settled the matter.

"Lyra and Scooby sitting in a tree. F-U-C-K-I-N-G," I teased in a sing-song voice.

She picked up a fry and threw it at me. "What are you, five?"

I grinned. "You never know, he might be the love of your life. You might get together and have little baby Scoobies, and drive around Saltgrave in a painted van, solving mysteries."

She threw another fry at me. "I don't even know his name, and you have us making babies already?"

I shrugged. "I want you to live your best life. Is that so bad?"