Teela closed her eyes and dropped her head to the back of the couch. “You have no idea. Every time we did it,” she made an explosion gesture, spirit fingers, twinkling, “it was more amazing.”
“Oh, fuck off.”
“I’m serious.”
“You’re in serious trouble.”
“I’m not.” Teela held her empty bowl out to Evie for a refill. “I knew what it was. One night with the Sexiest Man Alive that accidently turned into three nights and a couple of days. It’s not like I have time for anything more right now anyway.”
“Accident is right.” Evie went to the kitchen and refilled their bowls. “That’s the thing about a one-night stand. One night. Maybe breakfast if you’re still getting on. Especially when you’re punching above your weight. I wouldn’t normally say that, but in this case, you know what I mean.”
“He’s the Sexiest Man Alive and I’m a conference organizer who wears too-tight shorts from five seasons ago.”
“Exactly. And you can count. You knew you were asking for trouble.”
Playing with fire, doll.
“I would do it again in a heartbeat.” Though her heart felt too sluggish to keep a decent beat right now. “That photo of my arse. He thought I might want to cash in on my notoriety.”
Evie got up to get more ice cream. They were into the second tub now. “There could be a lot of money in that.” Given her job, she knew those kinds of things. “My weekend as Haydn Delany’s sex slave. Did you at least consider it?”
“No. I was offended he’d think I’d do that.” She snorted. “I’m offended you think I should.”
“There’ll be ten other wannabees trying
to make a deal by claiming your bum is theirs by now. It’s not like you can do anything to hurt his reputation. Even if you tried to have his alien space baby, people would still love him for making you pregnant with an extraterrestrial.”
“He’s had a vasectomy.”
“Miracle alien space baby.” Evie put the remains of the tub in the freezer. “So that’s true?”
“Haydn Delany is not a man who wants to be trapped in a relationship that goes anywhere. Ever.”
“They’re reversible.”
“Men who don’t want to be trapped in a relationship?” Teela made a scoffing sound. “Not in my experience.” In her experience, men in a relationship they chose took the express route out if they didn’t get enough attention.
“Vasectomies,” Evie said, handing her a serving of the chocolate, coffee and biscuit.
“Right now, I do not give a rat’s arse about men and their endlessly simple, reversible and otherwise simple reproductive options. One day it’ll all be done in a lab and we won’t need the penis at all.”
Evie lifted her dessert dish in a toast. “To vibrators everywhere. You are our champions.”
Teela lifted her bowl to that and then scraped at the remains with her spoon. It was good, the ice cream. A posh everyday alternative to a weekend with the Sexiest Man Alive. A reminder that her life was every bit what she wanted it to be, and she loved everything about it. If only her vibrator could kiss like Haydn did. Need, adventure and delight all in a divine lip flex.
“It’s not like I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew before now,” she said.
Evie took the empty dish from her hand and put it beside hers on the coffee table. “Good digestion is underrated.”
“I feel a little sick,” Teela said, bringing her feet up and curling on her side, her head on Evie’s thigh.
“You ate two million liters of ice cream.”
“It’s totally that.”
Evie traced a finger around her ear. “Is it over over? As in forever never ever.”
“Yep. And by tomorrow I’ll be glad about that.”