‘Here she is! The queen of the hour!’ Anika stood from her seat beginning a slow clap as I walked across the restaurant floor. ‘Strut queen! Strut!’
Laughing as Collins, Honey, and Blue joined her in a standing ovation—knowing I had no other choice but to let them have their fun—I brazened it out, lifting my arms above my head and sashaying my way over to them.
‘Spin, girl! Spin!’
Rolling my eyes, I did a little twirl, laughing when Honey let out an earsplitting wolf whistle.
A few years back, Anika and I had joined a local book club. Within two meetings we’d figured out that we were in the completely wrong group for us when Anika’s pick—a steamy bad boy billionaire romp—had resulted in the club instituting a blanket ban on romance novels. Despite our protests, the older couple who had led the club insisted that anything containing more than one sex scene would not be considered appropriate reading material.
In an act of rebellion, Anika had stormed out, leading Honey, Collins, Blue, and myself to what she termed ‘the promised land’—all the romance books we could ever want. And so began Steamy Book Club—every two weeks on a Monday we met over books, booze, and burgers at the closed Bronze Horseman.
Honey, a chubby blonde with a big heart and sunny disposition often wore character-themed outfits, and today was no exception. Dressed in a ballgown—a nod to the Queen in the book we were currently reading—she looked like a regal princess, the crown on her head wobbling precariously. In contrast, Anika in her regular jeans and light shirt looked almost shabby. Predictably, her book lay on the table in front of her neatly tabbed and ready for discussion.
Rounding out our party of five were Collins, a yoga instructor and physical therapist who worked at Honey’s clinic, and Blue, who worked as a nurse in town. Collins wore a green sun dress that complemented her pale skin and dark hair, bringing out the rich emerald of her eyes. Blue wore a hot pink jumpsuit, her tumble of dark hair left to flow wildly about her shoulders—hinting at her cheeky personality.
‘So,’ Collins said, the first to retake her seat at the table. ‘Tell us everything.’
I sighed, pulling my book from my tote and dropping it on the table. ‘Why do I have a feeling we’re not going to talk about this magnificent novel today?’
‘Because one of us finally has a real-life love story to dissect?’ Honey answered, poking her tongue at me. ‘Come on, spill the beans!’
‘What is there to say?’ I asked, taking a seat at the table. ‘Gunnar is—’
‘Okay, his name is Gunnar.’ Blue leaned forward, her dark eyes flashing with amusement. ‘Do you know his surname?’
‘Larsson.’
‘Should we google him?’ Collins asked. ‘Just to be sure?’
‘Already on it.’ Anika held up her phone, typing furiously as she searched for info.
‘Guys! Come on, this is a complete overreaction.’ I reached for her cell, groaning when she twisted away, holding it out of my reach.
‘We’re overly protective; sue us.’ She continued to tap her screen, her fingers a blur. ‘Oh, I got him!’
While I might have protested their heavy-handedness, I couldn’t deny wanting to know a little more about the man I’d welcomed into my home.
‘Let’s see.’ Anika scrolled down the screen. ‘He co-owns a shipbuilding company with his brother. They specialize in fishing and recreation vessels. Looks like an inherited business but a successful one.’ She glanced up, her expression mildly approving. ‘I didn’t pick him for a rich kid so kudos to him for not being a jerk.’
‘What else?’ Honey asked, rapidly taking notes. ‘Do we need to order a background check?’
‘You guys!’ I shook my head, laughing when Collins handed me a beer.
‘You better drink deep,’ she encouraged with a wink. ‘We’re gonna be snooping for a while.’
In the space of a half-hour, they’d managed to uncover an ex-girlfriend, three social media accounts, and a photo of him in a swimsuit from college.
‘The man,’ Blue murmured as she enlarged the photo, zooming in on his groin area. ‘Is packing heat.’
I flushed, shaking my head. ‘I cannot believe we’re objectifying him. Isn’t this what we’ve been fighting against for the last few centuries?’
‘I can be a feminist and a perve,’ Collins said dryly, accepting the phone from Blue. ‘The two are not mutually exclusive.’
