Faking It with the Frenemy

“Okay, yeah. Fine.”

I rein in my impatience and try to see the week from her point of view. I haven’t been around much because of the dates Kim arranged. So maybe Vi’s feeling neglected and is acting out like this. Didn’t I promise myself to be a good and attentive father, to undo the damage Geneva’s done? And I really should’ve synced her school calendar with mine myself, since Melanie isn’t going to do it. I’m the adult here—her dad. “Tell you what. Why don’t we go shopping tomorrow? I know you want to buy a new dress for your mom’s wedding.”

That gets her to look at me. Finally!

“Really?” she asks.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t you have a date or something?” It’s almost like she’s blaming me for needing a plus-one for the wedding.

That makes me feel guilty and slightly defensive, because I’m doing the best that I can. But I don’t try to make excuses. After all, this isn’t about me, but about her dealing with the crappy situation. “My only date tomorrow is you and the mall.”

Vi smiles. It’s a small one, but still precious. Warmth pools in my chest, and I give her a hug. “Sorry I’ve been busy. I’ll make tomorrow extra special.”

“With ice cream? A double scoop?”

“Don’t push your luck.” But I’m smiling as I say it.

Chapter Twenty-One

Kim

“You think I need to get laid?” I ask casually as I look over the dresses on the clearance rack. It’s Saturday, and I’m on my retail therapy at a department store in the mall. It keeps me from thinking about the damned kiss again.

And I refuse to think about that damned kiss. Nope. No way. I haven’t even confronted Wyatt about the situation with Vi yet because I’m too afraid that facing him might remind me. Or worse, make me want to do it again. It’s bad enough I thought about it last night in bed, even knowing that he’s a shallow asshole. Then I exacerbated the situation by wondering if he kissed Miri, because she’s actually a normal, decent human being. She’s too good for him, though.

Jo glances over. “What?”

“Do you think I need to get laid? Like, have sex,” I add, in case she isn’t clear on the concept. I feel like not having been laid in a long time is the only reason I’m obsessing about the kiss. I should be repulsed, especially after what Vi told me yesterday.

“Yeah, uh, pretty sure I know what the phrase means. But what’s this about?” She’s standing hipshot, and posed like that, looks like a model in her fitted blue top and skinny jeans. She says she has to look like she’s just stepped off the cover of Vogue because her clients expect her to be stylish.

I, on the other hand, am dressed in a white Hollywood T-shirt, cute cropped denim pants and flip-flops, hair pulled into a ponytail. Still looking good in a weekend-casual way, even if I’m not up to Jo’s standards.

“It’s just… I feel like I’ve been depriving myself. I haven’t dated in, like, a year,” I say.

“Your last time was…who? Marco?”

“Yeah.” I can feel my face twist. Marco the cheater.

The most outrageous part? He said it “wasn’t his fault” that his dick fell into another woman’s vagina because “accidents happen.” Oh, and it’s a biological imperative for men to spread their seed as far and wide as possible. The survival of the human species depends on it. So really, what he did was a noble service to humanity.

If I’d been holding a knife, I might’ve stabbed him.

Jo shakes her head in sisterly commiseration. “He’s the kind of guy who could induce any penis-loving woman to become a lesbian. Or a nun.”

“True that.” After him, I went on a dating fast.

“Look, if you really just need to have sex with a warm body, my cousin might be able to help,” Jo says somewhat seriously. “Hugo loves women, and some of his exes told me he’s, um, the best lay they’d ever had.” She makes a TMI face.

I scrunch my nose. “Isn’t he, like…twenty-one?” Jo told me about changing his diapers when she was younger.

“No! Twenty-six. Old enough to know the score, but still young enough to go Energizer Bunny on you.”

I shudder, shaking my head. “No. I can’t take a guy whose diapers you changed seriously.”

“What are you talking about? I never did that. It was my other cousin because she wanted money for a new prom dress. Anyway, I thought I’d offer him because he needs a favor from you.”