The Chase

Was Beck’s wife really asking about their sex life?

“That’s not…” Heavenly shook her head, at a loss for words. “You understand that he cheated on you with me? I didn’t know he was married until afterward but—”

“Ken didn’t cheat. Well, technically, he did. But don’t give that another thought.”

What?“Do you have an open marriage?”

Gloria laughed. “It’s barely a marriage at all, one Ken obviously didn’t explain. Men are such lousy communicators. I should kick his ass for keeping you in the dark.”

But not for cheating?

“He tried,” Heavenly admitted. “I didn’t listen.”

“Because you thought he was a lying, two-timing asshole?”

“Yes. And because he tried to tell me when my dad was gravely ill.” She teared up again. “His funeral was this morning.”

“Oh, honey. Come here to Mama Gloria.” The woman enfolded her in a gentle but firm hug. “Let it all out.”

“I don’t want to trouble you with my—”

“You’re not. Trust me. Now…” she crooned. “When did your daddy die?”

“On Sunday, a few minutes after I found out Beck was married.”

“That must have been one hell of a shock.”

“It was even worse because, a few minutes before that, we had finally…” Heavenly grimaced. “You know.”

“Fucked like bunnies?” The woman yanked her head against a maternal shoulder and stroked her back with a comforting caress. “Poor baby. So…was that when Ken took your virginity?”

She jerked away. “He told you?”

“No, but he admitted months ago that he wasn’t seducing you because you were so innocent. Glad he got over that hump…” Gloria laughed at her own joke. “Was he gentle?”

This conversation kept getting weirder. “He and Seth were very, um…tender and—”

“Wait. And Seth?” Gloria looked stunned. “They took you together? For your first time?”

Heavenly squirmed. She didn’t know why she was confiding in Beck’s wife, except the woman’s easy warmth invited confidences. Maybe because she was lonely and at a breaking point? “It wasn’t planned…”

“Don’t get shy with me now, honey. I doubt they’re complaining. But a virgin managing double penetration… I’m impressed. I was in my thirties before I tried that.” She fanned herself and wagged her brows like she’d sure enjoyed it. “Tell me everything. How did this happen? Last I heard, Ken and Seth aren’t exactly friends.”

“For months, they weren’t. The way they sabotaged one another was beyond crazy.”

“Oh? I need details.”

“Well, while I was at Beck’s house for a date, Seth reported Beck dead, so a guy from the morgue came. He interrupted our, um…kissing to search the house for the supposed body. I thought that was bad until I was at Seth’s house a few days later and Beck hired a woman with a sex donkey to put on a show for—”

“A sex donkey?” Gloria doubled over laughing. “Shit, Ken has always been a kinky bastard, but that’s so sick and wrong it’s hysterical.”

A reluctant smile tugged at Heavenly’s lips. “At the time, it was horrifying. But looking back, it’s actually funny.”

“I can only imagine what you must have been thinking. So when did they decide to stop measuring their dicks and give them to you instead?” Gloria asked bluntly.

“When they overheard that I’d offered my virginity to a mutual friend because I didn’t want to give it to my landlord. The thing is, I couldn’t pay my rent and…”

“Ken didn’t pay it for you?” Gloria sounded both stunned and pissed.