July (Calendar Girl #7)(8)

“How could you?” I grated into the phone, holding my cell as if it was a hammer ready to strike.

Ginelle sighed and mumbled. “Had to be done.” She yawned.

“Really? Had to be done. Is that your response? I’m so mad at you.” I whisper-yelled into the phone. Why I was whispering I couldn’t say since there was no one in the apartment with me.

She groaned and yawned once more. “Mia, I did an eeny meenie miny moe of hot guys from the phone numbers I stole from your phone.” I rolled my eyes and clenched my teeth. Just like her to steal their numbers instead of asking for them. “Wes was the one I landed on. You shouldn’t spend your birthday alone.” Her voice turned into a cross between a high pitched yawn and her normal witty self. “I’d come out, but you know after May’s vacation I can’t take the time. What time is it anyways?”

I glanced at the clock on the side table. Eight o’clock in the morning on the East coast. Snickering, I responded. “Five your time. Serves you right. Now I have to deal with Wes.”

“Deal with him? Hmm, I’d be doing a lot more than dealing with him. Why are you so mad anyway?”

Good point. Gin meddled in my business all the time and never before had I been angry with her. Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t ready to see Wes so soon after the Aaron debacle and the fact that I was still working through my own issues over what happened. All of this on top of the big whopper that I was falling in love with the guy. Fuck! That was the problem. My mind could push back, fight my heart all it wanted to, but the end-all be-all was that I’m in love with the dirty blond, sex god, who looks just as good in a pair of low-slung swim trunks or a tux, as he does buck naked. Definitely prefer the bare ass naked version. I licked my lips remembering our last encounter in Chi-Town. It was intense, carnal, and seared into my memory for eternity.

“Hello, Mia? Dick got your tongue? I sure as hell hope so. You’re grumpy since that political prick got his grubby hands on you.”

“Gin! I was attacked. Have a little mercy.”

Her voice went instantly soft. “I know babe, I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to let that f*cker get the best of you. No man gets to have that power over you. Remember. That’s what you told me after all the shit you went through with Blaine.”

I groaned. “I don’t know girl. Anton here is mouthwateringly hot—”

In true Ginelle fashion, she cut me off. “Girl, what I would give to be in your position right now. No, not your position. You like playing all hard to get. See me and my awesome tits, come look at ‘em, oh, no, you can’t have ‘em. Me, I’d be down on my knees in front of that hot piece of mocha-covered goodness sucking down his manhood like a frappuccino-flavored, icy treat.”

I busted out laughing. “You would, you skanky ho-bag.”

“Who me?” She pretended to be surprised.

I groaned and flopped back onto the bed. “But Gin, here’s the thing, the second he got close, I freaked. Had a full on flashback of that night with Aaron.” Scowling I picked at my cuticle, working a piece until it bled. The pain was nothing compared to the worry that I was more screwed up than I thought after what happened.

“Hmm, I think you need to give yourself some time. Is he pressuring you?” Her voice turned hard, that high pitch hitting a crescendo. It was a warning that she was about to blow up.

“No, no, no. Not at all. Just in the beginning, there was some serious flirting going on between us, but now, it’s like a wet blanket has fallen over my libido.”

“Hmm, maybe Wes coming to town is the exact thing you need. You know, get your groove back.”

“Are you seriously quoting movie titles?”

“Babe, I got nuthin’ when it comes to you not wanting to bang an exceptionally ripped, powerfully gorgeous, rich hunk of yumminess. Goes against everything that I am.”

“True…big whore.” I added for levity.

“Gotta stick to what I know.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Fine. You owe me though.” It took effort to sound hard and unyielding, especially to my best friend, but I felt I managed pretty well.

“So I’m forgiven for meddling?” she squeaked out in a tiny, almost nervous voice.

Staring up at the ceiling I let the swirls in the plaster settle my mood. “Yeah, for now. But don’t contact any of them again. I mean it, Gin!”

“Scout’s honor!” she rushed to add.

“You’ve never been a scout!” I scolded her and laughed.

“Sounded good in the moment.” She giggled.

“Whatever. Go back to bed ‘hood-rat!” I grinned, and even though she couldn’t see me, I’m certain she knew all was forgiven just by my tone.

“Aye aye, captain coochie! Love you, bitch.”

“Love you more, bitch-face.”

We hung up, and I read Wes’s message again. He’d be here in two weeks. My birthday was July 14th. Bastille Day.

Figured I’d better get this over with.

To: Wes Channing

From: Mia Saunders

Ginelle should have kept her mouth shut. You really don’t have to come. I’ll be fine. I love that you’re thinking of me.

Love? There’s that damn word again. Love. Did I love Wes? Truly? I didn’t know. Maybe. Probably. Possibly. It was definitely not something I had any business thinking about when I was with yet another client. One that true to Gin’s words, was a mocha colored hunk of yumminess. And also a player. Then again, wasn’t I? I’d been with Wes, Alec, and Tai, and here I sat in another rich man’s apartment considering how f*ckable he was.