She garbles out a laugh. I cock a brow, waiting for the joke. Her jaw pops open. “Oh, wow. You’ve been out of the game too long. Come on, girl. You said erected.”
I give her an eye roll that any diva princess would envy. “How old are you again?”
“Where’d my fun-loving friend disappear to? I want her to speak up. She would laugh with me about stupid innuendos.”
“She’s been kicked one too many times, I’m afraid.” An all-too-familiar ache spreads through my chest. I don’t bother trying to rub the sting away.
Josey sits forward. “I’m sorry, I truly am. But meeting up for a casual meal or night out won’t hurt. Keke needs her groove back.”
Another round of churning twists my belly. “Honestly, I’m fine.”
“That isn’t good enough.”
I’m three seconds away from banging my head on the table. Just before I take action, a lightbulb moment flickers on in my brain. “Before I even entertain the idea of dating, Millie needs a dog.”
My friend crosses her arms and assesses me with an all-knowing look. “Are you really comparing finding a decent man to getting a family pet?”
“The responsibility of it all? Yes.”
“It’s official. You’re being ridiculous.”
“Me? This is all your doing.”
“Because I care about you and the cobwebs sprouting down below.”
The laugh bubbling out of me shakes my entire frame. “You’re taking things to a whole new level.”
“Extreme measures are necessary at this point, Keke. There’s nothing wrong with bumping a few uglies to soothe an ache. Or scratch that hard-to-reach itch. Even the best vibrator can’t stroke all those hidden spots.”
A burst of heat singes up my neck. I glance around the bustling bistro. The patrons of Steeped are getting quite the earful, thanks to my nosy bestie. “Will you turn the inappropriate badgering down a notch?”
Her eyes dart from one wall to another. “No one cares about your vibrator, Keke. And if they do, it’s only because they’re in the same boat.”
I hold up a palm, halting her never-ending line of suggestions. “Why the desperate need to pair me off all of a sudden?”
Ruby splotches stain her freckled cheeks. Thanks to a pale complexion, my bestie can’t tell a lie. I refer to this blatant tell as her Pinocchio bluff. “I met a guy who’s perfect for you.”
I bury my face between my palms. “And the plot thickens.”
“He’s really sweet and hard working. I checked into his status—totally single and ready to mingle.”
“Thanks for the report, but I’m not interested.”
“How about looking at his picture? He’s so dreamy.”
“This guy sounds perfect.”
“That’s what I was getting at,” she sings.
“Why don’t you focus this energy on making him your Mr. Happily Ever After?” I wince, immediately realizing that I’m an inch away from striking a nerve. A knot forms in my chest while I reach for her hand. “Sorry, Joe.”
She shrugs, averting her gaze. “It’s okay.”
I shake my head. “But it’s not. That was very insensitive of me.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to have all of the attention on you at the moment.” Her smile droops, and I want to dump this entire conversation into the trash. Josey has struggled with finding the beauty within herself since middle school. As a teenager battling with her weight, she fell into the arms of too many bad choices. One asshole after another threatened to tarnish her sparkle. Thank the good Lord she chose to use their mean-spirited targeting to build herself up. After embracing her curvaceous figure, the true Josey was able to emerge and prosper. She’s more confident and boldly aware of her assets these days, but the right man still hasn’t snatched her up.
Regardless of what happened in the past, my friend remains optimistic. Bless her hopeless, romantic heart for always finding a silver lining. She’s the sounding board for true love and happily ever after. It’s too bad she can’t find her own fairy tale. If that were the case, her relentless interest in my dating life could catch a break.
After another tense beat, her smile returns tenfold. “Maybe I should start a dating app for single folks in Wyoming.”
“There are already plenty of those available.”
She wiggles her eyebrows. “Been looking?”
I scoff. “Not at all.”
“Hey, you can tell me. No judgment.”
“Trust me, you’d be the first to know.”
Her mouth forms a flat line. “You’re no fun.”
“I prefer being safe and boring.”
“That’s not going on your dating profile.”
“Mostly because I won’t have one.”
“Not if I have anything to do with it.”
“Starting an account without my permission? Pretty sure that’s against the rules.”
Josey cackles. “This will be my site. I’ll be the one making rules.”
Going on about some fake creation is exactly why we’re friends. I give her a genuine smile. “You’re one heck of a spokesperson for online dating, that’s for sure.”
“And you’re being sarcastic.”
“Not sure how else to be in a situation like this.”
“Feisty is better than indifference. I accept your sass.”
I quirk a brow. “Not sure you have a choice.”
“Even better. Keep going.”
“You’re a distraction. We’re supposed to be working.” I jostle my mouse to wake up the computer screen.
“Oh, please. Our jobs aren’t going anywhere.”
“For now, and only because we’ve been busting our humps.”
Josey snorts. “Demand for freelance graphic design is booming, babe. And the glory of being our own bosses is we set the schedule. We can pick up projects whenever and stay remote. Did your office hours suddenly change?”
“No, everything is falling into place. There’s a stability in our life that we haven’t had. Business is steady. We finally have our own house. And I’ll be able to buy a new car this year. All is going according to my re-do plan.”
“Aside from soothing your womanly cravings,” she mutters.
“We’ve been over this. I’m ready to talk about something—anything—else.”
“Just tell me you’ll think about it.”
Cue internal eye roll. “Okay, sure. I’ll consider your
