Page 72 of The Plus One Pact

"No, honey, those are nice," she says. "And grapefruits compared to mine."

"Cynthia!" Romeo exclaims. He says something to her in Spanish.

She replies back with a perfect accent.

"Fuck. Don't go straight to SAT words. You know my Spanish isn't that good," he says.

"Then don't play that game, honey. You know Danny is as fluent as a native speaker." She smiles. "Sorry if I offended you, Ivy. I don't mean anything by it. You have a nice figure. But I'm sure you also have many other traits Romeo appreciates. Like what, for example, Romeo?"

"She's smart," he says.

"No shit, Sherlock. She's a doctor," Cynthia says. "Can we go a little deeper?”

"Unlike you and I, Ivy doesn't feel the need to fill the air with chatter. She's comfortable with silence. I like that about her. The way her presence feels strong, even when she isn't saying a lot," he says.

Does he really see me that way? It doesn’t feel like a line, the way his compliments did our first night. We don’t know each other well, sure, but we’ve spent some time together now. He does know me.

That’s scary and thrilling.

My cheeks flush.

"I also like the way she doesn't constantly talk about psychedelics," he says.

"Don't worry. I'll ruin that for you," Cynthia says.

“Are you going to peer pressure her into tripping with you? Or interest her professionally?” Surprise fills his eyes. "Wait. Are you telling me you and Daniel are dropping acid?" he asks.

"Acid? No. That's made in a lab. I'm all about natural," she says.

"Natural what?" he asks.

She shrugs, coy.

He stares at her, mystified. "You're fucking with me."

"Ask him if you don't believe me," she says.

"Are vape pens natural?" I ask.

"No. They're terrible, aren't they?" she asks. "But our apartment is 'smoke free.'"

"Doesn't that include vaping?" he asks.

She shrugs. "Rome, do me a favor. Grab me a water so I can talk to your girlfriend."

"What are you going to tell her?" I ask.

"How much I love your brother's dick. What do you think?" she asks.

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking," he says.

"Girl talk," she says.

"Mom used that too," he says.

"I'll tell her mushrooms make you horny, too," she says.

He makes a show of rolling his eyes, but he smiles. They do have a certain repartee.