It was the worst walk of shame of my life. No bra. Boots in hand. Rummaging through my purse to make sure my vibrator and belt were where they were supposed to be.
Fuck!
I turned on my heels and slammed the door to the room open. With two pairs of devil eyes glaring at me, I dove under the bed. Thankfully, that’s right where my pink o-maker had rolled after Seth was done using it the night before.
I shoved it back into my bag, smoothed out my clothing, and left again. Chloe and Seth were yelling at each other while I was waiting at the elevator, texting Brett to meet me at my apartment so I could wash the shame off of me. I heard Chloe scream, “Oh God! My water broke.”
Well, I am not fucking hanging around to see this.
I ducked into the staircase and hoofed it down the fifteen flights barefoot.
What a fucked up morning.
* * *
“Wait, so she went into labor?” My cousin sat on my sea foam corduroy couch, sipping his mimosa while Dozer laid his big head in Brett’s lap.
“I guess so. I didn’t stick around to find out!” Painting my nails on the floor, I tried to laugh about the terrible morning I’d had. “So fucked up, right?”
“Yeah, that shit only happens to you my dear.” Brett was wearing a loose white dress shirt partially tucked into his designer jeans with gaudy turquoise jewelry and accents. He had always been a better, flashier dresser than I was and way more glitzy. It worked for him, and it matched his personality well.
“So, how’s everything going on the Tony front?”
Brett bit his lip, playing with Dozer’s pointy ears. “There’s a new busser at work that I have my eye on now.”
“Oh yeah?” I loved Brett’s escapades.
“He’s eighteen. Just moved to the city. He needed a place to crash for a few nights so he has my pullout.”
“You would. How straight is this one?”
“He thinks he’s straight as an arrow, but I think there are a few kinks in that shaft.” My cheeks flamed as Brett winked at me. Even though I was completely fine with his sexual preference, the fact that he was able to sleep with so many straight men was astonishing to me.
“Oh, so the real reason I wanted to see you is one of my friends is an author. She has two perfect models for her cover but her photographer has the flu. Are you free to do a quick shoot for her?”
“Maybe. Sounds like a fun project. When?”
“They want Central Park at dawn, sooner rather than later. She’s on a time crunch.”
I groaned. “That is freaking early as shit! But, yeah, I’m in. Luckily, I just have to roll out of bed and do the shoot.”
“Thanks love. Her budget is a little tight.”
“That’s fine. I’ll take whatever she was going to pay her other guy. If she’s a friend of yours, I don’t mind helping out.”
“You’re awesome!”
“Don’t forget that!”
“I’ll text her your number.”
“Sure.” The smile that spread on my cousin’s face was adorable. He was the sweetest person in the world.
Brett stopped petting Dozer to fill up our mimosas so naturally, Dozer started his deep throaty grunt. “Your dog is so weird.”
I whistled and Dozer plopped down next to me. I rubbed his neck with my elbow while blowing on my wet deep plum nails. “He just doesn’t like it when the petting stops.”
“Apparently.” Brett rolled his eyes at my brown and white goofball, who was now panting in my ear while slapping his tail uncontrollably against the leg of the coffee table. “So we could set up a meeting for tomorrow with Kathy, my author friend. Maybe her models could join and we could talk about the shoot?”
I nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Set that shit up and order some Chinese. I’m starving.”
“Chinese and a mimosa? You’re a strange one.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, but you still love me.”