“But he has to know I’m not the rose petals and candles type,” Jordan insisted.
“How?” Ellie asked again. “You’ve done everything together since you were tiny. Except this. This is a whole new world for you.”
Jordan slumped in her chair. “I thought being such good friends for so long would make this really easy.”
“Being friends is important,” Ellie agreed. “But marriage is more than that. It’s more than sex too. It’s a blend of those things and a whole bunch of other stuff.”
Jordan waited for Ellie to elaborate on the “other stuff”. “Such as?”
“You’ll see.”
Jordan’s eyes widened. “No advance preparation? No insight?”
“Well, every couple’s stuff is a little different,” Ellie said. “Hell, Leo and I have done it twice and each time the stuff’s been different.”
Jordan frowned. “So…how do I prepare for the stuff? How do I know we’ll figure that out?”
“That’s where the friendship and sex come in,” Ellie told her.
Jordan blew out a breath. “That is very vague.”
“It’s actually very specific,” Ellie said. “When the stuff happens, you lean on the friendship and the sex to get through. And that’s why your friendship is important. And why you need to figure the sex out. Which, it seems, Fletcher realizes.”
“We need to figure the sex out? We can’t just keep doing it?” Jordan asked.
“Take your time,” Ellie told her. “Enjoy getting to know each other this way. Just necking and heavy petting can be a damned good time.”
Charlie snorted. “Necking and heavy petting? You sound like an old lady,” she teased the seventy-something year old.
“And making out is such a great term? What does that even mean?” Ellie asked. “At least heavy petting sounds like what it is—running your hands all over each other and rubbing and stroking—”
“Okay.” Charlie held up her hand. “Got it. You’re right. Back to Jordan and Fletcher.” She rolled her eyes. “So Fletcher didn’t want to just jump right in this morning.”
“Right. He really tried not to,” Jordan said.
Naomi nodded. “Well, if he was going to overthink the sex thing and put a bunch of pressure on himself, it would definitely be with you, the woman he always wants everything to be perfect for. The woman he always has to fix everything for.”
“I don’t want him to feel weird about sex with me,” Jordan said. The sex that morning had been great. It had been so hot. And this was her and Fletcher. Nothing should be weird. She’d hated the last few months of awkwardness since he’d asked her to stay in Autre and she’d said no…
Oh.
Shit.
Jordan felt her spine stiffen as the realization hit her.
He’d asked her to choose between him and Jason. And she’d chosen Jason.
She’d more or less rejected him four months ago.
She’d also chosen Jason when she and Fletcher had been in Galveston and it had been clear that he wanted more from her. She’d pushed him away. Because of Jason.
Then the moment things went bad with Jason, Fletcher was there for her, and she jumped into his arms and asked him to save her.
Oh, wow. Yeah. Maybe Fletcher had a reason to doubt this sudden change in their relationship and just how solid it was.
“People’s hearts override their heads all the time,” Ellie said.
Her words hit Jordan hard.
She thought maybe in this case it was Fletcher’s head that was overriding his heart, though.
Someone called to Ellie from the bar and she stroked her hand over Jordan’s hair in a familiar, affectionate gesture before turning and going to tend to her customer.
Jordan sat staring at her coffee mug.
All of this made sense. Fletcher did like fixing things for her. He definitely liked being the guy she could turn to no matter what. He’d been there for her yesterday in spite of everything that had come before that. And now, they were married. And he would definitely take getting that right seriously. Every part of that.
“I say enjoy it,” Naomi said.
Jordan looked up at her friend. “Enjoy Fletcher being stressed out about having sex with me?”
Naomi shook her head. “Let the hot, sweet, charming, fun guy who wants to take care of you do his thing. Wallow in him wanting to make the sex the best you’ve ever had.”
Charlie nodded. “Agreed. Fletcher has always been great at making you happy. Just sit back and let him. He was the one who always remembered and celebrated the day you met, for God’s sake. Now you’ve got that stuff twenty-four-seven. Enjoy it.”
Jordan rolled her eyes. But yes, Fletcher had always remembered the anniversary of the day they’d met in first grade. And he always gave her a card and, when they got older, took her out to celebrate the start of their friendship. Which did seem a little over-the-top, but was also perfectly Fletcher’s M.O. Her girlfriends had always swooned over it.
“So, he thinks the sex has to be perfect. Romantic and sexy, and —”
“And you have to come hard multiple times, seeing stars, and praising his name,” Charlie said.
“Don’t all guys think that that’s how it should be?” Naomi asked.
Jordan shrugged. “Actually, in the beginning they probably do. But after you’re with a guy for eleven years, he relaxes a little bit.”
“So, you and Jason did become like an old married couple?” Charlie asked.
“It’s just that when you’re with someone for so long and you’re living together, you’re going to have nights when you’re too tired or when your head hurts. Or when you’re just not in the mood,” Jordan said. “And yeah, Jason and I got to that point.”
Naomi sighed. “In some ways that would be really nice.”
Charlie laughed. “Speak for yourself. I’m still in the newly dating phase and I am very happy with all of the sexual energy.”
Naomi rolled her eyes. “Oh yes, we know. You and Griffin can hardly keep your hands off each other. But what I mean is, it would be nice to be to that comfortable place where you can just be yourself and where you know that the sex can be rocking and hot, but it can also be sweet and soft and it can also just be… nothing. You can just sit on the couch and watch TV and then go to bed and sleep together.”
Yeah, that was nice too, Jordan agreed. She and Jason hadn’t drifted apart because of any of that. If his music hadn’t become the center of his life and taken him down a path she didn’t want to follow, they would probably still be together.
And she would have missed out on being with Fletcher.
She was really glad Jason’s career had taken off.
Jordan picked up her spoon and dug into her grits with renewed optimism.
Naomi waited until she’d taken a few bites, then pulled the bowl away and pushed the eggs in front of her. She also filled a glass of water. All without a word.
Jordan rolled her eyes, but grinned and reached for the water. “Okay, enough about me. What’s been going on with you girls?”
“Well, of course, Charlie’s been falling in love,” Naomi said smiling at their friend.