“Wait, wait, wait. We can’t be discussing sex and nothing at thesame time.” She lifted her chin at Amanda. “Unless it’s the fact that Jack andJulia are getting lots and you and I aren’t getting any.”
“What am I getting lots of?” Julia stepped into the kitchenbehind Erin.
“Sex,” Jack and Erin said in unison.
Julia let out a contented sigh. “Yeah.”
Jack waved a hand. “This isn’t about your bliss. This is aboutAmanda having sex.”
“Amanda’s having sex?” Julia looked her way, a mixture ofconfusion and accusation in her eyes. “You’re having sex and you didn’t tellme?”
As an only child, she didn’t have a lot of experience beingganged up on, but that’s definitely what was happening. “I might have had sex.And I might be willing to discuss it. Can we sit down, though? Dinner’s ready.”
Her friends mumbled and exclaimed an assortment of questions andopinions, but they did as she asked. Amanda took her time refilling her wineglass. Not stalling, exactly, but okay, stalling. She’d waffled but was alreadyrelieved to have it out in the open. There’d be judgment, for sure, but maybeadvice, too. Lord knew she could use some of that.
She took her seat, put some potatoes on her plate, then passedthe bowl to Jack. He let out a dramatic sigh but took it from her. Dishes werepassed and, when everyone had a full plate, Amanda took a long sip of wine.Yep, stalling.
“Well?” Erin asked.
All eyes fixed on her.
“I may have had a hookup.” Even saying the word hookup made herfeel ridiculous.
“May have?” Julia asked. “I think that’s a pretty definitive yesor no kind of thing.”
“When?” Jack added.
“With whom?” Erin demanded.
No going back now. “Friday. In Rochester.” She closed her eyes.“With Mel.”
The entire table erupted in a cacophony of disbelief and demandsfor details. Amanda methodically cut a bite of chicken. She put it in her mouthand chewed slowly. Eventually, the questions and commentary died down. She wasleft with three people staring at her expectantly. She took another sip ofwine.
“Well?” Erin asked again.
“Well.” Amanda set down her glass and launched in. Bella notcoming and why. Having dinner. Cal wanting to stay with his sister. Drinks atthe bar. Good conversation. More drinks. She got to the after drinks part,skimming over the more explicit details. Even the closest friendships had theirboundaries. Or, maybe more accurately, she had her own boundaries when it cameto kissing and telling.
“When I woke up and she was right there, naked, I just about hada heart attack. And then I had to put on my clothes from the night before anddo the walk of shame back to my room.”
They stared at her, wide-eyed. No one spoke. Amanda took, not asip, but a gulp of wine. At the rate she was going, she was going to be hammeredbefore dessert.
“What did Mel say? The next morning, I mean. After.” Jack quirkeda brow.
Amanda blew out a breath. “That it was amazing and we shouldn’toverthink it. Oh, and we should do it again.”
Jack let out a low whistle. “Yeah, she did. You’re so much hotterthan Bella.”
Amanda waved the compliment away. “You’re biased.”
His finger wagged. “Oh, no. Don’t even think about going therewith me. You’re gorgeous and she’s plastic.”
“Yeah,” Julia added, just as Erin said, “Exactly.”
“Well, it’s not like it matters one way or the other.” Theyweren’t in a competition. At least not anymore.
“No?” Erin asked.
“No.” Her answer held more conviction than she did.
Julia frowned. “But what does it mean? Or, I guess what I’masking is, what do you want it to mean?”
Erin smacked her arm. “It doesn’t have to mean anything.”
Jack made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “Unless she wants itto mean something.”
“Agreed.” Erin nodded.
They all looked at her again.
“I don’t know what it means or what I want it to mean. That’s theproblem.” She hadn’t thought about Mel in that way in so many years. Going fromzero to sex in one night was enough to give her whiplash.
“Okay.” Erin’s voice held all the authority of a woman used tobeing in charge. “So, that leaves two questions.”
“Okay.” No authority on Amanda’s part. Just apprehension.
“One. Was it good?”
She looked around the table. Based on their faces, the questionwas clearly on everyone’s mind. No point in being anything but honest. “Yeah.”
There was a gasp. And maybe a squeal.
“What’s the second question?” Jack asked.
Erin’s smile was slow and full of mischief. She looked at Jack,then squarely at Amanda. “Are you going to do it again?”
God. She’d been so worried about what a terrible idea it was,she’d not given serious thought to repeating it. “No.”
Julia laced her fingers together and gave Amanda a look ofconcern. “Why not?”
“Because it’s a terrible idea.” Wasn’t it? And Mel might not haveeven meant it when she said she wanted to do it again. It was the sort of thingshe’d say in the moment and not want to be held to later on, a lesson Amandahad learned the hard way.
Jack’s face softened. “I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you.God knows I am not a fan of Mel’s.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t need the vindication at this point, butit didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy it.
“But.” He lifted a finger.
Sigh. There was always a but. “But?”
“Are you saying no on principle, because you feel like that’swhat you’re supposed to do, or because you don’t want to do it again?”
Sometimes, it was a real pain in the ass to have insightfulfriends. Even if it kept her honest. “I don’t know.”
No teasing in Jack’s eyes this time, just understanding. “That’swhat you have to figure out.”
“Right.” Moments like this reminded her how little practice shehad focusing on what she wanted instead of what was best for everyone else.
Julia nodded. “Right.”
Erin shrugged, but then nodded as well. “Right.”
Amanda closed her eyes, grateful for her friends but so done withthis conversation. She opened her eyes and looked around the table withpurpose. “We should eat now.”
“You’ve had enough, haven’t you?” Erin asked with a grin.
“Yes, but the food’s going to get cold. You know how I feel aboutthat. And I made cream puffs for dessert.”
Jack picked up his fork and made a
