Fighter in Lingerie (Lingerie 14)

She rolled her eyes. “The baby is fine. The question is, how are you? What happened with Bosco?”

Bosco told me to lie about our relationship, and I’d agreed to it. We could enjoy our final three months together without having to worry about any interference. But the idea of lying to Vanessa made me sick to my stomach. She was my best friend, and it didn’t feel right to make up a story. But since that was what we’d agreed on, I stuck to the plan. “I ended things. He took it hard in the beginning, but he let me go.”

“Really?” she asked in surprise. “Wow, maybe the guy wasn’t that bad, after all.”

It was getting harder for me to remember that he was a bad guy, not a good one. “Yeah…there are definitely worse men out there.”

“Well, problem solved. You wanna get lunch?”

“Sure.” I locked up the shop, and we went to our favorite cafe. We ordered our food then sat at a table near the window. Vanessa would normally order a coffee at lunchtime, but since she was pregnant, one of her favorite things had been taken away. But she certainly made up for it by eating more calories.

“How’s Griffin?” I asked.

“It’s taken some time for him to get used to a slower career. He says it can be boring at times. Not much action going on.”

“Well, I’m sure producing and shipping wine is nothing like killing people,” I joked.

“But he says he enjoys spending time with our fathers. They’re a lot more laid-back than he realized.”

As long as the Barsetti men weren’t threatened by you, they were pretty easy to get along with. “That’s good. Griffin had to put up with a lot of bullshit from both of them.” My father flipped out when he saw Griffin just talk to me.

“Yeah, I think they’re putting that behind them, finally.” She finished half her sandwich quickly, scarfing down her food quicker than usual. “This baby is definitely a boy. He needs to eat like Griffin does, which is constantly.”

“You really think so?”

“Oh, I know so.” She chuckled. “Griffin eats nonstop.”

“Because he weighs two hundred and fifty pounds—and that’s all muscle.”

“Which makes me think this is his son.”

“God, you’re gonna have to give birth to that.” She would have to shove a smaller version of Griffin through her little opening, and it might rip her clean in half.

“I know,” she said with a sigh. “But I’m talking the drugs. No doubt about that.”

“I’d do the same.”

When she finished eating, she changed the subject. “I know this is weird, but I had an idea…”

“What’s weird about it?”

“Well, I was thinking about your love life and how it hasn’t been going well lately…”

My love life was a train wreck. But my sex life had never been better. When Bosco was gone, I would compare every man to him, and of course, I would never be satisfied.

She paused before she continued, like she wasn’t sure if she should say it. “Remember when I dated Antonio for a bit?”

“The hot painter?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Yeah. What about him?”

“Well, not only was he handsome, sweet, and charming, but he’s successful, romantic, and passionate. He’s pretty much got the whole package. I can’t attest to his skills in the bedroom because I never even kissed him, but…what if you guys went on a date?”

“You want me to go out with your ex-boyfriend?” I asked incredulously.

“He’s not my ex-boyfriend,” she said sternly. “He can’t be counted as an ex if I’ve never kissed him. But he was a wonderful guy. If Griffin had never existed, I would have fallen for him.”

“Because you two are the same person. He and I have nothing in common.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked incredulously. “You’re both small business owners, and you’re both artistic. He could paint your flowers. It wouldn’t hurt, right? You already said you think he’s hot.”

I wasn’t interested in dating anyone right now, not when I was in a committed relationship with Bosco. Even if it had an expiration date, I was loyal until the end. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. What if we got serious? Wouldn’t be weird for you and Griffin?”

She shrugged. “Maybe in the beginning, but that would fade. Griffin wouldn’t care either.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“He wouldn’t,” she repeated. “I married him. I chose him. He has nothing to be threatened by.”

I knew I was just looking for an excuse.

“Just walk in there and ask him to dinner. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Bosco could murder him. “Uh…”

“Since when did you become this person who overthinks everything?”

I couldn’t stand this any longer. I didn’t want to keep lying to Vanessa, even if I’d told Bosco I would. She would keep my secret, and I didn’t want to lie for the next three months and make up excuses for why I wouldn’t date the guys she recommended. “Don’t get mad… I lied before.”