"Just thinking about last night
at the restaurant."
Lucy snickered. Abbey had told her about that too.
"Bet he'll never be able to dine out again
without thinking of you."
Abbey grinned. "That could get
embarrassing."
"Good."
Abbey sighed again.
"Forget about him," Lucy said. "The
guy's a creep. You deserve someone better."
"Do I?"
Lucy moved her chair closer to Abbey's and put an arm
around her. "Of course you do. And you'll find him one day. A guy who's
programmed not to cheat on his wife. A guy who's not an arrogant
pig."
"Do they exist?"
Lucy smiled. "I'm hardly the girl to answer that
now, am I."
Abbey laughed then sobered. "I've been really
stupid, this time, haven't I?"
"This time? Nah. You've done some far more stupid
things."
"Like putting up with Tarken for two years?"
"Yeah. Wonder what he's doing now that he's lost
the only person who knows how to run that office?"
Abbey grinned. "Hopefully getting fired."
"Hopefully getting dumped by Melinda."
Abbey shook her head. "She wouldn't. She's too
nice. Poor girl. She doesn't know what he's like."
"Neither did you, remember?"
Abbey shrugged. "You're right, and I should
listen to you more, oh Wise Woman."
Lucy squared her small shoulders and puffed out her
chest. "That's right. You should. And this Wise Woman is telling you to
forget about Damien Vane, and get back into your life. Go get yourself a
job."
Abbey saluted. "Yes, Ma'am."
"I mean it, Abbey Girl," said Lucy slumping
back into her chair. "Damien's a jerk. Guys who cheat on their wives
always are. You need to treat them the way they treat women — like
they're not important. It's the only way they learn."
Abbey dragged a hand over her face and through her
hair. Salt water and a stiff breeze had turned it into a mass of uncontrolled
curls.
"I shouldn't have had sex with him in the water
today," she said. "I wasn't going to, but the heat of the moment just
took over."
Lucy giggled. "No you shouldn't have, but you're
one up on me. I've never done it in front of a beach full of people."
Abbey felt her face color. "Did anyone
notice?"
Lucy shook her head. "Just me. And boy, was I
getting turned on watching you two. I was ready to drag that guy off when you
returned."
Abbey's face burned. "You're impossible,"
she said. "And you can do better than that gorilla. The guy had muscles
where there shouldn't be any."
Lucy giggled then sobered. "Seriously Abbey,
maybe you shouldn't have had sex with Vane today, but what's done is done. Now
just forget about him." She squeezed her friend's arm. "Once you get
a job you'll feel more like yourself and you'll realize what an idiot you've
been."
"Gee, thanks."
"Any time."
Abbey knew she meant well. It's just that she didn't
think getting back into the routine of life was going to make her forget about
Damien so easily. Not if the cold stab in the vicinity of her heart was
anything to go by.
The phone in Lucy's bag rang and she ran inside to get
it. A few moments later she was out on the balcony again.
"That was the gorilla from the beach."
"You gave him your number?"
"Sure, why not. He wants to see me tonight."
"Are you going?"
Lucy shrugged.
"Go on, off you go. I'm fine."
Lucy sat down again. "I'm not leaving you. You
need a friend right now. Besides, I don't know if I liked him all that much,
now that I think about it."
"Since when did you have to like them?"
Lucy grinned. "Maybe you're beginning to rub off
on me."
"I wish you'd rub off on me. I wish I could just
have meaningless sex and not get emotionally involved. A few days ago I thought
I could but it seems I'm just not wired that way."
"That's because you're doing it wrong. You need
to pick a guy you have absolutely no interest in. Someone like the gorilla
whose vocabulary consists of monosyllabic words only. That way there's no
danger of getting emotionally involved because the only emotion he can express
involves sex and beer. Possibly at the same time."
Abbey giggled.
"Hey,
at the restaurant."
Lucy snickered. Abbey had told her about that too.
"Bet he'll never be able to dine out again
without thinking of you."
Abbey grinned. "That could get
embarrassing."
"Good."
Abbey sighed again.
"Forget about him," Lucy said. "The
guy's a creep. You deserve someone better."
"Do I?"
Lucy moved her chair closer to Abbey's and put an arm
around her. "Of course you do. And you'll find him one day. A guy who's
programmed not to cheat on his wife. A guy who's not an arrogant
pig."
"Do they exist?"
Lucy smiled. "I'm hardly the girl to answer that
now, am I."
Abbey laughed then sobered. "I've been really
stupid, this time, haven't I?"
"This time? Nah. You've done some far more stupid
things."
"Like putting up with Tarken for two years?"
"Yeah. Wonder what he's doing now that he's lost
the only person who knows how to run that office?"
Abbey grinned. "Hopefully getting fired."
"Hopefully getting dumped by Melinda."
Abbey shook her head. "She wouldn't. She's too
nice. Poor girl. She doesn't know what he's like."
"Neither did you, remember?"
Abbey shrugged. "You're right, and I should
listen to you more, oh Wise Woman."
Lucy squared her small shoulders and puffed out her
chest. "That's right. You should. And this Wise Woman is telling you to
forget about Damien Vane, and get back into your life. Go get yourself a
job."
Abbey saluted. "Yes, Ma'am."
"I mean it, Abbey Girl," said Lucy slumping
back into her chair. "Damien's a jerk. Guys who cheat on their wives
always are. You need to treat them the way they treat women — like
they're not important. It's the only way they learn."
Abbey dragged a hand over her face and through her
hair. Salt water and a stiff breeze had turned it into a mass of uncontrolled
curls.
"I shouldn't have had sex with him in the water
today," she said. "I wasn't going to, but the heat of the moment just
took over."
Lucy giggled. "No you shouldn't have, but you're
one up on me. I've never done it in front of a beach full of people."
Abbey felt her face color. "Did anyone
notice?"
Lucy shook her head. "Just me. And boy, was I
getting turned on watching you two. I was ready to drag that guy off when you
returned."
Abbey's face burned. "You're impossible,"
she said. "And you can do better than that gorilla. The guy had muscles
where there shouldn't be any."
Lucy giggled then sobered. "Seriously Abbey,
maybe you shouldn't have had sex with Vane today, but what's done is done. Now
just forget about him." She squeezed her friend's arm. "Once you get
a job you'll feel more like yourself and you'll realize what an idiot you've
been."
"Gee, thanks."
"Any time."
Abbey knew she meant well. It's just that she didn't
think getting back into the routine of life was going to make her forget about
Damien so easily. Not if the cold stab in the vicinity of her heart was
anything to go by.
The phone in Lucy's bag rang and she ran inside to get
it. A few moments later she was out on the balcony again.
"That was the gorilla from the beach."
"You gave him your number?"
"Sure, why not. He wants to see me tonight."
"Are you going?"
Lucy shrugged.
"Go on, off you go. I'm fine."
Lucy sat down again. "I'm not leaving you. You
need a friend right now. Besides, I don't know if I liked him all that much,
now that I think about it."
"Since when did you have to like them?"
Lucy grinned. "Maybe you're beginning to rub off
on me."
"I wish you'd rub off on me. I wish I could just
have meaningless sex and not get emotionally involved. A few days ago I thought
I could but it seems I'm just not wired that way."
"That's because you're doing it wrong. You need
to pick a guy you have absolutely no interest in. Someone like the gorilla
whose vocabulary consists of monosyllabic words only. That way there's no
danger of getting emotionally involved because the only emotion he can express
involves sex and beer. Possibly at the same time."
Abbey giggled.
"Hey,
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