–Skye: Stuck? Need to brainstorm?
I smiled at Skye’s ready offer. She was the font of ideas in our trio.
–Me: Thanks, girlfriend, but I already know exactly what needs to happen.
–Lucy: So what’s the problem?
I sighed, then decided I might as well tell them. They might have some ideas as to how I could get my head back into the story.
Speaking of getting head…
No, stop!
–Me: It’s my neighbor.
–Lucy: Didn’t he promise to be quiet?
–Me: Yes, but we kissed.
There. That got the important point across, without revealing who Killian was. I still didn’t know how I felt about him being a rock star, and I didn’t want to derail the girls’ focus with that factoid, because Lucy and Skye both loved music.
–Skye: Whoa! Wait, wait, back up a little.
–Lucy: Was it good?
I paused, thinking back on the kiss in the kitchen. How should I describe it? Among all the adjectives I could come up with, my mind kept wandering back to the first one. It was too dramatic a word choice, but I couldn’t think of anything better and more apt. So I typed it out.
–Me: Soul-destroying.
–Skye: Wow. So did you seal the deal for real?
–Lucy: Don’t leave us hanging!
Their excitement amused me a little, making me feel like a teenager discussing her first crush with her friends. Except Killian wasn’t such an innocent crush. The man was too hot, too popular, too…surrounded by women. Well, maybe not in Kingstree. But I’d bet a year’s income that as soon as he left town, women would converge on him like moths around a searchlight.
–Me: We were arguing, and I was kind of egging him on, and then…bam, he kissed me.
Okay, that wasn’t exactly how that had gone, but I didn’t want to give all the details, especially the part about him deciding I was jealous. I’d wanted him to lose his cool for that arrogance. I’d been annoyed about his pictures for reasons unknown, but I hadn’t been jealous—I’d never felt that way about a guy, ever—and I had no reason to start.
–Lucy: Woo, a hate kiss!
–Skye: Was it good? I’ve never had a hate kiss before.
I ran my tongue over my lips. The kiss was long over, but I swore my mouth was still feeling an echo.
–Me: It was good.
Might as well be honest, I told myself. It was only fair to share—it could be inspirational…or used as research. Skye wrote wholesome contemporary, but she could always write something edgier. As for Lucy… Maybe she could write about a serial killer antihero.
–Me: And he was yummy.
There. An extra detail. I didn’t add that he had been as delicious as Bouncy Bare Monkeys, all that rich, textured flavor of male and lust and “take no prisoners” aggression. I’d wanted to devour him on the spot, consequences be damned.
That seemed a bit too private. Weird that I felt that way. I hadn’t minded giving away details about the few dates I’d had in the past.
–Lucy: And then what?
–Skye: There’s more to this, right?