Chapter 2 #2
“I’m surprised you let Paul talk you into phone sex at work.
” Lee reached back to tighten the scrunchie around her high ponytail of long, silky black hair.
A man at the table behind them gave her a long sideways glance.
Lee was gorgeous, but she was also happily married and never even noticed the looks men gave her.
“I absolutely shouldn’t have let Paul talk me into it, but I only talked. I didn’t do anything. And it was late. Nobody should have been there. I don’t even know why Knox was there so late.”
Lee laughed. “You know, this reminds me of the time you were looking at that guy’s photo album.”
“Oh, please, don’t remind me.” Summer almost choked on her laughter.
Ignoring her, Lee went on. “Your first day on a new job, trying to make a good impression, and there you are looking at the guy’s wedding pictures—and you put your foot right in your dirty little mouth, which your mother should have washed out with soap when you were a kid.”
Summer covered her face, still laughing, though it had been mortifying at the time, six years ago. She’d been replacing the newlywed, and he was showing her the ropes of the job. She couldn’t even remember his name now, only the story—and yes, she’d put her foot in her mouth.
Lee would never let her forget it. “There you were, going through all his pictures, being so polite,” she said in a singsong voice. Lee’s dark eyes crinkled with laughter. “And then you so innocently said, ‘Boy, that guy looks familiar.’”
“Please stop, stop,” Summer begged, but they were both laughing too hard.
“And he turns to you and says, ‘Well, if you watch a lot of pornographic movies, he’s a big porn star.’”
Summer held her stomach. “Please, stop, you’re killing me.”
But Lee didn’t stop. “And then you realized that’s exactly where you knew the guy from—all those pornos you and your equally dirty husband used to watch.”
“Oh my God, it was mortifying.” Her cheeks were burning even now.
“Yeah, but it makes such a fabulous story.”
“How was I supposed to know some famous porn star was his cousin? It never even occurred to me.”
She and her husband had watched porn flicks back when the movies were more professionally made and had a bit of a story—well, a very loose story.
She’d never liked internet porn, but those old movies had been fun.
And truthfully, Everett needed to watch them.
He had trouble getting an erection, even when they were young.
But a porn movie did it for him every time.
Summer had always told herself his lack of libido wasn’t her fault.
But somehow she’d still felt like a sexual failure.
And she hadn’t liked the way he focused on the movie and not on her, even as he initiated sex because the movie made him hard. The movie… not her.
At least they’d had sex. But God forbid the girls should ever learn they were conceived while their parents were watching dirty movies.
Still, she’d always found those movies titillating. They’d made her feel sexy. A few times she’d even watched when Everett was on a business trip and the girls were on a sleepover. Maybe that’s where her love of naughty storytelling had come from.
“You’re such a filthy woman,” Lee said with a laugh.
“But you love me anyway.”
“You bet.” Lee leaned in for a hug. “Okay, let’s talk about this Knox guy. What kind of name is that, anyway?”
Summer laughed. “Who knows? Probably some weird family name.”
Lee waggled her eyebrows. “Or maybe it’s a nickname, like he’s really rich.”
“Or maybe he’s built like Fort Knox.”
Lee gasped. “Don’t tell me you’ve been checking out his package.”
They both laughed. But Summer had looked, surreptitiously, of course. She couldn’t help herself because the man made an all-over extremely nice package.
“Anyway, the only thing I know about him is that he’s the VP of Equipment Engineering over at that company we’ve got the joint venture with—Silicon Valley Displays.”
“Is he married?”
Summer shrugged. “No ring, but I don’t know for sure. Some guys don’t wear rings.”
“Yeah,” Lee said with a snort. “Because they’re horndogs and don’t want to advertise that they’re taken.”
“I’ve heard a couple of tidbits about him being—” She air-quoted. “—a ladies’ man, to use old-fashioned terminology.”
“Like I said, horndog.” Lee sipped her coffee and leaned back. “Maybe you should test him out.”
Summer shuddered dramatically. “I don’t fool around with anyone at work.”
“But he doesn’t even work at your company.”
“He’s working close with our guys, and he’s in the facility all the time. It’s just too close for comfort.”
“But you haven’t been on a date in months,” Lee pouted. “I don’t get any dirty details to live vicariously through.”
“You don’t need my dirty details,” Summer scoffed. “You’ve got enough of your own with your darling husband.” Then she sighed. “I have Paul. He’s fine when I get the itch.”
“But it’s not a relationship. And he’s out there looking for something stable with someone else. What happens when he finds the right one?”
That was true. There had been times during their non-relationship when Paul met a woman and wanted to go for it. He’d never been a two-timer—not even with someone like her, a casual-sex friend. But nothing had worked out for him.
“And the girls are away at university for nine months. You’re all alone, girlfriend.”
“I just started a new job. I want to concentrate on that. Taking up with some VP, even if he is with another company, won’t work right now.”
“You’re just afraid of another relationship failure.”
Lee knew her so well—every little detail about her marriage.
“I’m not afraid of failure. I’m just not interested.” Her voice sounded sharper than she intended.
Lee raised her hands. “All right, I hear you. You don’t want to be under a man’s thumb. You don’t want a man telling you what to do and dictating your life choices, even down to the clothes you wear and the job you take. But not all men are like the asshole.”
Her husband Everett—the asshole—had become more controlling the older he got.
When they were young, he’d urged her to give up her job when they’d decided to have kids.
But later, he’d flat out told her to change an outfit he didn’t like her wearing or insisted she drop a friend she enjoyed having coffee with because the woman was too crass or too sexy or a bad influence.
She’d done what he wanted to keep the peace, even taken the job he thought she should take when she went back to work.
In fact, she’d been surprised he’d even agreed to her getting a job—until she’d learned they were having a few financial problems and he wanted the extra income.
Never again. She wouldn’t let a man control her life or her bank account.
But she conceded to keep Lee happy. “I’ll go for a relationship when I’m ready. I promise.”
Lee snorted. “You don’t have to promise me. I’m just thinking about you. You said you didn’t want to date after the divorce because it was too disruptive for the girls. But it’s been three years, and they’re in college. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Okay, fine,” Summer said. “But when I’m ready for a serious relationship, it won’t be with someone like Knox Turner. He’d be more like Paul—a friend with benefits, if anything at all. He absolutely doesn’t strike me as relationship material. And besides, there’s the whole work issue.”
“Okay, I get it. He’s not the right guy.
And I totally agree about not dating anyone at work, especially since he’s in a superior position to you.
Even if he’s at the other company, there’s still the joint venture to worry about.
And all that has way too many potential problems, much more for you than for him.
But if I find someone who would be good for you—”
Summer cut her off. “Please, no more blind dates. Not even a double date.”
The second her lip went into a pout—Lee had a pretty pout—the guy at the next table couldn’t take his eyes off her. Again, Lee didn’t notice. There was only one man she’d ever noticed, and she’d married him.
“All right. But what if someone with potential comes along? Promise you won’t make up excuses not to go out with him.”
“I can agree to that.” Summer meant it… because she knew no one with potential would just be coming along. “But not anyone from work.”
And most definitely not Knox Turner.