Best in Bed

by Cheryl Dragon

  “You’re criticizing her?” Seth teased me. “You warned me you’re not a good cook.”

  “I’m not a great cook. Not like Jen or my mom. However, I can manage a dinner without supervision if I’m in the mood. I’ve never heard of Lori using her stove. The microwave sure. Popcorn, pop tarts, she’s good at heating things. To actually cook?” I shook my head.

  “Come on, I’m not that bad!” Lori stomped.

  “We can always order pizza if it’s that scary.” Jen shrugged.

  “Or you could help her and we’ll eat it and live,” I suggested.

  Jen nodded as Lori shook her head.

  “I’ll do it myself,” Lori insisted.

  “Nick’s trying it first.” I added a condition.

  “I can help you cook,” Nick offered to Lori.

  Lori picked up the nearest heavy object and wound up to pitch it at Nick’s head. Not sure if she was kidding or having a true hissy fit, I grabbed her arm first.

  “Not the Tiffany vase, please Lori.” I pried it from her fingers as Nick tackled her into a pile of bubble wrap. They laughed and wrestled and kissed while the bubbles popped beneath them.

  “Get the hose,” I joked to Jen.

  “Just for that, Nick’ll be cooking dinner for everyone,” Lori declared.

  Same old Lori. It felt good to know being with Nick hadn’t changed her except to make her happier. I’d never seen her this happy.

  “Thank God.” I mouthed at Seth.

  “Are we fighting or packing here?” Lori clearly wanted a subject change.

  Hands got busy, the conversation grew dull. “Jen, did you ever hear about that job?” I asked.

  “No,” she groused. “I left a message at the restaurant the day before the Margarita incident. They never called me back. I’ve given up.”

  I grinned. ‘The Margarita Incident’ was how we now referred to the day Tim came clean about his identity and I dumped that pitcher of frozen drinks in his lap. The timeline didn’t add up right.

  “Wait a minute.” I paused in wrapping a piece of crystal. “You left that message the day before?”

  “So, that was two weeks and a day from my interview. I didn’t want to be pushy.” Jen shrugged. “They said I’d know in two weeks.”

  “Right, weren’t you screening your calls the days after the Margarita Incident? If I remember correctly, you were deleting messages without listening to them. Who knows what else you deleted.”

  Jen’s eyes bugged out. “I need a phone!”

  Seth produced his cell phone and Jen lunged for it and dialed. She slipped into Lori’s now vacant bedroom for added privacy.

  I shrugged at Lori, who returned it. We both knew how badly Jen had wanted that job. A gay-owned French restaurant. It was bound to be a success.

  “I got it!” Jen ran out screaming. She hugged everyone, including Nick and Seth who both looked a little bewildered. Jen clung to Tim, jumping up and down and kissing him. “I’m hired!”

  “What did they say?” Lori asked.

  “They were worried I’d gotten another job, but were waiting until the holidays were really over to call again. They thought I might have gone back to Wisconsin for Christmas or on some extended vacation. They were going to call me tomorrow.” Jen caught her breath.

  “Let’s finish up here and go celebrate,” I suggested.

  Seven hours later, the boxes had been loaded, we’d gone to dinner and stuffed ourselves in honor of Jen’s new job and then men were gone.

  Lori had decided she wanted to spend one last night hanging out with us before moving. So the three of us were sprawled around Jen’s apartment in pajamas eating junk. The guys weren’t too happy about it. They’d learn that the world didn’t revolve around them.

  “I can’t remember the last time I had a slumber party.” I sat curled up in one of Jen’s overstuffed chairs in my favorite sweats.

  “I’m going to miss you guys. Too bad my new building is full or I could take you with me and things wouldn’t have to change.” Lori looked around the room like she was moving to Outer Mongolia for the rest of her life.

  “You’re only moving a couple blocks up the street,” I reminded her. “And I’m not moving all of my stuff to be near Nick.”

