for abstinence, Sparkle men are it,” she replied.
“Is that your plan now?” Tom asked.
“It’s been my plan for a couple weeks now,” Lisa said.
“Hm,” Tom said. “Yeah, me too.”
Lisa busted up laughing. “Sure it is. And how’s that going for you?”
“You don’t believe me? I’m hurt. I really am.” Tom helped himself to a beer from her fridge.
“Hey, who do you think could go the longest without sex?” Eric asked. “Besides Jill, of course. No offense, Jill.”
“None taken,” Jill said, and poured herself a glass of water.
“I have more self-control than all of you put together,” Lisa said.
“Did you hear that, Hans?” Eric asked.
“Those sounded like fighting words,” Hans said.
“I smell a wager,” Tom said. “How ’bout this: Starting today, we all count all the days in one stretch we go without sex. If you go longer than all of our days combined, we give you free labor on your attic remodel for Jill. I think we could finish the attic faster than your carpenter goons are going to finish the rest of your house. If, however, you do not exceed all of our sexless days combined—”
“Wait,” Eric said. “I’m trying to think of a prize that would be better than having sex. I think this wager is a bad idea.”
“It’s okay,” Tom said. “I can do this by myself.”
“Ooo,” Lisa said. “This just got more interesting, and P.S., I think you’ll be doing it by yourself a lot.”
“Now those sound like fighting words,” Hans said, and then looked at Eric and mumbled quietly, “We’re totally getting out of this.”
“But if I win,” Tom said, “I get to take sexy naked pictures of you and turn my favorite into a poster, which I will proudly hang on the inside of my closet door, which I will open and look at when I feel lonely.” He gave her a daring smile.
“Ooo!” Eric and Hans said as their eyes grew wide.
“Don’t do it, Lisa!” Jill shouted, horrified.
“So tell me about the remodel,” Lisa said, unshaken. “Actually, let’s go up to the attic now, and really specify what you’re going to be doing.”
While Lisa and Tom went upstairs, Hans and Eric, from the threshold of the bathroom door, began flicking bottlecaps into the dirty mugs in the sink.
“I’m out,” Jill said. “It’s been a long day.” She put on her boots and opened the back door.
Eric looked at the clock. “And it’s about time for the late shift,” he said, so he and Hans made their way out the door as well.
“Game on,” Lisa said as she came down the stairs, excited about the prospect of her remodel.
“Game on,” Tom echoed, excited that Lisa wouldn’t be sleeping with anyone else for a while. He’d agonized through the night before, believing she was out with some creep. He wanted her for himself. Now maybe he’d just bought himself enough time to make that happen.
At the bottom of the stairs, they realized they were alone. Tom smiled, helped himself to another beer, and made himself at home on her couch, where they watched the rest of Hans’s birthday movie together.
chapter seven
SNOW REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 30
Current temperature: 22F, high of 28F at 2 P.M. , low of 19F at 2 A.M.
Light snow. Winds out of the south at 30 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.
36" mid-mountain, 44" at the summit. 1" new in the last 24 hours. 3" of new in the last 48.
“You don’t have to knock,” Cassie said to Jill, who was standing on the doorstep. “You can just come in.” She left the door open and walked away.
“Well, I don’t have a key and the door should be locked,” Jill replied as she walked in the house.
Cassie didn’t answer. Instead, she went into the living room and turned the television up loud.
Jill unpacked the groceries and wondered whether this was a battle she wanted to fight, and if so, whether she really stood a chance at winning. She poured Cassie a large glass of lemonade and brought it to her.
“Is this volume really comfortable
“Is that your plan now?” Tom asked.
“It’s been my plan for a couple weeks now,” Lisa said.
“Hm,” Tom said. “Yeah, me too.”
Lisa busted up laughing. “Sure it is. And how’s that going for you?”
“You don’t believe me? I’m hurt. I really am.” Tom helped himself to a beer from her fridge.
“Hey, who do you think could go the longest without sex?” Eric asked. “Besides Jill, of course. No offense, Jill.”
“None taken,” Jill said, and poured herself a glass of water.
“I have more self-control than all of you put together,” Lisa said.
“Did you hear that, Hans?” Eric asked.
“Those sounded like fighting words,” Hans said.
“I smell a wager,” Tom said. “How ’bout this: Starting today, we all count all the days in one stretch we go without sex. If you go longer than all of our days combined, we give you free labor on your attic remodel for Jill. I think we could finish the attic faster than your carpenter goons are going to finish the rest of your house. If, however, you do not exceed all of our sexless days combined—”
“Wait,” Eric said. “I’m trying to think of a prize that would be better than having sex. I think this wager is a bad idea.”
“It’s okay,” Tom said. “I can do this by myself.”
“Ooo,” Lisa said. “This just got more interesting, and P.S., I think you’ll be doing it by yourself a lot.”
“Now those sound like fighting words,” Hans said, and then looked at Eric and mumbled quietly, “We’re totally getting out of this.”
“But if I win,” Tom said, “I get to take sexy naked pictures of you and turn my favorite into a poster, which I will proudly hang on the inside of my closet door, which I will open and look at when I feel lonely.” He gave her a daring smile.
“Ooo!” Eric and Hans said as their eyes grew wide.
“Don’t do it, Lisa!” Jill shouted, horrified.
“So tell me about the remodel,” Lisa said, unshaken. “Actually, let’s go up to the attic now, and really specify what you’re going to be doing.”
While Lisa and Tom went upstairs, Hans and Eric, from the threshold of the bathroom door, began flicking bottlecaps into the dirty mugs in the sink.
“I’m out,” Jill said. “It’s been a long day.” She put on her boots and opened the back door.
Eric looked at the clock. “And it’s about time for the late shift,” he said, so he and Hans made their way out the door as well.
“Game on,” Lisa said as she came down the stairs, excited about the prospect of her remodel.
“Game on,” Tom echoed, excited that Lisa wouldn’t be sleeping with anyone else for a while. He’d agonized through the night before, believing she was out with some creep. He wanted her for himself. Now maybe he’d just bought himself enough time to make that happen.
At the bottom of the stairs, they realized they were alone. Tom smiled, helped himself to another beer, and made himself at home on her couch, where they watched the rest of Hans’s birthday movie together.
chapter seven
SNOW REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 30
Current temperature: 22F, high of 28F at 2 P.M. , low of 19F at 2 A.M.
Light snow. Winds out of the south at 30 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.
36" mid-mountain, 44" at the summit. 1" new in the last 24 hours. 3" of new in the last 48.
“You don’t have to knock,” Cassie said to Jill, who was standing on the doorstep. “You can just come in.” She left the door open and walked away.
“Well, I don’t have a key and the door should be locked,” Jill replied as she walked in the house.
Cassie didn’t answer. Instead, she went into the living room and turned the television up loud.
Jill unpacked the groceries and wondered whether this was a battle she wanted to fight, and if so, whether she really stood a chance at winning. She poured Cassie a large glass of lemonade and brought it to her.
“Is this volume really comfortable
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