Blood Noir - Laurell K. Hamilton [82]
“How about both? I’ll tell them the truth, but I won’t sleep around on you while we’re down here. That way, if any of what they seem to feel for me is real, it leaves it open for them to hunt me up afterward. But if it’s just old times and wedding nerves, then no harm done.”
“Actually, the ardeur sort of checked them out. For most of them the flirting is an end in itself. Most of them seem pretty levelheaded. Lisa would fuck you in a heartbeat, but her desire has an edge of panic to it.”
“She’s about to marry someone. I think she’s scared.”
I nodded. “I can understand that, but I’ve always thought if you were that nervous about the wedding, then you’re marrying the wrong person.”
He smiled. “You would think that, but then you are one of the least commitment-phobic people I know.”
I stared down at him. “I know some people who might argue that with you.”
He grinned. “They think because you haven’t chosen one man above all the others that you don’t know how to commit, when actually, I think your problem is that you commit too easily, and once you commit to someone you stick.”
“One woman cannot be committed to this many men.”
“Maybe, but you treat your lovers better than a lot of women treat their boyfriends.”
“Sorry to hear that,” I said.
He looked wistful for a moment. “I shielded as hard as I could so I didn’t hit the radar for either the ardeur or your beasts.”
I smiled. “You did an excellent job; you were a blank.”
He smiled again. “Good, I’m really wishing we hadn’t come at all. For me, it’s great, but not for you. I didn’t think it through. It’s a bachelorette party; there is going to be a lot of sexual tension tonight. It’s going to really challenge your ardeur.”
“Hard to have a quickie with Shadwell and Rowe in the room,” I said.
“What’s with them not leaving us alone?”
“I told you, I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out.”
He sighed. “I think I’ll tell the girls, but only them. We’ll pretend for everyone else but my friends.”
“Friends you haven’t seen since college may not be as good a friend as you remember.”
“I know, but when Irving’s article comes out tomorrow, our cover is blown anyway.”
“True. So tell them the truth, but keep your options open?”
He nodded, and then a smile began to creep around the edges. “Though with J. J. we could do both. Had my first ménage à trois with her and a friend.”
I shook my head. “A ménage à trois in high school?”
“No, I came back for winter break from college and so did J. J.”
“Trust you to have the two-girl fantasy come true before you were legal to drink.”
He grinned full-out. “I’ve always been precocious.”
“I’ll just bet you have.”
He stood up and offered me his hand. “I’ll try to be as good a friend to you as you are to me, Anita.”
I took his hand. “Deal.”
I tried to make it a handshake, but he raised my hand to his lips and kissed me. I guess either way, we had our compromise. Now we just had to see how the blondes in the next room took the news.
36
WHILE WE’D BEEN having our heart-to-heart, so had the women. Lisa was crying on the couch with all the women hovering around her. J. J. left the group and came to us.
“We’re so sorry, Anita,” she said. “We behaved badly.”
Lisa sobbed and talked at the same time. “Please, don’t be mad, Anita, please…” She came to us, a little unsteady on her feet. Trish stayed at her side like a spotter. Lisa clutched at my arm, swaying gently on her high heels. The little black dress and heels that she was wearing made her look pale now that all the makeup had vanished from crying.
I tensed my arm under her hands to give her something more solid to hold on to, because without it she’d have fallen.
She tried to focus on my face, and looked like it was hard work. “I’m so sorry, Anita. I was so awful to you.”
“It’s okay, Lisa,” I said. She had that feel to her of one of those depressed drunks who might dissolve into tears or hysterics if I didn’t just forgive her. Frankly, I blamed Jason more than anyone, so I wasn’t mad at her. He hadn’t set the rules, nor had I. If the couple