Carter Reed

wait. You’ll see.”
    She drew upright and her shoulders squared back. “I will see, now won’t I?”
    He mumbled something under his breath as he went back to the dance floor.
    Theresa glared at his back until he had stepped beyond our eyesight, then the corners of her lips curved down and her shoulders dropped. “He’s the dick, not Allen. Allen is a gentleman to me. Kind. Considerate. Not like Noah. He’s such an ass sometimes.”
    “What happened today?”
    Her lip started to tremble, her chin quivered, and a burst of tears came out.
    “Theresa?”
    She shook her head, unable to speak, and sat on one of the couches. I sat beside her, placing both of our drinks on the table. With one hand rubbing in circles over her back, I murmured, “What happened? Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
    “No, it won’t.”
    “What happened?”
    “He’s such an ass, that’s what happened.” Her head reared back up and she flicked some of her tears away. “We went back to my place when we got home. I was so excited you’d be working with me again, and I wanted to start celebrating early. Noah said to leave you alone until tonight so fine, we did. We had a few drinks and then,” she took a deep breath as she flicked another tear away from her eye. Her make-up smudged. “And then we had sex.”
    I sat upright, my mouth forming a small o, but I wasn’t surprised. “And it wasn’t good?”
    “No!” she wailed. “That’s the problem. It was amazing. It was agonizing. It was everything those movies make it out to be.”
    “So what’s the problem? Unless he didn’t…”
    “We did it twice, Emma.” She turned to me, eyes still watering and her lip shaking. “I want to do it again, that’s the problem. I want to do it till the cows come home, but he said thank you. He said thank you! Can you believe that? Thank. You.” Her mouth stretched in irritation. “Thank you, like I’m some maid that cleaned his couch. Thank you. My ass, thank you. And then he suggested we go to the gym together. The gym!”
    “I’m sorry, Theresa.”
    “Leave the girl alone about our sex life. She’s got bigger problems to deal with than us,” Noah barked from the doorway.
    She sucked in her breath and surged to her feet. “That was a private conversation.”
    “Not real private when I can hear every damn word. Stop whining, Theresa. I have every intention of bending you over tonight.”
    Her mouth dropped and she wavered on her feet before she squeaked out, “You do?”
    “Yes.” His eyes sparkled from annoyance, and he pulled out his tie to toss on a table. “Finish your drink, get another one, and come out here to dance with me.”
    When he went back outside, Theresa’s hand gripped mine and squeezed. “I know I shouldn’t be excited by that. I know it’s against women’s lib and all that, but I’m going to have sex with that man. I’m going to have sex with him tonight and every night after this, at least that’s what I’m hoping.”
    I chuckled and swatted her on the booty. “Go for it, Theresa. Show him who’s the man.”
    “I’m the man.”
    “Go tell him that.”
    Her smile was dazzling and she embraced me, holding me tight for a second. “Thank you, Emma. I’m so glad that I’ve gotten to know you. You have no idea. I don’t make friends that easily and we clicked so well right off the bat.”
    I hugged her back, patting her at the same time. “Me too.” But as she pulled away with an excited bounce in her step and joined Noah on the private dance floor, I lost the slight enjoyment I had for the evening. I had other friends. Two of them were very near and dear to my heart and I had abandoned them.
    “What’s wrong?”
    I whirled around, and there was Carter. He was dressed in a black sweatshirt with a black shirt underneath. His pants were black as well. I had never been one to critique his wardrobe, but I knew enough to know that he hadn’t come from the office. My throat had gone dry. “Where were you?”
    His eyes switched from concern to an intense perusal.
    I flinched underneath his scrutiny now, knowing he was doing what he always did. He was searching inside of me, trying to read what was wrong with me. His head tilted to the side, his wolf eyes narrowed with thoughtfulness, and his lips thinned. “You’re mad I didn’t come to you?”
    His hand reached for my arm, but I flicked it away. “I’m disappointed you didn’t come to me. I’m mad because there are