Page 192 of Just for the Plot

OC:I ordered one for all of us. Fuck, I couldn’t keep the secret. Next meeting, we can match.

Bennett:That’s a no.

Graydon:No.

Nolan:Count me in, you dumb fuck.

OC:I should take offense to the nickname, but Jesus Christ, it gives me life.

CHAPTER 35

BOWER

Bennett:Gretchen wants to meet us today. You available tonight?

Bower:Yeah, just let me know the time and place.

Bennett:Got it. P.S. I can still taste you on my tongue.

Bower:Good. Maybe you can have another taste later.

Bennett:Count me fucking in. Miss you, beautiful.

Bower:Miss you. XOXO

“You had sex with Bennett,didn’t you?” Adalade says from across the table, where she’s looking through curtain swatches. She wants to redo her office, even though she doesn’t ever do much in there.

“What?” I ask, surprised as I set my phone down on the table.

“Don’t mess with me. I can tell from the look on your face. You had sex, didn’t you?”

I bite the corner of my lip and Adalade’s eyes widen.

“Goodness, you had a lot of it.”

I bury my head in my hands and squeal, unable to hold back, causing her to laugh. “Ahhh, Adalade, I made a huge mistake, one that I made over and over and over again.”

She chuckles and pushes the fabric swatches away. “I’m disappointed that you’ve been here for over two hours and you haven’t saidanything to me. That seems like it’s grounds for being fired. Tell me why I should keep you around when you’re withholding such information from me?”

“Because I’m still trying to comprehend all this and accept it myself.”

She eyes me suspiciously. “I can understand that. I don’t like it, but I can understand it. So, tell me what happened.”

I let out a deep breath and recount what happened last night, Bennett showing up at my door, begging for me to be with him, going to his place, him not being there, only for him to show up later and take me in his bed.

“Wow.” Adalade picks up a brochure from the table and fans it in front of her face. “He begged?”

I nod. “It broke me.”

“I can see how that would break the strongest of women. And what happened to Cougar?”

“I let him down the best I could.”

“Did he accept it?”

I nod, thinking back to how understanding he was. “He did. He was really nice about it, which of course made me feel more guilty. I kind of wish he was a jerk about it, you know? Would have made it easier.”

“Yes, but at least you were honest with him.”