Page 36 of Rescued By Midnight

“Today was pretty easy. We mostly talked about the past, like Before.”

I wonder how far before, Before is, but I don’t want to pry. “And what do you think of your therapist?”

“She’s cool. She seems very free-spirited. She has a nose ring.”

I laugh at Alice’s scandalized tone. “Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?”

“What? Why would I be jealous?” But she sounds thoughtful.

“You’d look cute with a nose ring,” I say.

“Psh.”

I decide to drop it, although teasing her and watching her cute expressions is pretty fucking fun. “Do you want to get some take-out for dinner? There’s a great little Greek place around the corner.”

“Sounds good.”

We step into the restaurant and walk up to the counter. Alice orders pita bread and nothing else, so I add several dishes to go. I’ll give her a little of everything when we get home.

“Landon, is that you?” a woman’s voice says from behind me.

I turn to see Kim, an old friend and former hook-up. “Hey, you. It’s been a long time.”

“I can see why.” She gives Alice a friendly smile. “This is the reason you haven’t been coming around to Low Vice, isn’t it? Hey, I’m Kim.”

“Alice,” Alice says.

Kim’s eyebrows rise up on her forehead. “Wait—Alice, Alice?”

“No, I’m Alice Meeks, not Alice Alice,” she jokes. “But yeah. I’m the Alice from the news.”

“Oh shit,” Kim says, before sneaking a glance over at me. “So it’s not like that. I’m sorry for making assumptions. I’m glad you’re okay, Alice.”

“Thanks.” Alice smiles at Kim, her blue eyes thoughtful.

I pay for our order. Our food is ready quickly, so there isn’t much time to say more to Kim.

“You should really come back to the club,” she says quietly, her hand on my forearm. She lowers her eyes submissively. “I miss you and Cody.”

I give her what I hope is less a grimace, and more a smile. “Take care, Kim.”

ALICE - NOW

It doesn’t take much guesswork to figure out that the gorgeous woman in the Greek restaurant either used to, or currently does, hook up with Landon and Cody.

Landon jokingly accused me of being jealous of my therapist’s nose ring.

That wasn’t jealousy. This is.

But I think I put on a pretty good front as we walk the rest of the way to his and Cody’s apartment. “Kim seems nice.”

“She is. We met her around the time we met you, actually—a couple of months after we lost Nessa.”

I wonder when they started being more than friends with her. Possibly immediately. But they never mentioned her to me.

After I learned they were in a relationship with Nessa together, I started wondering what it would be like, to be with both of them. The thoughts were forbidden, which only made me crave them more. I would fall asleep some nights, wondering.

Those lustful imaginings now seem like the fantasies of a schoolgirl. Kim is beautiful and mature, and she seems so comfortable in her own body. I’ve always liked my body. For the most part, I even like my breasts. But I’ve never felt comfortable.