universe to send me a sign. Something, anything. I just needed to know my life wasn’t over, you know?”
Gwen nodded, and in her eyes was the warmth of understanding. So Fate continued.
“The universe sent me the hottest guy I’d ever seen. And I don’t just mean in real life. I mean ever.” She shook her head at the impossibility of it. “He’d seen me running by his beach house and was worried I shouldn’t be out there alone at night. He just kept asking what he could do for me, how he could help me.” She bit her lip and took the plunge. “I was a virgin.” She whispered virgin as if it were a bad word. “I was saving myself for Trevor. Who had been screwing my best friend all along. So when the most beautiful creature in existence asked me what he could do to make me feel better…I told him.”
“Told him what?” her roommate practically shouted. Apparently, she was as deep into the story as Fate herself.
“Shh.” She lowered her voice and leaned across the table so Gwen could still hear. “I told him to…you know. And he did. And no matter how much I’ve tried to put the experience behind me, it’s all I’ve been able to think about since.” She’d heard people say that they felt like a weight had been lifted, but getting that out there felt like handing over two heaping-ton boulders.
Gwen’s eyes widened in shock. She began to giggle and clamped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my holy hell. And here I was thinking you were such a prude!”
“He was just in the right place at the wrong time. Or vice versa. Or, God. I don’t know. I still don’t know what came over me.”
“I do. You grew a pair and decided to do what you wanted for once. Good for you. So what happened after? Did you guys have some steamy affair all weekend or what?”
Yeah, that would’ve been the smarter option. Why hadn’t she seen that back then? “No. Once again, I ran. Like, freaked the heck out. Ran . He, uh, stepped away for a minute, and I hid behind a garage beside someone’s beach house until he left.” She buried her face in her hands. This could not really be happening.
“Aw, honey. That’s not so bad. So you got burned by the love of your life and went out and had a hot spur-of-the-moment fling with a stranger. Sounds like the stuff romance novels are made of. But, um, what does any of this have to do with our new boss looking at you like—”
Fate’s head snapped up and she met Gwen’s confused stare mid-sentence. She couldn’t even bring herself to say it. That would make it one hundred percent real.
The other woman’s eyes widened and her mouth gaped open as the realization sank in. “No way. Seriously? Oh…mother of… I can’t. There aren’t even words for situations like this.” Gwen shook her head and stifled a laugh.
“Please don’t laugh.” Though Fate kind of wanted to laugh. And cry. And crawl under the table and into a hole in the earth.
“I’m sorry.” Nervous laughter escaped her roommate and she bit her lip to contain it. “Can I ask how you plan to handle this?”
She took a few more calming breaths and poked at her salad with her fork. “I don’t know. I need this job. There’s a lot going on with my mom and…” Okay, now she just wanted to cry.
“Hey, listen.” Gwen waited to finish until she looked back up at her. “His dad can’t fire you for something that happened months ago, and I’ve heard that ‘no intracompany dating’ policy is bullshit anyways.”
Fate nodded but couldn’t get words to come up over the lump in her throat. Gwen filled the silence.
“And judging from the way he was ripping your clothes to shreds with the power of his mind, all our new boss wants now is a chance at round two.” She shrugged. “But if he starts harassing you, I will threaten to go to HR on his ass. So if you want him to back off, say so.”
Fate sucked in a healing breath. “You’re right. I’m freaking out over nothing. He’s probably slept with
Gwen nodded, and in her eyes was the warmth of understanding. So Fate continued.
“The universe sent me the hottest guy I’d ever seen. And I don’t just mean in real life. I mean ever.” She shook her head at the impossibility of it. “He’d seen me running by his beach house and was worried I shouldn’t be out there alone at night. He just kept asking what he could do for me, how he could help me.” She bit her lip and took the plunge. “I was a virgin.” She whispered virgin as if it were a bad word. “I was saving myself for Trevor. Who had been screwing my best friend all along. So when the most beautiful creature in existence asked me what he could do to make me feel better…I told him.”
“Told him what?” her roommate practically shouted. Apparently, she was as deep into the story as Fate herself.
“Shh.” She lowered her voice and leaned across the table so Gwen could still hear. “I told him to…you know. And he did. And no matter how much I’ve tried to put the experience behind me, it’s all I’ve been able to think about since.” She’d heard people say that they felt like a weight had been lifted, but getting that out there felt like handing over two heaping-ton boulders.
Gwen’s eyes widened in shock. She began to giggle and clamped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my holy hell. And here I was thinking you were such a prude!”
“He was just in the right place at the wrong time. Or vice versa. Or, God. I don’t know. I still don’t know what came over me.”
“I do. You grew a pair and decided to do what you wanted for once. Good for you. So what happened after? Did you guys have some steamy affair all weekend or what?”
Yeah, that would’ve been the smarter option. Why hadn’t she seen that back then? “No. Once again, I ran. Like, freaked the heck out. Ran . He, uh, stepped away for a minute, and I hid behind a garage beside someone’s beach house until he left.” She buried her face in her hands. This could not really be happening.
“Aw, honey. That’s not so bad. So you got burned by the love of your life and went out and had a hot spur-of-the-moment fling with a stranger. Sounds like the stuff romance novels are made of. But, um, what does any of this have to do with our new boss looking at you like—”
Fate’s head snapped up and she met Gwen’s confused stare mid-sentence. She couldn’t even bring herself to say it. That would make it one hundred percent real.
The other woman’s eyes widened and her mouth gaped open as the realization sank in. “No way. Seriously? Oh…mother of… I can’t. There aren’t even words for situations like this.” Gwen shook her head and stifled a laugh.
“Please don’t laugh.” Though Fate kind of wanted to laugh. And cry. And crawl under the table and into a hole in the earth.
“I’m sorry.” Nervous laughter escaped her roommate and she bit her lip to contain it. “Can I ask how you plan to handle this?”
She took a few more calming breaths and poked at her salad with her fork. “I don’t know. I need this job. There’s a lot going on with my mom and…” Okay, now she just wanted to cry.
“Hey, listen.” Gwen waited to finish until she looked back up at her. “His dad can’t fire you for something that happened months ago, and I’ve heard that ‘no intracompany dating’ policy is bullshit anyways.”
Fate nodded but couldn’t get words to come up over the lump in her throat. Gwen filled the silence.
“And judging from the way he was ripping your clothes to shreds with the power of his mind, all our new boss wants now is a chance at round two.” She shrugged. “But if he starts harassing you, I will threaten to go to HR on his ass. So if you want him to back off, say so.”
Fate sucked in a healing breath. “You’re right. I’m freaking out over nothing. He’s probably slept with