Laughing helplessly, I turned to Anika for support. ‘Please tell me we’re going to move on from this subject soon?’
‘Nope.’ She crossed her arms over her chest, staring at me with a Cheshire Cat grin. ‘You like this guy.’
Damn.
‘Yeah,’ I admitted. ‘It’s gone a little beyond infatuation and attraction now.’
‘Already?’ Honey asked, her tone skeptical. ‘Not that I’m saying you can’t fall in love immediately, but what have you guys done besides—’ she made a jerking motion with her hand.
‘Ladies, the man has not left her side since he arrived.’ Anika pointed at the bar behind us. ‘He sits in that chair watching her work. He follows her like a lost little duck when she goes to take out the trash. He ate all her breaks with her and then followed her home—no doubt to ravish our girl’s body.’ She cocked an eyebrow. ‘Am I right, Ella?’
The heat in my cheeks could have rivalled the sun. ‘Yes.’
‘Oh.’ Collins pressed a hand to her chest. ‘He sounds lovely.’
‘Obsessed with her.’ Anika stabbed a finger in my direction. ‘And it’s about damn time too. Our girl deserves nothing but the best and this guy?’ She waggled her finger knowingly. ‘He’s a good one.’
I shook my head. ‘You guys are acting like we’re about to get married. We’re not. It’s not even on the cards.’
‘You sure? Cause every time I see you two together….’ Anika growled.
‘Sex,’ I pointed out. ‘Does not a relationship make.’
‘But let’s be honest.’ Blue tipped her bottle toward me. ‘You’re not a one-and-done kind of girl. If you were, you’d have done the deed years ago.’
‘That’s a great point.’ Honey tilted her head to one side, the crown on her head barely hanging on. ‘What was it about this guy that got your juices flowing?’
I looked down at my hands, trying to find the words I needed to explain the craziness of the last few days.
‘He looked at me with desire. He looked at me how I’ve always wanted a man to look at me.’ I pressed a hand to my belly, trying to calm the butterflies that had taken flight. ‘He made me feel seen.’
Honey sighed dreamily, propping her chin on her hand. ‘Does he have a brother?’
‘Two, actually.’
‘I’ll take them.’
I snorted at her offer. ‘You wouldn’t know how to handle two men. Blue on the other hand….’
Blue tossed a pen my way, groaning. ‘Stop it! You know nothing ever happened between me and the Double Ds.’
‘But you wanted it to.’ Collins cocked an eyebrow. ‘Admit it.’
‘Maybe, a long time ago.’ She waved her hands dismissively. ‘But that’s all water under the bridge now. They’re back and they haven’t bothered to even say hi. I’m fine with moving on with my life as well.’
‘Hmm, definitely sounds like it.’ Anika rolled her eyes. ‘You all give far too much power to men. You should be more like me.’
‘A hoe?’ Collins teased.
‘A slutty-mc-slut-slut,’ Anika agreed proudly. ‘Using and discarding men once you’re done with them. No one needs the baggage they bring.’
A beeping sound floated from the kitchen.
‘And that’ll be lunch. Be right back.’
I watched Anika leave, wondering if I could ever be as cavalier as her about sex.
‘Ella?’
I focused on Collins.
‘Go balls to the wall. Don’t take for granted what you’ve got.’ She sucked in a breath, pain flicking across her face before she shuttered it. ‘If you want him, go for it.’
Blue squeezed Collins’ hand. ‘You okay?’
She nodded. ‘This is about Ella, not me.’ Collins swiped at a stray tear. ‘Can we refocus on her, please? Or change the subject?’
Honey—always the one to lighten the mood—lifted her book. ‘Can we talk about the hero’s dick piercing? I did not see that coming.’
A bang echoed in the kitchen.
‘The dick piercing!’ Anika yelled, poking her head out the pass window. ‘That motherfucking dick piercing! I nearly came reading that scene. What in the actual hotness of all that is sexy was that?’
Grateful to be surrounded by women who loved me and wanted the best for me, I resolved to consider their advice.
But for now? Dick piercings.
