Page 45 of Desperate Haste
“Yeah, I could use a coffee,” I add, shrugging my shoulders while trying not to think about how raw my throat feels. The welt that grew inside of it during class as I tried to catch my breath had yet to shrink.
The four of us walk down the block to a café and sit outside on the patio to cool off while we eat. Once we’re seated and our food and drinks have been ordered, I look around the table and find three sets of expectant eyes staring back at me.
“What?” I ask with a controlled smirk.
“Care to share with the class what’s going on with Malcolm?” Bailey questions, leaning over the table on her elbows.
“Who says anything is going on?” I challenge with an air of confidence.
“Uhh, Malcolm?” Bailey deadpans, cocking her head to one side.
“Excuse me?” My voice raises an octave.
“He’s mentioned you at campaign night before,” Magnolia hums, taking a sip of her latte.
“Yeah, Conrad’s mentioned something to me about it too.” It’s Margaret who speaks this time and we all whip our heads to look at her, stunned not by what she said but bywhoshe said told her about Malcolm and I. “What? We talk.”
“Okay, that’s a whole other thing we will get to later.” Bailey holds up a hand to Margaret and pins her eyes back on me. “How long have you and Malcolm been hooking up?”
I bring my eyes to the ceiling and count the weeks. “Well, I went home with him on the night of your wedding, but then we didn’t hook up again until Halloween. And then there was the time on the back of his truck?—”
“Sweetie, we don’t need the juicy details,” she cuts me off.
“Says you,” Margaret interjects. “I would love to know about Ophie and Malcolm’s sexcapades.” We all laugh around the table before calming down with the help of another sip of coffee.
“So, since Hank and Bailey’s wedding then? That was the first time?” Magnolia confirms.
“Yeah, back in September.”
“And how many times have you slept together since?” Bailey continues to question. I know my best friend and I know where her mind is heading.
“Uhhh,four? Yeah, four feels right.” When she purses her lips together and gives me a knowing look, I wave a hand at her. “It’s just sex, B. Don’t go where you’re going.”
“What about your rules? You’ve said for years now, ‘one and done.’ Four is a few more than ‘one,’ sweetie.”
“It’s just sex,” I repeat.
“It’s just sex with a guy who comes to your rescue when you have food poisoning, stays all weekend to make sure you’re okay, and then stays to use your shower after you’ve already left for the day? You’re telling me that all of that is ‘just sex?’”
“Yes, I’m glad you understand.” My friend and I verbally spar while Magnolia and Margaret’s eyes pingpong back and forth between us.
“Are you sleeping with anyone else?” Her eyes turn into slits as she waits for me to respond.Shit.
I swallow hard and pull my hair out of the ponytail I had it pulled back into, prolonging my need to answer as long as possible. “No.”
“So it’s exclusive sex?” she confirms with a hint of excitement in her voice.
“I guess so, sure.” I try to remain aloof but I know where she’s going.
“So you like him.”Goddammit.
“Bailey, don’t. I see the little bunnies running away in your head and you need to rein them in.Nothingis going on beyond sex, I swear.” My friend, and prior roommate for two years, stares me down from across the table as our other two tablemates wait with bated breath. I can see her trying to formulate a response, to come up with the right thing to say that might get me to change my mind. Nothing will change my mind though because I’m not the kind of girl who dates people or puts labels on things. Even though Iwasthe one to ask him to be exclusive. That doesn’t make him my boyfriend or anything.
She sucks on the inside of her cheek for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. “Well I think he likes you.” While I’ll never admit it to her, hearing the words make my heart rate pick up a few paces.
“Yeah, I think so too,” Magnolia finally says. I look between the two of them with furrowed brows.
“And what makes you say that?” I ask, unable to believe that they would think that. There’s no way he actually likes me. He’s just told me that so I’d keep him around and continue to sleep with him. There’s no way other people think he likes me, right?
