13. Jen
THIRTEEN
Jen
“Okay, are we ready to discuss the book?” Glory fluffs a pillow on the couch and then sits down as we all find a comfy spot in her living room to talk about this week’s read. I’m so glad we keep up with our once-a-week book club. It’s a great way for me to still see the girls because each of our lives is just getting so hectic.
This week, the book choice was mine, and I chose Control Me by Michelle Heard. It was phenomenal.
“Good pick this week, Jen.” Evelyn taps me on the shoulder as she passes by and takes a seat.
“I’m not saying you all should listen to me when I suggest books, but you should listen to me.”
“I really enjoyed this book, too,” Christina chimes in. “That hero, Nikolai…five damn stars!” Christina fans herself with the paperback.
“I thought the tropes were great. Age gap, mafia, plus all the good things that I love about romance wrapped up in one story.” I look at the cover. “It was absolutely amazing.”
Glory interjects, “Oh, I agree, Jen. From the storytelling to the character development, this author always has me coming back to read her stories. I’m fully immersed in this series. It’s so damn good.”
“I second that. I have also chosen the next book for our perusal. I picked The Hunted by Christy Anderson. It’s a dark, primal, secret-society romance.” Evelyn pops a piece of popcorn into her mouth and smirks. “It takes place at a house of ill refute. There are hookers in it!” Evelyn squeals with glee. “You all know I love hookers in books!”
The ladies and I laugh because she really does. It’s her non-guilty pleasure.
I love having this time with my girls to discuss books and the authors we love. I look around the room at each of them, and they are my world. But now my world is expanding, and this little one is going to be blessed with amazing aunties. I am so very blessed. And Maddox, well, now that we are official.
“So, Jen, how are things with you and Maddox now that you are out in the open?” Christina inclines her head toward me and raises an eyebrow. “He treating you right?”
“We’ve been inseparable when he’s home.”
The band just went back on the road again, and I really miss my guy. Things between us are on an accelerated path, but he and I have secretly wanted to be together for months.
I’m not sure what took us so long to figure that fact out. This little one of ours forced our hands, and I can’t regret anything that led to us finally being together. My feelings grow for him every day.
“He’s been great. I miss him something fierce. I guess we’re in that honeymoon stage.” The sex has been otherworldly. I don’t know if it’s Madd’s magic penis, pregnancy hormones, or what, but I have been insatiable.
Christiana leans over toward me. “You know, my husband does have a jet. We could fly out and surprise the guys.”
“That’s a great idea, Ti!” Glory looks at something on her phone. “If we take the red-eye, we can be there for their next show!”
“Let’s do this then! Give me a second to message Rim.”
“So, how are you handling dating a rock star?” Evelyn asks around a mouthful of popcorn.
“He’s vowing to get a security detail because we went shopping for baby supplies the last time he came in for a week from their tour, and well, the fans got excited when they saw him out.”
I sometimes forget that he’s so damn famous. Madd is just Madd to me.
“Maddox got upset when I got pushed out of the way when they surrounded him, wanting pictures and autographs, and I got knocked down. Madd was so pissed. It was a little crazy, but I’m okay.”
“That sounds crazy. Maybe he’s right. It’s okay to let him protect you when you all go out. He’s high profile. It can get dangerous.”
She’s not wrong. I wasn’t as upset about it as he was, but I don’t deal with that when I just want to go out and shop. Really, it must be hard for him.
“Glory, how do you and Beck handle this type of thing? You’ve been at this a lot longer.”
She settles into the pillows. “We stay home and fuck a lot.”
We all laugh uncontrollably, and Glory turns tomato red with embarrassment.
“Jeez, Glory, don’t hold back. We already know Beck has a huge wiener.”
Glory tosses a pillow at Evelyn, who dodges it, but it knocks over a painting Glory has sitting in the floor by her reading chair.
“Shit, I’m so sorry,” Evelyn says as she hops up and goes to straighten up the photo, but Glory runs like her ass is on fire and tries to shoo Ev away.
“What is that, Glory? Is that…” Evelyn leans in closer. We all do except Glory, who is so red she’s turning purple.
“Oh, hell. I can explain!” she shouts and tries to stand in front of it.
I lean in closer. “Is that a glory hole?”
“Yes, okay! It is!”
“Oh, you and Beck are freaky, freaky!”
“Oh my gosh!” Glory covers her face with her hands, and we laugh harder.
“Wait. Is he putting that big ole wiener of his through this hole? It doesn’t look big enough!”
We’re all laughing and enjoying ourselves, and I know that no matter what happens in this life, these women will always be there for me.