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“Oh, come on,” she eggs me on. “Pleasetell me he’s blowing your mind!”
I nod as I keep laughing. Chelsea has such a way with words. “Don’t worry,” I manage to say. “He’s blown my mind several times.”
Chelsea smirks, looking happy for me. “Well, that’s good.Mind blowingis important for sure.”
Just then, there’s a knock on the front door. Chelsea gets up. “That must be Brianne.”
I stand to greet her at the door as well.
The three of us shriek with excitement as soon as Chelsea opens the door. Brianne walks in, carrying grocery bags in one hand and her suitcase in the other. “I’ve got snacks and booze! Let’s get this party started!”
Chelsea and I help Brianne get settled. Once we’ve all hugged one another, and Brianne has a margarita to drink as well, we all settle in the living room again, along with crackers and cheese to snack on.
“Olivia, tell me about this man of yours,” Brianne says. “Andpleasetell me he’s got a nice dick.”
Chelsea and I burst out laughing. Leave it to both my friends to ask about my sex life, but only Brianne would ask such a blunt question right off the bat.
“What?” Brianne asks, deadpan. “Dicks are important!”
After I calm myself from laughing so hard, I say, “Let’s just say I’ve been very satisfied.”
“Atta girl,” Brianne replies, giving me a high five.
Then, I go on to explain everything I already told Chelsea, so Brianne is caught up on my new relationship. Although Brianne hasn’t read any of Stone’s books, she's familiar with who he is. Brianne isn’t one to read books for pleasure… or evennotfor pleasure. Back in high school, she barely did any reading. She got by with the help of Chelsea and me, plus a little luck bullshitting her way through assignments. Brianne’s always been a “fly by the seat of your pants” kind of girl, but she always manages to do well in the end.
We spend the rest of the evening talking and drinking, getting caught up on each other’s lives. When I text Stone to ask if he wants to meet everyone for dinner tomorrow night, he says yes, adding that he’d love to meet my friends. This makes me happy, but also nervous… Hopefully, everyone agrees that Stone is a great guy!
Since Chelsea doesn’t have a spare bed, I sleep on the couch, and Brianne curls up on the love seat. It’s comfortable enough, and I fall asleep thinking about Stone.
The next day, after having a delicious brunch, relaxing pedicures, and finding bridesmaids dresses for both Brianne and me to wear to Chelsea’s wedding, we head to the English pub restaurant we’re meeting Carson and Stone. Carson is already there when we arrive, but Stone isn’t there yet. He had texted me a little while ago saying he was on his way and should be here soon.
We greet Carson, and he gives Brianne and me hugs as he says hello. He’s a big guy, about six foot two and solid muscle. Chelsea has said before that he’s a gentle giant next to the elementary kids he teaches. He’s in great shape, but of course he teaches PE for a living, so he gets to exercise every day. On top of that, he and Chelsea both work out on a regular basis and lead healthy lifestyles.
As I take my seat, I have butterflies in my stomach. Nerves take over, even though I don’t believe I have any reason to be nervous. I can’t imagine why my friends wouldn’t like Stone, but what if I’m blind to something they’re not?
My phone dings with a text right after I sit. He’s here. I quickly reply, letting him know where he can find us inside.
“Is he here?” Chelsea asks. Both she and Brianne are excited to meet him.
I nod as I look in the direction of the entrance, waiting to see him. When I spot him walking over, a smile spreads across my face. I wave to him, and as soon as he sees me, his face breaks out in a smile as well.
I stand to greet him, as do all my friends. He walks directly over to me, wraps me in a hug, and kisses my forehead. “It’s so good to see you,” he says in my ear.
Knowing my friends are all waiting to be introduced, we don’t hug for long. The second he lets go of me, though, I’m craving his touch. It’s been five days since I last saw him, and I can’t wait to have him all to myself later.
“Everyone, this is Stone,” I say, starting the introductions. “Stone, this is Brianne, Chelsea, and Carson.”
The look on Carson’s face makes my stomach drop.
“Alex? What the hell?” Carson doesn’t look happy to see him. In fact, he looks downright pissed.
My head whips to Stone, and he looks as though he’s just seen a ghost.
What the hell is going on?
“This is quite a coincidence,” Stone says with a nervous chuckle as he rubs the back of his neck.
“His real name isn’t Stone Ryder,” Carson says, and I whip my head back to look at him. “It’s Alex Stone, and he fucking cheated on my sister.”
