“And what thing is that?” he asked, turning to face me.
“That thing that makes women want to give … and give.”
“Oh, if only that were true. But right now I’m still doing the giving.”
He took my right wrist in his hands and in the dark of the car, while the gold glinted in the glow of passing headlights, he secured my new charm to my bracelet.
CASSIE
I was true to my resolution. I became a woman about my work, throwing myself into the task of owning and operating a restaurant with the same delight and fervor I saw Tracina throw into being a new mom and Dell throw into running the kitchen. I didn’t have much time for Jesse, and I had nothing beyond professional chatter for Will.
But resolutions are made to be broken. And when I stopped by the Coach House just before Mardi Gras to talk to Matilda about a possible S.E.C.R.E.T. assignment that I’d been putting off, a peek at the fantasy board confirmed that Jesse had played more than just a passing part in Solange’s most recent adventure. There it was, a Step Four Generosity card with Jesse’s name on it, “Completed” stamped across it in vivid red.
I had to steady myself against the table.
“Cassie?” Matilda’s eyes darted from me to the board and back to me. ?
?Why don’t we go to my office for a chat, shall we?”
Sulkily, I followed her. As we passed Danica, Matilda asked her to bring us coffee—and just like that, I was all about a guy again.
I wanted to know everything: what they did, where they went. But one look at Matilda’s face and I knew she wasn’t about to divulge details. Committee members weren’t kept informed of fantasies they weren’t working on directly. This ensured anonymity and greater privacy. And Matilda had a zero-tolerance policy on gossip. I shook my head. You are a woman about your work. S.E.C.R.E.T. is part of that. Get over it. Fast.
“You saw the board?”
“Yes,” I said. Here it comes. A lecture about not getting emotionally involved with Jesse, about dating in S.E.C.R.E.T. and sparking complicated feelings of jealousy and possession and blah, blah, blah …
Danica popped in with our coffees.
“Thank you, my dear,” Matilda said, easing mine in front of me. “So you saw that we’re planning Solange’s Step Seven fantasy already. We decided we’d try Ewan, Dominic’s friend. The one you recruited last year?”
Ewan was the sexy redhead I’d seen playing pickup soccer with one of Matilda’s recruits. I couldn’t resist his bratty smile, so when I asked for Dominic’s number, I was thrilled when Ewan threw his in too. Okay, so she either wasn’t going to bring up Jesse’s Step with Solange, or she didn’t think I had seen it.
“But wasn’t Ewan rejected?”
“He was rejected by last year’s Committee. But his sole naysayer has retired, and with you on board this year we’d have unanimity. Now, Step Seven, as you know, involves something a candidate’s curious about. Turns out Solange is curious about trying something that I think might also intrigue you.”
“Oh?”
When Matilda said the word, I nearly spat my coffee across her desk.
“A threesome?” I sputtered. “Why me?”
“You brought Ewan in.”
“But I’ve never done … that before.”
“Precisely why you’re perfect for this. Neither has Solange. And Ewan has to learn not only how to participate in a threesome but how to make a sexual neophyte—in this case, you—comfortable with a new situation. Remember: all your fears will be Solange’s fears, your reluctance much like hers. You’d be Solange’s sexual stand-in for Ewan’s training. Now you and Pauline don’t necessarily have to do anything together, or to each other, unless you want to. The focus is on what the man does to and for both of you.”
“Pauline would be the third?” Okay, this was getting freakier!
“Yes. This is her specialty. Sorry. I probably should have told you that first.”
“Does Pauline know you’re asking me?”
“She suggested you. But you should sleep on this decision. It’s a few fantasies away still. So don’t feel any pressure, Cassie. It’s all in fun.”
“Right. Of course. Fun.”