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“Uh-huh. Miranda’s guy sounds dreamy and if he has a male relative who prefers cock to pussy, I’ll certainly be the first standing in line.”
“Sheesh, you’re easy,” Michelle says.
We all laugh.
“You kill me, Ray. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I don’t think so. Just like me, Hunter’s an only child. We didn’t really talk much about his extended family, so I’m not sure how many cousins he has.” I force myself to smile. “I’m not even sure this will go further than one date.”
“Miran—” Jess starts.
“Jessica, let me have a go,” Nikki interrupts her.
Jess has always exuded confidence—from the age of twelve when I first met her. Now as an adult, I doubt that her unshakable belief in herself is entirely connected to the fact that she stands five-eight or that she’s as thin as a railing. It’s far more than that. She’s never been afraid of putting herself out there or going after what she wants. When we’re hanging out together, she’s one of those women who can strut around naked and feel like a goddess. I’m not saying I hate my body, but I surely don’t have half of her self-assuredness. She’s as bold in her love life. The second her eyes connected with Kevin’s she knew she’d have him... and she did.
“Be my guest,” Jess says, stepping aside. I know my best friend well enough to know she’s upset with me. The exasperation in her voice is unmistakable, but I’ve been disappointed too many times to be unrealistic.
“Miranda, sweetie, when a Powerball asks you out, it’s a big fucking deal,” Nikki says, shaking her index finger at me in a motherly way. “This is LA, a.k.a. the land of plenty when it comes to women willing to bend backwards for a man. I won’t even tell you what some would be willing to do for a Powerball. Who cares about your past history with men? Obviously, you’re exuding a different vibe or else your Powerball wouldn’t have bothered looking at you twice. I think you’re selling yourself short.”
“He did make me feel special.” I flash back to when he revealed the only reason he didn’t kiss me was because he didn’t want to get me in trouble.
“That’s because you are. Inexperienced boys like your Julian Wilkas don’t hold a candle next to a Powerball.” Jessica has always been convinced I was wasting my time vying for the attention of a man for whom I’ve been practically invisible. Julian has been the object of my affection for a very long time, but now thinking about Hunter, I realize there’s a whole lot better out there.
“Have you ever been with one?” I ask tentatively.
Nikki flashes me a sly smile. She inhales and looks straight into my eyes. “I’ve crossed the path of a Powerball once in my life and I’ve never been the same woman ever since.”
“What happened?” I press, eager to know more.
“I was only nineteen. He was a much older guy—more than twice my age. The huge gap scared me. He was divorced, but he had kids who were older than I was. He was incredible, but it was all too much for me at the time. I walked away. I’ve never been with a man like Richard ever since. Alas, he’s remarried now. I had a Powerball right in the palm of my hand and I let him go because I wasn’t ready... or so I thought.”
“Wow. I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. It’s my own doing. I was young and I guess a bit stupid. I should’ve never cast him aside like I did. Who knows? Maybe in time I would’ve grown blind to the age difference.” She sighs. “Is this guy you met today close to your age or is he older?”
“He’s older than I am, but I think he’s younger than Kevin.”
“You’re in luck then. If he’s interested and you guys click, run with it.”
I pause for a beat, overwhelmed by Nikki’s confession. “Something interesting happened.”
“What?” all four of them ask in unison.
“While there were tons of sexy women at the market, he was fully present the whole time. I mean, he wasn’t distracted. He wasn’t looking around. He seemed to only have eyes for me. I’ve never had that kind of devoted attention from a man before.”
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Nikki cheers, high-fiving me. I clap her hand and we hold hands for a few seconds.
“Oh. My. God.” Jess’s jaw drops. “Your bad juju karma with men is turning around.” She claps her hands. God, she’s more excited than I am about this.
“I’m with Nikki. Go for it,” Michelle advises.
“Honey, try to find out about that gay cousin. I’m sure your Powerball has one,” Ray jokes.
“I’ll investigate and report back, Ray.”
He grins from ear to ear at my promise.
Nikki and I are still holding hands. She turns me around to face me and bends at the knees so our eyes meet. “Now, come on and get your ass back into that changing room and try the last dress I selected for you.”
“I surely hope this one is the one, because none of the others fit. I’m batting zero for four. Not exactly a stellar score,” I lament.
