“Well, I kissed his cheek.” I flinch. “And then, he kissed my mouth.” I flinch again. “Just a little kiss. I think he surprised himself when he did it. And then…I attacked him. With my tongue. I mounted my poor roommate like a raunchy equestrian and practically tried to devour his face.”
My friend is fanning her cheeks. “Oh, I am loving this new, take-charge version of Miss Iris Merlini!”
“No, this is bad,” I groan. “Very bad. I lost control and behaved like a fool. He regretted it. I regretted it. And now things are gonna be even more awkward between us.” I’m red-faced and rambling.
“Oh, boo. Don’t apologize. You’ve been repressed too long. It’s time you get your freak on. Let that freak flag fly!”
“It was a mistake, Alexia.” I’m trying to convince myself just as much as I’m trying to convince her.
Lexi is smirking, focused on fluffing up a vintage fur stole hanging on a mannequin near the cash register. “He initiated it, Iris.”
“By accident.”
“So, he just fell and his tongue landed in your mouth? Give me a break. The man is hot for you. He said it himself over dinner that night. Embrace that shit…” She gives me a wink. “…and embrace that dick!”
I cross my arms on the cool glass counter and drop my head. “You should have seen the look on his face, Lexi. After I crawled off his body like some sex-crazed—” I search for an appropriate word. “—creature!” I bang my forehead a few times for good measure. “Jude Kingston is not attracted to me. Have you seen the women he hooks up with?”
She braces me by the shoulders and pushes me into an upright position. “I have seen them, and believe me when I say they have nothing on you, Iris.” Her gaze softens. “Your self-esteem needs some work because you were with a loser who didn’t fuck you for two years since he was too busy dipping his stick in pools that were most likely infested with crabs.” I flinch at her analogy. “That was his loss, and had nothing to do with you.” Lexi cradles my face in her cold hands. “Iris, you deserve to be happy. You deserve to feel great about yourself and have a little sexy time with your hot roommate.”
Before I can respond to her comment, a delivery guy comes through the front door carrying the biggest bouquet of lavender, wax flowers and white roses. “Delivery for Alexia Kingston,” the man announces as he approaches the desk.
When he sets down the flowers, she discreetly checks the card and blushes on a private smile. She hands the man a tip from her register and he goes along on his way.
“Wow! These are beautiful, Lex.” I lean forward and enjoy the fresh sweet scent of the flowers.
“Aren’t they? Cannon makes sure I get a new bouquet every day for the shop.” She grins. “He had them delivered today since he left town on business this morning. I love them so much.” She sighs. “Too bad the florist is going out of business.”
“They are?” I thumb the leaf of a rose.
“Yes, I spoke to the owner a few days ago. They’re retiring. They’re closing up soon unless they get a buyer to take it off their hands. I’m gonna miss them.” She motions toward the bouquet. “In any case, this is what we deserve, Iris. Men who go out of their way to make us feel special. You settled for Kirk for so long that now, you don’t even know what that looks like. But trust me, hun, there is a good guy out there for you. Who knows? It might even be Jude.”
Lexi and I met when she first came to town and opened her bridal boutique a few doors down from my old sandwich shop. She immediately decided we’d be best friends. And you just don’t argue with Alexia Robson once she’s made up her mind. But in moments like these, she proves herself to be more than deserving of the title.
“So…” Lexi begins casually as she does a terrible job of arranging her flowers in a glass vase she pulls from beneath the counter. “You gonna fuck him?”
I gasp in shock but I’m a damn hypocrite because I’ve spent the past few hours imagining just that. “No, I’m not going to fuck him,” I whisper-shout.
She looks up from her bouquet and tilts her head to the side. “Iris?”
“Yes?”
“Are you allergic to orgasms?”
I can’t look her in the eyes. I clutch the vase and drag it across the counter toward me. “Of course I’m not allergic to orgasms,” I say as I carefully move the roses around and position the lavender so it drapes just right. I stop my fiddling to look her in the eyes. “This is scary, Lexi…I think I actually like him.”
“All the more reason to go all turbo-equestrian riding his dick.” She shrugs.
“You are insane.”
She rolls her eyes. “You had a dirty divorce. And it’s time for you to get back in the game. With some high-profile dick,” she deadpans. “And if Jude is anything like his older brother, I’m guessing that man is packing some premium quality wood.”
I try to hold back a snort as I finish re-arranging the flowers. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to get any more over the top than you already were.”
Lexi quirks a narrow shoulder. “You love me.” She skips off to help a customer trying to lift a gigantic ivory frock off a rack.
I have a million conflicting dialogues screaming in my mind as I turn toward the door. “Lex, I’m gonna get going.”
She waves after me. “I’ll call you later…and consider what I said.” Ride that dick, she mouths after me.
I hear my phone singing from the bottom of my purse as I step out onto the sidewalk. I quickly sift through my bag. I check the screen and all the hope
