“You look alive and well to me,” he tells me.
“Killed me,” I whisper. “Kill killed me with his killer. That’s what I’m gonna name it. Killer.”
“Please tell me you’re not naming my dick Killer.”
I nod and rasp out, “Apple juice. Hurry. Revive me so I can think of a better name.”
He kisses my shoulder as he rolls away from me to go deal with the condom and get me a drink. He looks over his shoulder on the way though and the smile on his face, the amusement and affection in his eyes? Gosh… I’m falling for this guy hard and fast.
54
Violet
“Yep,” I tell Susanna. “I have no idea what’ll happen from there, but eight boxes of my stuff got dropped off at Killian’s apartment, so I have almost everything except my kitchen stuff and my furniture.”
We’re in a booth at McHop’s.
“You should definitely move in with him.”
I take a long draw on my straw and I’m shaking my head as I swallow.
“No, what I should do is move in with you, date him for six months, and then maybe move in with him.”
“Nope,” she tells me, then bites into a pretzel.
My coworkers, their friends, and Susanna’s friend Brit haven’t arrived yet. We decided to meet an hour early, just us, so I could catch her up on some stuff and get some perspective.
She’s been super supportive – of Killian’s efforts to have me move in. Not at all supportive of my fishing for confirmation I should go slow.
A tall blonde heads for us and I recognize her as Brit from Susanna’s social media. She has the face of a model, has to be six feet tall, and she’s built like a personal trainer. She’s beautiful and I’m feeling intimidated.
Half an hour later, I’m feeling a bit better because we’re all a little tipsy, Brit is bubbly and hilarious. But she’s now ganging up on me with Susanna in trying to convince me to move in with Killian and claim then fill that empty half of a giant luxury walk-in closet I’ve told them about.
Brit also tells me I should get pregnant immediately and get that hunk to put a ring on it.
“I showed her pictures of you two from that new club of his and filled her in about the dickhead. The basics,” Susanna says, letting me know she didn’t reveal anything too personal.
“Get yourself in there, girl. He is super-fine. And rich. And Susanna said he helped you get away from a scuzzy ex that gave you a bunch of crap the last couple years. This guy sounds like a knight. A knight who swooped in to help you and started falling for you right away. If you leave that penthouse without him asking you to, you are craycray. When are you having us over to see it?”
“Um… I’ll get back to you on that.”
“Girls’ night in. ASAP,” Susanna adds.
Tara, Cammy, Debbie, and another girl who I guess by the family resemblance must be Cammy’s cousin Esther approach the table.
And our night is off to a running start when Brit orders a round of shooters.
They’re all giddy when I explain that we’re being picked up by a driver, taken to Numbers, and that the whole night is on Killian. Players’ cards, dinner, drinks, and of course everyone will get a ride home.
I tried to talk him out of it, but he insisted that he wanted to do this for me – give me a fun night to celebrate with my friends.
“You’ll be the one getting a ride, though, at the end of the night, won’t you?” Cammy elbows me in the side, winking exaggeratedly.
I told them in the text that I broke up with my ex and that I was now seeing Killian and got all sorts of emojis and squees from Cammy.
Deb replied with a giant eggplant picture and a question mark.
I replied with “100/10, would definitely recommend.”
That got LOLs and laughing emojis all around.
“You sure you can’t come to Numbers, Deb?” Tara asks.
She shakes her head. “One drink and I’m meeting my new beau for dinner.”
“Or you’re avoiding Killian because you think he doesn’t want you there. He really doesn’t mind,” I throw in.
She shakes her head. “Earlier this week, me, Tara, and Cam were at the park at lunch and we saw her. Dario’s new girl. The fact that I’m even here and not in bed eating my feelings says a lot, believe me. I’m not interested in seeing Kill and feeling my nose get more rubbed into it,” she says.
“I have other news, related news,” I tell her.
She stares me dead in the eye.
“They’re getting married next weekend. Killian got invited, so I’m gonna be there.”
Her eyes are dead. Not a flinch of emotion. Deb is a tough girl and I suspect her showing weakness would be an extremely rare occurrence, probably not something she’d do in front of a bunch of girls. Only alone, where no one could see.