***
“Oh my god, Maree, you’re too much!”
She grinned at me and drank the remainder of her coffee. Shrugging, she said, “How am I supposed to say no when a man tells me he wants to fuck me into next week? Hell, I’m not passing this opportunity up.”
She’d just filled me in on her plans for tonight and tomorrow. A guy she’d met at the gym this morning had flirted with her and talked her into a date that would obviously last them until Monday morning. I finished my coffee and agreed. “I don’t blame you, I would have said hell yes, too.”
“Yeah, except you have no need for first dates or one night stands anymore. Now you’ve got Kick to service you,” she said wi
th a wink.
I groaned. “Oh god, that man . . .”
She quirked a brow. “What’s he done now? Please tell me he’s got the stamina of an elite athlete.”
I laughed. “He really does. My vagina is so damn sore today, like it’s never been sore before.”
It was her turn to groan now. “Fuck, don’t tell me that. You can’t tell a woman who isn’t getting regular sex that your vagina has been worked into exhaustion. That shit isn’t fair.”
“Sorry, babe, but you asked,” I said as I stood and put my sunglasses on.
She stood as well and said, “Yeah, I guess I did. I’m happy for you, Evie, you deserve happiness.” I heard her genuine happiness for me in her words.
I smiled and gave her a hug. “Thank you, I’m happy for me, too.”
“Okay, I’ve gotta go and have a pedicure and wax to get ready for my sex marathon. I’ll call you on Monday and let you know if he matches your man’s skills.”
I laughed and watched her go. She’d done what I’d asked her to do after Jeremy’s funeral – she’d given me space to work through my grief without constantly checking in with me. I loved her for it, but it was good to get out and spend time with her again.
As I turned to walk to my car, I caught a glimpse of Kick’s sister. I hadn’t seen Lina in over a year and I’d missed her. My heart hurt to see how much her two kids had grown. She had two little girls – Becca, the oldest, was four, and Candace, the little one, was two. It looked like they were giving their mother a hard time so I wandered over to her to see if I could give her a hand.
“Oh my goodness, Evie!” she exclaimed when she saw me, pulling me in for a hug.
My smile beamed at her. We’d grown up together and knew so much about each other. In that moment, I wished I’d never cut contact with her. “How are you, Lina?”
She frowned. “I’m actually not feeling very well, hon. I feel like I might vomit,” she answered, clutching her stomach.
“Shit, are you okay to drive home or do you want me to drive you?” Looking closely at her, I could see how pale her face was. She really didn’t look well at all.
“Really? You wouldn’t mind driving us home?”
“Not at all,” I said and took charge.
I managed to get everyone in the car and back to her place without her vomiting. Once we were through her front door, I said, “You go to bed. I’ll look after the kids.”
She gave me a grateful look. “Thank you,” she whispered, and did as I’d said.
I turned to Becca. She was a gorgeous little red haired beauty and she gave me a smile that would melt anyone’s heart. Shit, I bet she had her Uncle Kick wrapped around her finger. “Are you hungry, sweetheart?” I asked as I lifted Candace up, resting her on my hip.
Becca nodded and said, “Yes. Mummy promised us cake if we were good at the shop.” She stared at me expectantly and I figured I needed to either find cake or make it.
I gave her a smile and held out my hand for her. “Okay then, let’s go find cake,” I said as I led her towards the kitchen. Candace babbled words I could hardly discern but I figured so long as she wasn’t crying we were good.
We had the batter made and ready to pour into the cake tin when loud banging came from the front of the house. I turned in that direction and my heart skipped a beat when I heard a thunderous, “Lina, open the fucking door!”
Shit, that sounded like Lina’s ex, and he seemed to be in a mood. I gave my attention to Becca and with forced calmness, said, “If you take Candace into her bedroom and play with her for a little while, I’ll let you have two pieces of cake when it’s ready.”
Her eyes widened with glee and she clapped her hands together. “Yes!” she exclaimed, and I felt relief as I watched her lead her sister out of the kitchen.