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“Wow,” her friend said, accepting his handshake. “You said he was hot. You didn’t say he was GQ hot. Shit, are you sure you’re gay?”
“Gwenie,” Rainie hissed, putting an arm around her waist to direct her in close to the bar. “I told you not to do that.”
Gwen picked up her glass. “For a woman so adept at not thinking before she speaks, you expect a lot from the rest of us.”
She raised her glass to Alex and then Gwen. “Let’s toast to friendship.”
Her friends were polite enough to raise their glasses and drink. It didn’t take long for Alex to lower his and prop an elbow on the bar to scan the space.
“So is the creep here yet?”
Gwen laughed. “The creep? That’s what you call him? Demetri is never on time, Alex. Never, ever. I like this guy, Rainie.” She thrust out her chest. “Look at my boobs. You feel nothing?”
“Stop,” she said, pulling her friend aside to put herself between them. “Leave him alone; he’s doing us a favor.” Leaning against him, she laid a forearm on his chest to peek up at him. “I’m sorry. I promised this would be easy.”
Alex tucked her hair behind her ear. “This was never going to be easy, Button.”
“He’s not that bad,” Rainie said, turning on the spot to address Gwen. “Please tell Alex that Demetri is not that bad.”
“The guy is hot as sin,” Gwen said, enjoying her wine. “Not exactly a conversationalist, and completely shallow.”
“Oh, he’s not totally shallow,” Rainie said, resting a hand on Alex’s forearm when it curved around her torso to ease her back against him. “You were never a fan of Demetri’s.”
“Never a fan of the guy who made us sit and look through his portfolio ten times a week? He spent more time and money taking his own picture than anyone else ever did.” Gwen twisted to face her. “How many times have we sat up late, drinking our wine…” She raised her glass. “Talking about what we want for our futures and from the guys we wish we could find?”
“A zillion,” Rainie said like it was an accurate number.
“And Demetri’s name never comes up. He is not your ideal man.”
“I know. I never said he was,” Rainie said, enjoying the texture of the fabric under her fingertips. “We disagree on just about everything and want different things from a relationship.”
“So what are we doing here?”
“You don’t have to be here,” Rainie said. “You didn’t want me to meet him alone.”
“Because then you’d have sex with him and spend the next two weeks hating yourself.”
“I am capable of spending time with a man and not sleeping with him,” she said, pushing back against the friend behind her. “Ask Alex. We sleep in the same bed all the time.” She raised her chin. “Have we had sex?”
“That’s not the same,” Gwen said. “So if it’s not about sex, why are we here?”
“I didn’t say it wasn’t about sex,” Rainie said. “I’m open to it. Maybe it’s about sex. I’m horny… I’ve been horny for like a month straight. Dem wanted to meet, and we were a couple, why should I ignore his invitation just because we’re not sleeping together every night? If it was about sex for him, he could’ve just drunk texted me at two a.m. He knows me well enough to know I don’t play games. We were together. We didn’t do the long romantic seduction thing every time we got down and dirty. He knows that. If he wanted sex from me, he could just ask. I could say yes or no and…” She smiled. “We would go from there.”
“You need to get out more, Rainie. Next weekend, we’re hitting the bars and clubs. We need to get back in the pool.” Gwen looked over her head. “You can come with us, Alex. We’ll show you the nightlife.”
“No,” Rainie said. “It’s only been a couple of weeks; Alex isn’t ready for a new relationship.”
“He can get laid if he wants; he doesn’t have to start a relationship. It’s fun, Rainie! Stop worrying about him so much.” Again, Gwen looked beyond her. “She worries about you all the time.”
“Oh, stop,” Rainie said, linking her fingers between Alex’s, tightening his hold. “I don’t worry about him all the time.”
“She worries about everyone all the time,” Gwen muttered.
Her mouth opened because she intended to refute that. Then she spotted Demetri in the crowd. “Oh, he’s here.”
“Time to give me my date,” Gwen said, drawing her out of Alex’s embrace to take her place. “And we need more drinks.”
“Order whatever you like,” Alex said. “I’ve got it.”