  “It won’t be the same, but you don’t need us barging in it at inappropriate times,” Jen agreed.

  “We’re good at that. You can always give up Nick and stay,” I suggested. Couldn’t resist playing devil’s advocate with a love-smitten lawyer. Some things wouldn’t change and I was glad for that.

  We’d still be friends. I’d still harass Lori and she’d harass me. Jen would, no doubt, continue to look for advice as she ventured further into Chicago and possible couplehood.

  “I love you guys, but not that much.” Lori grinned. “Remember what I was like without Nick?”

  “Good point.” I nodded. “So, I never did hear the verdict on Seth. Does he pass?”

  “Absolutely. He’s cute and rich.” Lori sipped her hot chocolate.

  “Rich doesn’t matter. I didn’t even know until he pulled up in a Lexus, which isn’t that impressive of a car.” I shook my head.

  “I know,” Lori relented. “It’s better than a beat up Chevette. He could be poor and unemployed.”

  “Marina’s poor enough now. I can’t believe you really took out that huge loan for the business.” Jen popped a marshmallow in her mouth.

  “I have a business in return. I’ll actually own something. I’m an adult.” I shuddered at the thought. I was a boss. Good thing it was done or I might have changed my mind once it completely sank in.

  Lori laughed. “You shouldn’t turn thirty until you’re at least an adult. You just made it.”

  “I don’t own anything. Maybe I’m not an adult.” Jen poked at the marshmallows now floating her hot chocolate like a left out kid.

  “You’re not a virgin anymore. That’s good enough.” Lori nodded.

  “True, being a thirty year-old virgin would be serious cause for alarm. And you’ve got a new job too. Maybe you can buy a car. That’s owning something,” I suggested. The idea of Jen driving in Chicago traffic scared me. She’d have to learn eventually.

  “This new job is farther than my old one, but Tim already has a car,” Jen mused.

  “Moving the boyfriend in already?” Lori asked.

  That had my attention. “Jen?”

  “No, no. We’re not moving in. He doesn’t live that far. That’s all.”

  I leaned in Lori’s direction. “I give it six months and they’ll be living together.”

  “A hundred bucks says they’re engaged by then.” Lori and I shook on it.

  Jen blushed deep red. “What about you and Nick? No ring yet?”

  “No, I told him we had to live together for at least six months before we can even talk about that, to make sure he wasn’t going to throw me back. I’m not rushing anything. I’ve got him. That’s all that matters.”

  “That’s smart. You don’t want to actually kill your mother.” I smiled.

  “Are you agreeing with me or trying to talk me into dragging Nick to the courthouse tomorrow?” Lori glared at me. “Because I’ll do it.”

  “Whatever. Just make sure I’m invited. I’m content that you’ll stick with Nick now so whenever you want to make it legal is fine with me.” I stretched with satisfaction.

  “As long as you’re content.” Lori rolled her eyes.

  “You did start all of this, Lori,” Jen reminded. “You’re the one who freaked about turning thirty.”

  “So? I was the first one to do it. I didn’t make Marina come up with that crazy idea, but it worked out for the best.” Lori crossed her arms.

  “Actually, you did make me come up with the idea,” I corrected.

  Jen giggled and I gave her a knowing smile.

  “What?” Lori looked paranoid.

  I shrugged. “I figured if anything, you regretted not keeping Nick. The game gave us all a chance to ch
eck for regrets. I thought you might actually get your guy back. And you did.”

  “She’s the only one who got the guy she looked up.” Jen nodded.

  “True. You didn’t do too badly with Tim,” I teased.

  Jen grinned so hard my face ached just looking at her. If Tim hadn’t been as goofy at dinner, I might have been nervous. He was whipped too.

  “I’m not sure if I’m mad at you or not.” Lori leaned back on the couch and stared at me.

  “Would you be happier without Nick?” I challenged with smug satisfaction.

