Chapter 31
Sitting in Jake's penthouse, I told them everything that had happened since I'd left them a few hours earlier.
There was only one detail I left out, andthatinvolved Jake and an elevator.
I could only imagine telling them – not that I ever would. But if I everdidget tempted to blab? Well, let's just say we were twenty floors up, and I didn't want them jumping.
I knew my brothers. They'd had more than their share of girlfriends, but that didn't mean they'd relish a blow-by-blow account of their sister having sex on the same elevator that they'd just used to get up here.
I was all too familiar withthatdynamic. There was this kitchen counter at my mom's place that I wasstillavoiding for reasons that involved my mom, an appliance repairman, and a wine-induced confession on her part.
Plus, my brothers were still eating. So I stuck to details they wouldn't mind hearing over dinner. "It's like, we've been fighting all day," I explained, briefly touching on the main things that Jake and I had been arguing about – Nipple Girl, Jake betting on me getting fired, my ill-fated walk, and the lingering tension about that godawful photo, which I was still refusing to look at.
By the time I finished talking, my brothers were both looking at me like I'd lost my mind. It was Anthony who asked, "About the picture? Why won't you just look?"
Just thinking of that stupid thing made me want to blush. "I don't know," I said. "It just feels like I'm being punished or something."
But Steve was shaking his head. "Nah, that's not it."
"Oh yeah?" I said. "And I supposeyouknow the reason?"
"Sure. It's because you looked like a ho-bag, and now you're all embarrassed."
My face grew a shade warmer. "I didn't look like a ho-bag." I hesitated. "Much."
"Which is why," Steve continued, "those two losers thought you were shaking it for cash."
"Oh, shut up," I said. "I wasn't 'shaking' anything."
"Shaking, showing." Steve shrugged. "If I were Jake, I'd be pissed too."
I stared at him. "You're kidding, right?"
"Hell no." Steve glanced toward the nearest window. "Around here? You go down the wrong street, and you're dead."
"Oh, get real," I said. "It's not that bad."
"Wanna bet?" he said. "Go five blocks, and it's a war zone."
"It wasn't a 'war zone,'" I insisted. The streets were empty." Looking for support, I turned to Anthony. "You know what I mean, right?"
"Sorry," he said. "I think you're talking out of your ass."
I sank deeper into the sofa. "Thanks a lot."
With a shrug, Anthony reached for the final slice of pizza and practically swallowed it whole.
Well, at least this wasn't ruining their appetites.
"And just for the record?" I told them, "They didn't, as you guys so nicely implied, think I was for sale."
Steve laughed like I'd just said something funny. "Oh yeah? Whatdidthey think?"
I still wasn't sure, but I didn't want to dwell on it. "I dunno…" I glanced away and mumbled, "They probably just thought I was, you know, a fun time."
Now, Anthony was laughing, too. "Yeah, for twenty bucks."
"Hey!" I said, jumping to my feet. "I'd be worth a lot more than twenty."
