Good Girl(28)

"There's no swan badge," I retort with a roll of my eyes. "It was the 'animals in nature' badge," I mumble. "The point is I want it to be him. I want Rhys to devirginate me."

"I thought we agreed you weren't going to use that word anymore."

"I know, but it's a real word, Payton. A legitimate Merriam-Webster word, not an Urban Dictionary word."

There's a pause while Payton simply stares at me. "You realize we would not have been friends if we met in high school, right?"

"I wasn't that bad!" I protest. "I was sort of cool in high school."

"I'll have to take your word on that, tiger," Payton replies, but her expression does not indicate that she is taking my word on this. "Listen, we need to have a talk."

"What?" I eye Payton in the mirror. We're in the dressing room at Double Diamonds awaiting my big sale. I've got to say, this place has been nothing like I'd imagined it. The dressing room is really nice, much like Vince's office. It feels more like a spa locker room than a place of disrepute. Lockers, showers, a long mirrored counter for doing hair and makeup. There's a coffee station too, but just regular coffee. They don't have one of those fancy coffee machines like we have at the Windsor. I should tell Vince to add one, I think, then start to smile. As if I work here now and can make suggestions. Ha.

Payton turns me to her and takes my hands in hers, waiting until I've given her my full attention. "You know what a penis looks like, right?"

"Payton! Oh, my word. I'm not totally clueless."

"And you know he'll want to put it inside of you, right?"

"Stop teasing me." I'm sure I'm beet red, a fact confirmed when I turn back to the mirror. "I know what sex is." I examine my reflection.

"Okay, just making sure. I would never send my girl into battle without a roadmap."

"It's game plan," I murmur. "You wouldn't send me into battle without a plan."

"Sure, whatever. I would never send you into battle without knowing what a penis looks like, is the point. Speaking of, do you have any questions?"

Err, no? "I don't think so?" Shoot, should I? Have questions? What questions would I have? I understand what sex is. I'm not uninformed, just inexperienced. I examine my nails, painted pale pink during my manicure this afternoon. Toes to match. I've been buffed and polished, hair blown out and makeup expertly applied. I'm wearing more makeup than I'd normally wear but I like it. I look like a more dramatic version of me. Add in the virginal lingerie and I'm feeling a bit like a bride on her wedding day.

But it's not my wedding day.

Definitely not.

"No, I don't have any questions, but maybe I'll text you later? If something comes up?"

"Okay. Feel free to ask me anything, or text me naked pictures of Rhys. Either-or. Just check in when you can."

"Will do. Check in, I mean. I'm not texting you naked pictures of Rhys."

"Okay, wow. I'm really starting to feel like I do all the giving in this friendship, but tonight is your big night, so we can work on our friendship goals later."

"Deal."

"In case we don't get to talk later"—Payton pulls me into a hug, careful not to mess up my hair or makeup—"I just want you to know I'm proud of you, Lydia. As weird as it is to be proud of you for this, I am."

"Don't be proud yet. We don't even know if this worked. This might end with Vince selling me to a seedy businessman from Iowa. We don't really know yet, do we?"

A cough alerts me to the fact that we're not alone. I turn at the sound to find Vince has strolled in, hands in pockets and what I think is an amused expression on his face. Which is sorta impressive because from what I've learned about Vince he's not one to give any of his feelings away.

"Iowa's a very nice place. It's the ones from Maryland you want to watch out for."

Oh, crap. He heard that.

"Haha, you kidder, you." I'm trying for deflection because I'm not entirely sure how to handle Vince.

"I'm serious," he responds, his eyes flicking to Payton. "As a skydiver."

There's a pause as Payton eyes him, her brow furrowed while she considers him. Then she smiles. "Yeah, that was a good one. Skydiving safety is no joke."

Vince inclines his head before turning back to me.

"It worked," he says. "He's here."

It worked. It worked? It worked! I'm ready to bounce up and down on my stripper heels but… maybe he's not here for me? Maybe he's here for a random lap dance or some hot wings? They do have ten different flavors of wing sauce and I'm just one flavor.

"He's made a preemptive offer."

A preemptive offer? So… he offered? I'm leaving here with him? This worked? It really worked?

"The offer is for me?" I have to confirm. I need the words. I need the confirmation before I get too excited. I need one hundred percent assurance that the offer isn't for a combo meal before I make a fool out of myself.

"Yes, you."

I turn wide eyes to Payton and then squeal, bouncing on my toes. But carefully, because I'm more of a kitten heel than a stiletto heel kind of girl and it wouldn't do to break my ankle right now and end up in the emergency room instead of in bed. Having sex. With Rhys!