Read Online When in Rio by Delphine Dryden - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Delphine Dryden
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seem all that sure, and I don’t know you very well but I hate to see anyone just heading blindly for a crash.”
I gave it some thought. My first instinct, to lash out and contradict her, died quickly. I knew she was right in part. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but I also wasn’t sure about whether there was a crash in store at the end of all this. That, of course, was always the dangerous part, the blind curve that might send you straight off a cliff if you were going too fast…
“So you know Jack? From before this week?” I asked, stalling for time, knowing she’d recognized him and they’d seemed familiar with one another at cocktails the night before.
“A little,” she said. “I used to be with—” She glanced toward Elizabeth, who was starting to look as though she wished she’d never entered the bathroom. “He’s a friend of a friend. And he’s a good guy, I think. Some issues. We all have issues, you know. But I guess I should be more concerned about you . Because I don’t know you. Except to know you’re wired like Jane—and just as sneaky.”
“Sneaky? I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, ma’am.” I batted my eyes, not actually flirting but doing something like it that we both understood. Elizabeth, with evident relief, took her turn in a stall and a middle-aged Brazilian matron took her place at the sink, peering into the mirror with a frown.
“Look, I’ll just say this. Jack looks happy, I’ll give you that. I haven’t ever seen him look this good, in fact. He looks sorta relieved. I don’t know what that’s about, but I will tell you that he hasn’t been seeing anyone seriously in a long time, that I know of. Pretty much not since before he left for London, and sure as hell not since he’s been living back here again. And you’re…” She glanced at the local matriarch, who looked as though she didn’t understand a word, and almost whispered the next few things she had to say.
“You’re this very soft, juicy little sub girl who looks like she’s about due to get her butt and her heart broken, in that order. You look like you’ve already fallen, hard . Like, so hard I’m surprised you don’t need some kneepads about now. But Jack doesn’t look much better off, which is not the Jack I know. So whoever you are to him, just…I don’t know, just be careful. He’s nice, and you seem nice, but it also seems like you have huge potential to hurt each other if you’re just suddenly doing this on a business trip. Neither of you seems like the type to do that. I know he’s not. This conference ends in a week but when you go back home he’ll still be your boss, I’ll remind you. Unless I’m missing something big here, you’re fixing to go back to that hotel suite tonight and have all kinds of kinky sex with your boss .”
“Well!” sniffed the matronly woman, snapping her lipstick case closed with a furious little snort. “I never!” Her accent, what little we heard of it, was clearly English. The door swung shut behind her in a wave of silence that descended on the powder room.
Kendra and I heard Jane from the stall asking, “What? Ken, what just happened?” We tried not to meet each other’s eyes but when we did, we nearly hurt ourselves laughing.
“Some poor little tourist just got an earful of the kinky sex talk, is all. Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about, sweet thang . Although I’m sure it will be worrying her pretty little head for quite a while.”
I had to put my own head against the cool tile wall of the bathroom until my renewed laughing fit passed, though Kendra regained control much more easily. It didn’t surprise me—she was obviously a “control” sort of gal.
“Kendra, who was it you went out with anyway?” I asked, not bothering to whisper. I had forgotten about poor Elizabeth for the moment, who must have been even more confused than Jane.
Kendra gave me an appraising look before murmuring, too low for
I gave it some thought. My first instinct, to lash out and contradict her, died quickly. I knew she was right in part. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but I also wasn’t sure about whether there was a crash in store at the end of all this. That, of course, was always the dangerous part, the blind curve that might send you straight off a cliff if you were going too fast…
“So you know Jack? From before this week?” I asked, stalling for time, knowing she’d recognized him and they’d seemed familiar with one another at cocktails the night before.
“A little,” she said. “I used to be with—” She glanced toward Elizabeth, who was starting to look as though she wished she’d never entered the bathroom. “He’s a friend of a friend. And he’s a good guy, I think. Some issues. We all have issues, you know. But I guess I should be more concerned about you . Because I don’t know you. Except to know you’re wired like Jane—and just as sneaky.”
“Sneaky? I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, ma’am.” I batted my eyes, not actually flirting but doing something like it that we both understood. Elizabeth, with evident relief, took her turn in a stall and a middle-aged Brazilian matron took her place at the sink, peering into the mirror with a frown.
“Look, I’ll just say this. Jack looks happy, I’ll give you that. I haven’t ever seen him look this good, in fact. He looks sorta relieved. I don’t know what that’s about, but I will tell you that he hasn’t been seeing anyone seriously in a long time, that I know of. Pretty much not since before he left for London, and sure as hell not since he’s been living back here again. And you’re…” She glanced at the local matriarch, who looked as though she didn’t understand a word, and almost whispered the next few things she had to say.
“You’re this very soft, juicy little sub girl who looks like she’s about due to get her butt and her heart broken, in that order. You look like you’ve already fallen, hard . Like, so hard I’m surprised you don’t need some kneepads about now. But Jack doesn’t look much better off, which is not the Jack I know. So whoever you are to him, just…I don’t know, just be careful. He’s nice, and you seem nice, but it also seems like you have huge potential to hurt each other if you’re just suddenly doing this on a business trip. Neither of you seems like the type to do that. I know he’s not. This conference ends in a week but when you go back home he’ll still be your boss, I’ll remind you. Unless I’m missing something big here, you’re fixing to go back to that hotel suite tonight and have all kinds of kinky sex with your boss .”
“Well!” sniffed the matronly woman, snapping her lipstick case closed with a furious little snort. “I never!” Her accent, what little we heard of it, was clearly English. The door swung shut behind her in a wave of silence that descended on the powder room.
Kendra and I heard Jane from the stall asking, “What? Ken, what just happened?” We tried not to meet each other’s eyes but when we did, we nearly hurt ourselves laughing.
“Some poor little tourist just got an earful of the kinky sex talk, is all. Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about, sweet thang . Although I’m sure it will be worrying her pretty little head for quite a while.”
I had to put my own head against the cool tile wall of the bathroom until my renewed laughing fit passed, though Kendra regained control much more easily. It didn’t surprise me—she was obviously a “control” sort of gal.
“Kendra, who was it you went out with anyway?” I asked, not bothering to whisper. I had forgotten about poor Elizabeth for the moment, who must have been even more confused than Jane.
Kendra gave me an appraising look before murmuring, too low for
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