Page 94 of Nothing to Tell

“Oh, Casanova, I have them queuing around the block.”

“I know, we sell tee-shirts and Crimson-branded condoms.Rouge Rubbers.”

“Ha, funny, I see what you did there.Are they actually rouge?That’s a missed opportunity.”

“Roxie’s Rouge Rubbers?”

“Bam, man, there’s your winner.Can they be Gin & It flavored?”

“Ah, baby,” Zairn drawled, “we make a helluva team.”

“My inspired ideas make you so much dough, it’s a wonder Ogilvie ever had a problem with me.”

“Triple-R, not triple-X.”

“To go with our Triple Seven,” Roxie declared on a brief laugh.

“They’ll be put into production immediately.”

“Don’t I need to approve the flavor first?Does it have to be done in a factory setting?”

Zairn’s snicker was almost a groan.“Alone in the dark, you and me.”

“It’s a date—ah, uh-uh—” Roxie interrupted herself to exclaim, “I don’t think so!”

Didn’t make sense to her, or Zairn either.“Don’t think so—”

“You kiss me goodbye before you walk out on me, Casanova,” Roxie said, affronted.A few seconds past.“There see, thank you.”

“Happy wife,” he murmured.“Happy life.”

“And don’t you forget it.Good, thank you.Now you can go,” Roxie said.“Don’t know what he was thinking.”Her friend’s volume rose.“What if your elevator plummets to the lobby, Casanova?That kiss might be our last!”

“Am I interrupting?”she asked after a couple of beats.“I should’ve just text.I’ll text next time.”

“No, call, always call.Texting is complicated because it goes to Z’s phone and Tibbs has to filter it.Sending it to Astrid is more—just call.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“And I meant what I said, Z and I will come if you want.He doesn’t have to do the brooding thing.It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve trotted out Z’s charm to win over parents.I’m not even talking my parents, I mean for other people in our circle.He doesn’t have to be getting laid to go on the offensive for you or Bastian.”

“Bastian thinks it’s no big deal,” she said.“But I know what my parents are like.”

“We judge the world based on our perception of it.You’ve got to look at this as a good thing.If Bastian can handle your parents, he can handle anything.”

Except they had no future.This wasn’t the start of something.In fact, they should be thinking about winding it up.It had already gone too far.Far too far.Did that mean she’d get out of the dinner?No.Probably not.

THIRTY-THREE

THURSDAY.

She’d pushed the dinner, back and back every day until Thursday.This was as far as anyone allowed her to go.Next Thursday?The week after?No.This one.It had to be now.

No matter how many times she tried to cancel, no one got the hint that this was a bad idea.Bastian didn’t help.He actually seemed eager to spend time with her family.How nice it must be to go through life oblivious to the perils hurtling toward you.Other families weren’t quite as tolerant of each other as his, Bastian was in for a treat.

Didn’t matter now.Not while riding along in Carnell’s car with Adara on the way to the restaurant.Her sister chattered about her nuptials.Weddings were so… pointless.Each to their own, but why were flowers so important?More to the point, why were they so expensive?Still, she’d forgive Adara’s excitement if she could be equally excused for her lack of it.

One tiny reprieve?Damon and Charissa were travelling with her parents.