dug through her purse and found her cell phone. She had six text messages from Suzanne, each growing in worry and desperation when Tamara didn’t respond. They were all variations of “Where the hell are you??”
Ducking into the hallway and glancing left and right to make sure her family was gone, she dialed Suzanne.
“Where the hell are you?” Suzanne asked by way of greeting.
“I’m at the track.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving? What happened with Geoffrey? Why didn’t you answer your cell phone? I’ve been worried sick about you!”
“I lost my purse. It turns out it was in Geoffrey’s room, which I never went back to last night because he proved to be a total jerk when I tried to break up with him gently. He called me a gold digger.”
“No! What a loser.”
“Exactly.”
“So where did you go then? Home?”
“No, without my purse or a hotel room, I was wandering around getting frantic until Ryder found me and took pity on me. He sent me back to the compound.” Tamara lowered her voice. “With Elec Monroe.”
There was a gigantic pause. “What does that mean?” Suzanne asked carefully. “Like … Elec saw you to Ryder’s where you crashed, or Elec took you back to his place … I can’t quite picture what happened, Tammy. Help me out here.”
“Well.” She bit her fingernail. “He was supposed to just take me back to Ryder’s, who was staying, um, somewhere else. But Elec sort of never made it back to his own coach.”
Again, there was dead air on her cell phone. Then Suzanne said cautiously, “Are you telling me that you spent the night with Elec Monroe? Which would mean … you had sex with him? In Ryder’s coach? That’s what it sounds like, but I’m just having a hard time processing it.”
So was she. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
“You’re shitting me.” Skepticism dripped from her best friend’s voice.
“No! Is it that hard to believe that he would be interested in me?” Geez. She had a hard time believing it, but it would be nice if at least her friend thought it could be possible .
“That’s not what I meant! I absolutely believe he could be interested in you. You’re gorgeous, you’re single, you’re intelligent … it’s just that you are not exactly Miss One-Night Stand. Were you loaded?”
“No, I was only a little tipsy. And I have no idea what came over me, but the way he was looking at me, Suz. Oh, my God, it was so hot. And then he kissed me and the next thing I know, I’m naked,” she whispered, glancing around again for anyone in ear-shot.
Suzanne’s voice was full of awe. “Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit … you had hot sex with Elec Monroe?”
She had.
And she was already wondering when she could do it again.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUZANNE continued talking before Tamara could even respond. Her friend sounded downright gleeful. “Wow. Wow. I am so happy for you. He’s so cute and buff … damn, I bet it was good. It was good, wasn’t it?”
“Oh, yeah.” No hesitation on that one.
Suzanne laughed. “That’s a big old fat yes. Though I’m not surprised, he does seem to get around a bit.”
Tamara stiffened. “What does that mean?”
“Just that he doesn’t really lack for company. Those are the best kind to have a one-night stand with, because they know exactly what they’re doing, and they understand you both plan to walk away whistling, no strings attached. Good choice, Tam.”
There were about a thousand things about what Suzanne said that stopped Tamara cold. Elec had a string of women he was always with? He was a player? That just seemed so out of character for him that she was disappointed. And she was annoyed with herself for assuming she knew anything about him when she didn’t, and for assuming that she could read him after just a few hours. She was irritated with herself that she had believed him when he said he wanted to see her again. Not to mention ticked off for wanting
Ducking into the hallway and glancing left and right to make sure her family was gone, she dialed Suzanne.
“Where the hell are you?” Suzanne asked by way of greeting.
“I’m at the track.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving? What happened with Geoffrey? Why didn’t you answer your cell phone? I’ve been worried sick about you!”
“I lost my purse. It turns out it was in Geoffrey’s room, which I never went back to last night because he proved to be a total jerk when I tried to break up with him gently. He called me a gold digger.”
“No! What a loser.”
“Exactly.”
“So where did you go then? Home?”
“No, without my purse or a hotel room, I was wandering around getting frantic until Ryder found me and took pity on me. He sent me back to the compound.” Tamara lowered her voice. “With Elec Monroe.”
There was a gigantic pause. “What does that mean?” Suzanne asked carefully. “Like … Elec saw you to Ryder’s where you crashed, or Elec took you back to his place … I can’t quite picture what happened, Tammy. Help me out here.”
“Well.” She bit her fingernail. “He was supposed to just take me back to Ryder’s, who was staying, um, somewhere else. But Elec sort of never made it back to his own coach.”
Again, there was dead air on her cell phone. Then Suzanne said cautiously, “Are you telling me that you spent the night with Elec Monroe? Which would mean … you had sex with him? In Ryder’s coach? That’s what it sounds like, but I’m just having a hard time processing it.”
So was she. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
“You’re shitting me.” Skepticism dripped from her best friend’s voice.
“No! Is it that hard to believe that he would be interested in me?” Geez. She had a hard time believing it, but it would be nice if at least her friend thought it could be possible .
“That’s not what I meant! I absolutely believe he could be interested in you. You’re gorgeous, you’re single, you’re intelligent … it’s just that you are not exactly Miss One-Night Stand. Were you loaded?”
“No, I was only a little tipsy. And I have no idea what came over me, but the way he was looking at me, Suz. Oh, my God, it was so hot. And then he kissed me and the next thing I know, I’m naked,” she whispered, glancing around again for anyone in ear-shot.
Suzanne’s voice was full of awe. “Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit … you had hot sex with Elec Monroe?”
She had.
And she was already wondering when she could do it again.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUZANNE continued talking before Tamara could even respond. Her friend sounded downright gleeful. “Wow. Wow. I am so happy for you. He’s so cute and buff … damn, I bet it was good. It was good, wasn’t it?”
“Oh, yeah.” No hesitation on that one.
Suzanne laughed. “That’s a big old fat yes. Though I’m not surprised, he does seem to get around a bit.”
Tamara stiffened. “What does that mean?”
“Just that he doesn’t really lack for company. Those are the best kind to have a one-night stand with, because they know exactly what they’re doing, and they understand you both plan to walk away whistling, no strings attached. Good choice, Tam.”
There were about a thousand things about what Suzanne said that stopped Tamara cold. Elec had a string of women he was always with? He was a player? That just seemed so out of character for him that she was disappointed. And she was annoyed with herself for assuming she knew anything about him when she didn’t, and for assuming that she could read him after just a few hours. She was irritated with herself that she had believed him when he said he wanted to see her again. Not to mention ticked off for wanting
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