Cover Me. Stephanie Bond

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ girls huddled close, and I was reminded of the time in fourth grade when I’d stolen the insert from my mother’s box of tampons and scoured it with a friend on the school bus. In a low voice, I read the step-by-step instructions to mix the casting agent with tap water, pour the mixture into the cardboard cylinder that was closed at one end, then have the properly prepped “caster” insert his member into the cylinder, and the casting agent would harden almost instantly, creating a perfect cast when he withdrew. The final step was to fill the cast with tinted silicone, let it set for two hours, then pop out the replica dildo and “enjoy.”

      While the girls hugged themselves with laughter, I scanned the rest of the directions. After “enjoying,” the dildo could be cleaned by placing it in the top rack of the dishwasher. Olé.

      “This is going to be great,” Jacki said, nodding. “You have to promise to show us the end product.”

      I shrugged. “Sure, but I have to warn you—I don’t see any ‘casting’ parties in my near future.”

      “I don’t know,” Denise sang. “The guy at the bar is still looking over here.”

      I refused to look, but I couldn’t hold back a frivolous smile. “Really?”

      “But if you’re going to have a one-night stand,” Jacki said, “you have to know the ground rules.”

      “I’m not having a one-night stand,” I insisted, shaking my head. Then I squinted. “There are ground rules?”

      Jacki nodded. “You have to let a friend know who you’ll be with.”

      “That’s so if you’re strangled, we’ll be able to give the police a description,” Cindy added solemnly.

      “Ah.”

      “But don’t worry—I could describe him with my eyes closed,” Denise said, then closed her eyes. “Brown hair, chinos, T-shirt, cowboy hat.” She opened her eyes. “How’d I do?”

      “You got the T-shirt right,” I offered.

      Denise frowned and twisted for another steely observation. “Damn, why did I think he was wearing a cowboy hat?”

      “Because he has that look,” Jacki said. “Like he might lasso something.” She looked at me. “Or someone.”

      I scratched. “This is not going to happen.”

      “Don’t take him back to your place, and don’t go to his,” Cindy said.

      “Right,” Denise added. “It has to be somewhere safe and neutral—like a hotel room.”

      “That way he won’t know where you live.”

      “Oh, and lie about where you work, in case he’s a stalker.”

      “And don’t give him your real last name.”

      “Or your real phone number.”

      I was dizzy from looking back and forth. “Let me get this straight—assuming the man and I have a conversation before falling into bed, I’m supposed to tell him a pack of lies?”

      “Right,” Denise said.

      “Is he allowed to talk?”

      “Sure,” Jacki said. “But assume he’s lying, too.”

      “And if you spend the night, leave before he wakes up,” Denise said.

      “That way you can avoid the whole awkward morning-after scene,” Cindy said.

      “Although leaving something for him to remember you by is a nice touch,” Jacki added. “I once left an earring.”

      “The little rose from my bra,” Cindy said dreamily.

      “A garter belt,” Denise admitted.

      I laughed, incredulous. “If it’s so much work, why bother?”

      “Good sex,” Jacki said.

      “Great sex,” Cindy said.

      “Fabulous sex,” Denise said. “It’s very liberating to get down and dirty with someone you’ll never see again.”

      “Right,” Jacki said. “Sex with someone you love is the best, but sex with a stranger is right up there near the top of the list.”

      “It’s kind of like being a man for one night,” Cindy said. “Having great sex with no emotional attachment, no strings.”

      They were all nodding, and I felt ridiculously left out. A liberating experience might be just what I needed to mark an unremarkable birthday. I glanced toward the bar and the sandy-haired guy was still there, watching TV and sprawled loosely in his chair. I felt myself begin to salivate. Of course, entertaining a naughty thought was one thing—acting upon it was something else entirely. Segues had always been a problem for me. I didn’t mind taking chances, but I could never seem to do it elegantly.

      “Assuming I were to have a conversation with the guy, and assuming that he’s available and willing to have a one-night stand—” I ignored the round of snorts “—how does one broach the subject of making a cast of a man’s penis?”

      Jacki shrugged. “A man is always looking for an interesting place to put it.”

      “Yeah,” Cindy said. “Tell him he’ll be immortalized in silicone, and try to stop him from poking into that plaster.”

      “Or,” Denise added, pointing to the sheet of paper I held, “just show him the directions and ask him if it looks like fun.”

      Jacki glanced at her watch. “I have to take off. Cindy, Denise, want to share a cab?”

      “Sure,” they said in unison, and reached for their purses.

      “I’m not staying here alone,” I cried, scrambling to gather dildo kit, card, gift-wrap debris and my own bag.

      Jacki made a protesting noise. “Kenzie, he isn’t going to talk to you if we’re in a huddle. Goodbye.” The girls waved and strode toward the door.

      I glanced in the direction of the bar and the guy seemed to have noticed the commotion. He leaned forward slightly, as if he was trying to decide whether to make his move. I panicked and stood to follow my friends. But when I hit my feet, the tequila hit my adenoids and sent an air bubble to my brain. I grabbed for the table, and all my belongings fell to the floor. Something heavy hit my shoe, but I was too light-headed to do more than wince. Slowly the sparkly feeling subsided and I blinked the Eagle Scout into view. If anything, he was even nicer looking up close.

      “Are you all right?” he asked in a warm, husky voice.

      Thick hair the color of antique brass, wide cheekbones, sun-bleached eyebrows…and shiny brown bedroom eyes. The moisture evaporated from my mouth, and pure desire bolted through me. “I…yes.”

      He flashed that killer smile, and my knees turned to elastic. At the same time, we bent СКАЧАТЬ