“Oh, let’s stop talking about it. Tell me about Ryder. What did he think of where you live?”
“He was impressed, but he’s been to many impressive places.”
“I bet. So . . . did you get him up in your room?”
“Yes.”
“And? C’mon. Out with the details. This is like pulling teeth.”
“We’re just getting to know each other, Kiera,” I said. I didn’t want to describe our passionate kissing in my closet. She’d only want more and more detail, and unlike her, I wasn’t comfortable talking about it.
“That’s how you get to know each other best,” she said, followed by her little evil laugh. “I described my first date with Richard, remember? I thought he might think less of me at first, but the truth was, I excited him in ways he never expected. And still do!”
“Why don’t you send me a picture of him?”
“Yes. I’ll do that. Maybe a picture with his clothes off.”
“Don’t you dare.”
She laughed. “I’ll see. I’ll expect a picture of Ryder in return.”
I heard a beep on my phone. “I think that’s him calling. You want to hold on while I check?”
“No. Send me an e-mail, a delicious one,” she said, and hung up.
I flashed the line and said, “Hello.”
“Did you get a lecture about me?”
I knew all I had to do was say yes and I’d never get him back or have him have any more to do with me.
“Talk about being arrogant,” I said. “Why do you assume you were the topic of discussion?”
“Well, why did he want to see you in his office?”
“It’s a long story,” I said.
“Right. It was about me.”
“No.”
“Then start your long story,” he said.
Beginning any relationship with deceit was certainly not a way to give it any lasting meaning, I thought, but in this case, stretching the truth a little would be better.
“The Marches are having a hard time with Kiera.”
“Still?”
“She’s seeing someone seriously at college, and she won’t tell them how serious it is. Donald and Jordan know I exchange e-mails with her. They wanted me to tell them what I know.”
“Donald? It’s Donald now?”
“Yes, he asked me to call him Donald instead of Mr. March.”
“More progress. Maybe he will agree to adopt you. Okay, I want some quid pro quo, too.”
“What?”