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Authors: Lila Monroe
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were just making conversation . ”
“ So, tell me about yourselves ,” I said desperately. For a moment that seemed to perk their interest, but then I made the mistake of adding :“ How do you know Grant ? ”
They looked at me like I was scum.
Great, a whole room full of people who hated me for something that was n’ t even true. And the lie was just getting bigger all the time, creating vast new vistas of people to hate me for no reason. I felt misery welling like a black lake in the pit of my stomach.
“ And I return !” Grant swooped back in with drinks, handing mine to me as he kissed my cheek, and then pecked the check of the girl with the nose-job .“ I see yo u’ ve met Starla; her famil y’ s not far from here. We used to play together as kids, didn'twe ? ”
Starla blushed and mumbled something unintelligible; I felt a twinge of sympathy. A childhood crush on Grant, ouch. She had to be hurting now more than ever.
“ Yo u’ re all looking lovely ,” Grant said, sliding his arm around my waist .“ Do n’ t you think so, Lacey ? ”
“ Yup ,” I said, and took a large gulp of my drink .“ Very lovely. Very, ver y… fecund . ”
“ Oh ?” Grant raised an eyebrow and surveyed the girls, who were displaying varying levels of confusion, incomprehension, and in a few cases, dawning anger .“ Do you know, Lacey, I could n’ t agree more. These girls redefine the very wor d‘ fecund .’ Make it lose all meaning. It pales beside them . ”
Something about his charming smile seemed to make them all decide it was a compliment; there were now a few tentative smiles. He beamed another smile at them, and they all melted.
“ I hope I’ ll make it back later tonight ,” he went on ,“ but I do need to show Lacey something right now. Lacey, pudding-blossom, a moment, please ? ”
I let him get us fifteen feet away from them before raising my eyebrows .“ Pudding-blossom ? ”
“ Payback for sugarplum . ”
I shook my head .“ Sugarplum is at least an actual word. But thanks for saving me from the mean girl squad .”
“ You looked as though you wanted to throw yourself off the veranda ,” Grant said .“ I ca n’ t marry you if yo u’ re a splattery mess. Want to get out of here ? ”
For a second I thought he just meant over to the other side of the party with the drinks, but then I saw he was gesturing out into the night .“ Bu t… I thought the safe word was just fo r… what about all these people ? ”
“ I t’ s our party ,” Grant said with that wicked grin that made my heart start playing percussion .“ We can do whatever we want .” And then that arrogance melted for just a second, and that other grin surfaced, that soft, shy one that made him look like a timid kitten, eager for affection and approval .“ I want to show you around . ”
How could I say no?
SEVEN
We had n’ t gotten more than ten feet when my heels started to sink into the lush dirt .“ Damn, Grant, I’ m sorry. I did n’ t bring my practical shoes. Yo u’ ll have to show me another time . ”
“ Nonsense ,” he said with a glint in his eye .“ We just nee d… alternate transportation . ”
He set down our drinks, grabbed my hand, and pulled me over to a golf cart that looked like it had been chained to its post since the Nixon administration. Before I could ask if he had the key, he was picking the lock .“ Man of many talents, huh ? ”
“ You would n’ t believe how many handcuffs I’ ve had to pick myself out of . ”
Oh, I’ d believe it, I thought. I’ m just going to concertedly avoid thinking about it before my panties combust.
The lock yielded in second s— I was willing to bet this was not the first time Grant had gone joyriding in this golf cart with a young lady eithe r— and my butt had barely touched the seat before he zoomed off, revving of the engine. Grant threw back his head with a hearty laugh, and I squealed. There was a stir on the patio nearby.
“ Shh
“ So, tell me about yourselves ,” I said desperately. For a moment that seemed to perk their interest, but then I made the mistake of adding :“ How do you know Grant ? ”
They looked at me like I was scum.
Great, a whole room full of people who hated me for something that was n’ t even true. And the lie was just getting bigger all the time, creating vast new vistas of people to hate me for no reason. I felt misery welling like a black lake in the pit of my stomach.
“ And I return !” Grant swooped back in with drinks, handing mine to me as he kissed my cheek, and then pecked the check of the girl with the nose-job .“ I see yo u’ ve met Starla; her famil y’ s not far from here. We used to play together as kids, didn'twe ? ”
Starla blushed and mumbled something unintelligible; I felt a twinge of sympathy. A childhood crush on Grant, ouch. She had to be hurting now more than ever.
“ Yo u’ re all looking lovely ,” Grant said, sliding his arm around my waist .“ Do n’ t you think so, Lacey ? ”
“ Yup ,” I said, and took a large gulp of my drink .“ Very lovely. Very, ver y… fecund . ”
“ Oh ?” Grant raised an eyebrow and surveyed the girls, who were displaying varying levels of confusion, incomprehension, and in a few cases, dawning anger .“ Do you know, Lacey, I could n’ t agree more. These girls redefine the very wor d‘ fecund .’ Make it lose all meaning. It pales beside them . ”
Something about his charming smile seemed to make them all decide it was a compliment; there were now a few tentative smiles. He beamed another smile at them, and they all melted.
“ I hope I’ ll make it back later tonight ,” he went on ,“ but I do need to show Lacey something right now. Lacey, pudding-blossom, a moment, please ? ”
I let him get us fifteen feet away from them before raising my eyebrows .“ Pudding-blossom ? ”
“ Payback for sugarplum . ”
I shook my head .“ Sugarplum is at least an actual word. But thanks for saving me from the mean girl squad .”
“ You looked as though you wanted to throw yourself off the veranda ,” Grant said .“ I ca n’ t marry you if yo u’ re a splattery mess. Want to get out of here ? ”
For a second I thought he just meant over to the other side of the party with the drinks, but then I saw he was gesturing out into the night .“ Bu t… I thought the safe word was just fo r… what about all these people ? ”
“ I t’ s our party ,” Grant said with that wicked grin that made my heart start playing percussion .“ We can do whatever we want .” And then that arrogance melted for just a second, and that other grin surfaced, that soft, shy one that made him look like a timid kitten, eager for affection and approval .“ I want to show you around . ”
How could I say no?
SEVEN
We had n’ t gotten more than ten feet when my heels started to sink into the lush dirt .“ Damn, Grant, I’ m sorry. I did n’ t bring my practical shoes. Yo u’ ll have to show me another time . ”
“ Nonsense ,” he said with a glint in his eye .“ We just nee d… alternate transportation . ”
He set down our drinks, grabbed my hand, and pulled me over to a golf cart that looked like it had been chained to its post since the Nixon administration. Before I could ask if he had the key, he was picking the lock .“ Man of many talents, huh ? ”
“ You would n’ t believe how many handcuffs I’ ve had to pick myself out of . ”
Oh, I’ d believe it, I thought. I’ m just going to concertedly avoid thinking about it before my panties combust.
The lock yielded in second s— I was willing to bet this was not the first time Grant had gone joyriding in this golf cart with a young lady eithe r— and my butt had barely touched the seat before he zoomed off, revving of the engine. Grant threw back his head with a hearty laugh, and I squealed. There was a stir on the patio nearby.
“ Shh
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