Chapter 93

Charlotte was already sitting at the kitchen table when you and Gemma came in. Her bright hair was a wild mess and she didn’t have makeup on, making her look a little more sallow-eyed than you’d seen her before. She was wearing a sweater that looked more like a dress and was sipping from a big mug of coffee.

Becca, meanwhile, was sort of dancing to herself in front of the stove where she was frying up bacon and eggs in a couple of pans. She was wearing a black athletic bra with a white elastic band under her bust, and a tiny black thong. That was it. Her ass, nicely sculpted and jiggling with her movements, was completely out.

“Jesus, Becca,” Gemma said.

“What?” Becca asked, as if she didn’t know.

“John is here,” Gemma said.

“Ah, so what?” Becca asked. “We got a way better look at each other last night. Plus, I’m making breakfast for all three of you. Suck it up.”

You grabbed a chair at the table, snorting out a little laugh at Becca’s antics, while Gemma went to the coffee pot and poured two mugs. She knew your order from work, so when she delivered it the coffee was perfect and you just breathed in the smell of it for a moment as she sat next to you. “Thanks, love,” you said.

“I knew it!” Charlotte said, and turned to Becca. “I told you I heard them saying that last night.”

“Oh, God,” Gemma sighed through a laugh.

Charlotte turned on Gemma. “Really, Gemma? Really? The L-word in the first week?”

“Oh, leave off, Char,” Gemma said. “It feels good to say it and hear it, and we’ve been working closely together for a month. That’s still not that long, but I can say for certain that I love him way more than I ever did my ex and I thought I was going to marry that prick.”

“What about you, Mister?” Charlotte turned on you. “What kind of guy are you, telling a girl you love her on the second date?”

“The kind who is in love with her,” you said. “Look, we talked about it before we said it. We know there are time limits on the horizon, but right now? I love spending time with her at work, I love spending time with her outside of work. I love her as a person, and I also happen to be in utter lust with her too. Good enough?”

“Ugh, this generation,” Charlotte said, waving both of us off. “Whatever happened to no strings attached fucking around in college?”

“Char?” Becca said, coming over with two plates piled with fried eggs and bacon. “We’re three years older than them, and you haven’t slept with anyone but me in two years and we are supposed to be no-strings casual. And I know, it’s not my fault I’m the most skilled strap-on artist in the wild west, but still- shut the fuck up and leave them alone.”

Charlotte stuck out her tongue at Becca, and Becca actually reached out and grabbed it between her thumb and forefinger much to the consternation of Charlotte.

“Gotcha!” Becca said. “Now, unless you’re planning to put that tongue to use, how about you eat up?” She let go of Charlotte’s tongue.

Charlotte stretched her jaw and tongue while shooting a look at Becca.

Through all of this, you’d been trying not to stare at Becca’s ass or barely-covered mound as she moved around. Once she was sitting down things settled and Gemma’s roommates mellowed out and the teasing became a more mutual, almost sibling-like quality. Things had just started to get awkward for you when the topic of what everyone was doing with their Saturday came up, but the apartment door opening cut off the conversation.