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"Easy girl, or you’re going to get drunk," Mira murmurs.
"That’s the general idea."
After that evening at the nightclub, Mira and I have hung out a few times. She’s asked me about Cade, and each time I’ve tried to pretend, and failed to convince her, that he’s ‘just’ my boss. While I’m probably not going to take her up on the offer of joining her knitting club, our conversations are always amusing, and she makes me laugh. Which is why I decided to meet her along with Penny. I chose them because I don’t want to meet or talk to anyone else who knows Cade, which means I can’t call and cry on Solene’s shoulder. She has too much on her plate, anyway. And I couldn’t involve any of the wives and girlfriends of the Seven and the Sovranos. Which ruled out Zara or Isla or any of the other women. Hence, my attempt to form a new girls’ circle—one in which the others are single, too.
"He’s an asshole." I grab the bottle of wine and refill my glass.
"He is," Penny agrees, then talks out the corner of her mouth to Mira. "Who’s she talking about again?"
"I think she means Cade Kingston. At least, I guess it’s Cade," Mira mutters under her breath.
Penny’s eyes round. "You don’t mean, Cade Kingston, the captain of the English cricket team?"
Mira’s eyebrows knit. "Yep, that’s him."
Penny swings her head in my direction. "I know this is our first meeting and all, but girl, how did that happen?"
"By mistake. It’s my mistake, actually." I scowl into my wine glass. "If I hadn’t been a dick to him in high school, he wouldn’t have been a cock to me when we re-connected. Not that I have anything against his cock. In fact, it’s just the opposite, you know?" I hiccup, then reach for the glass of water and take a sip.
"Spill, girlfriend. I knew there was a reason I liked you even before I met you." Penny leans forward. She places her chin in her palm, her stance that of a person settling in for the evening.
"I had crush on him in high school. I hoped if I ever met him again, I wouldn’t be attracted to him, but unfortunately, that was not the case. Jerkface is even more gorgeous, and his body—?" I sigh. "His body is to die for."
"Oh, I concur, based on everything I’ve seen of him in ads and on screen when he’s playing a game." Mira chuckles.
I scowl at her. "Don’t talk about him like he’s a piece of meat. He’s more than just a hot body and hotter face."
She exchanges a look with Penny, then they both nod.
"What?" My gaze ping-pongs between them. "What is it?"
"I wanted to thank you for trusting me with the details of your love life, especially as we don’t know each other that well. But today, I feel we’ve crossed a line. I feel the three of us are going to be very good friends." Mira holds out her palms. "What say? Shall we seal the deal.
"You bet." Penny places a hand in one of Mira’s, then holds up her other. "Girlfriends forever?"
I jerk my chin. "Girlfriends forever." I take each their hands in each of mine, and the three of us smile hugely.
My phone vibrates, and I glance down. So do the others.
"Oh shoot." I release their hands, then grab my phone and begin to type an answer, then delete it.
"Is that…?" Mira asks.
Penny nods. "It is."
"What does he mean by 'you’re late for your engagement announcement'?" Mira whispers loudly.
"I’m not sure, why don’t you ask her?" Penny hisses back.
"I can hear the two of you." I glance up and between them. "And yes, it’s my fake engagement announcement he’s talking about."
"Ooh fake-relationships are my favorite kind of spicy books to read." Mira reaches for her glass. "That forced proximity, those sneaky glances, the pining for the other… Wanting to say your feelings but not able to, the—"
I hold up a hand. "Yes, fellow Goddess of Smut, I know all about that trope. Trust me, it’s not that great when you’re living it, though. Especially not, when the man is an alphahole."
"Alphahole?" Penny scowls.
"An asshole who’s an alpha, and who’s graced with panty-melting good looks," Mira explains.