  “Of course not.” Lori’s mouth remained open for a moment. She never completed her thought and simply shook her head.

  “Then you’re not really mad. Think of me, I spoke to Lucas for Jen. And I fought with Nick for you, too. Poor Jen had to track down Lucas and hear that Brian was kissing boys in California.”

  “I don’t mind. I got Tim out of the deal.” Jen blushed. “I’d probably still be a virgin if you hadn’t started all of this, Marina.”

  “And you did okay with Seth,” Lori reminded. “Though I guess you didn’t make him part of the game. You’ve been mentioning him off and on for months.”

  Time to come clean, I decided. “To tell the truth, if I hadn’t seen how taking those risks worked for you two, I probably wouldn’t have asked Seth out in the first place. I was a chicken.”

  “You? Scared?” Jen looked shocked.

  “She acts tough, but she’s putty in Seth’s rich hands,” Lori teased.

  “I wouldn’t go that far. It’s very early. No talk of moving in or anything even remotely serious. Just dating. That is how normal people do it. I’ll have my hands full running the animal hospital at first anyway. One thing at a time, please.” I liked Seth, hell I was crazy about him, but I didn’t want to overdo it and end up ruining the relationship and the business all at once.

  “If you want some advice from someone older. Don’t get so obsessed with your career that you pass up the right man.” Lori sounded like one of my sisters.

  “You mean like you did with Nick and taking the job at the big law firm?” I wasn’t about to let her get away with that crap.

  “I know. I don’t want you to make my mistakes.” Lori nodded.

  “Now you’re proud to be older than us?” Jen asked.

  “That’s not what I meant.” Lori rolled her eyes.

  “I thought you gave up Nick because of the family thing?” Jen looked puzzled.

  “It was parts of both, okay? I was stupid. Details, details. Just recognize you’ve got a good guy and don’t let him go just because he gets on your nerves a little. They’re bound to screw up occasionally.”

  “Okay, Mom.” I rolled my shoulders at the long day. “Speaking of Mom, she’s thrilled you and Nick are together. You’d better bring him by the bakery to see her or I’ll never hear the end of it. Which means you’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “I will. Maybe I’ll take him tomorrow to get some good pastries before we unpack our lives.” Lori looked a few blocks away at her new apartment.

  “Poor Nick, home alone in your new apartment.” Jen yawned and tugged a throw around her.

  “Don’t make me feel guilty. I’ll make it up to him tomorrow. We’ve got a lot of stuff to do. Plenty of bubble wrap to pop.” She grinned mischievously and snuggled into a ball on the sofa.

  “Now I’ll never sleep.” What an image!

  We sat around watching late night movies and not talking. It wasn’t a sad affair, but no one wanted to say anything remotely like a good-bye. It wasn’t, after all. Just a change of apartments and not that far.

  The two lightweights fell asleep at only three o’clock and with nothing more than a glass or two of champagne in their systems from the toast to Jen’s new job.

  I wasn’t quite ready to go to sleep. That’d mean it was really over. Things would be different, in a good way. Better, though they’d never be the same again. As hard as I’d tried to change things for the better, I’d miss the way it’d been.

  I got up to grab a blanket from the closet and noticed Jen had left the door unlocked. I walked over, dimmed the lights, and then flipped the deadbolt lock and put the chain on the door. Not bad for a month and a half. I still hadn’t trained Jen to lock the damn door.

  Maybe before we all turned forty.

  About the Author

  A lover of unusual things, Cheryl Dragon enjoys writing unique stories with sinfully hot erotic romance. Never at a loss for ideas, there are plenty of contemporary and paranormal stories waiting to be written. Her two favorite settings are Las Vegas and New Orleans...where anything can happen!

  Cheryl lives in the Chicagoland area with her deaf albino cat. By day she analyzes numbers as an Assistant Controller for a division of a large international conglomerate, which leaves the creative juices free for her erotic romance novels.

  Website – http://www.cheryldragon.com/

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