After we kiss, he winks and wheels my suitcase closer.
"Boyfriend?" I ask softly as I reach for the handle.
"Do you have a different title?"
I shrug. "No, I like that title."
"Good. Hopefully I'll do better than I have."
"You've been pretty good lately."
"That's good to hear, coming from my girlfriend."
Girlfriend.
I swallow as he turns and heads for the elevator. Once I close the door, Shana is right before me and her loud, high-pitched scream fills the silence.
"Oh. My. God!" she shrieks. "I want to know everything. And I mean everything." She reaches for my hand and pulls me to the couch.
"Wait," I say. "Why are you here? I mean, I'm glad you are, but why?"
Shana shakes her head. "Maybe if you weren't so busy doing whatever it is you're going to tell me all about, you'd have heard about the big storm brewing. It's early in the season, and right now it's only a category two. Depending on the shifting winds, it could be bigger or smaller. I don't think they really know. All that matters is that my flight was delayed and then delayed again. The airline is all backed up. As long as the storm stays south, I am supposed to fly out Wednesday."
I search my mind. "I haven't heard anything about a hurricane."
Stay south. Stay south of where?
Before I can ask, she bounces up and down. "Of course you haven't. You've been a little too busy with Mr. Sexy. Now spill!"
I lift my shoulders and sigh. As I lower them a smile spreads across my face. "I don't know. I really don't."
"Let me help. You survived the wedding from hell and most importantly, he just said boyfriend and girlfriend, as in a couple, as in a dating couple."
As in a relationship, something he said he didn't do.
My heart beats rapidly at the idea that he wants to do it with me. Memories of the weekend flash through my mind. Other than my breakdown, resulting in the painful massacre of a few boy bands, the weekend was about as far from hell as one could get. It was closer to heaven. "It wasn't as bad as I predicted."
"That's my philosophy. Expect the worst and it always comes out better. So...tell me what happened. How did we go from plus-one to more?"
"I don't know," I admit. "I'm kind of in shock. I want to believe it's real. But with the whole pretend weekend, I don't know."
"Oh, the noises coming through that door sounded real to me."
My cheeks heat as I let out a long breath and fall back to the couch. “I don’t know. Shana, it was amazing. He was amazing. My family loves him.”
“Grandma Helen?”
I laugh. “Oh my God. That was so embarrassing. Can you imagine? I can't believe my family."
"I love your family...well, when they're not upsetting you."
I remember Duncan saying the same thing. "They mean well. Nevertheless, I wanted to hide in a hole at times because of my mom and grandma." I shake my head, recalling Duncan's comment about electric toothbrushes. "Grandma was no-holds-barred…and Duncan laughed right along. I can’t even imagine how anyone else would have handled them. Duncan was…”
“The perfect plus-one?” Shana asks.
“Quite possibly the most perfect. I think I also said yes to more because if I admit to my family that it was a sham, it'll break their hearts. They fell for him. For them, I have to try.”
Shana’s eyebrows dance. “That’s it? That’s the only reason you said yes was for your crazy family.” Her lips purse. “It wasn’t because you wanted to, or because you've fantasized about it, or, of course, because of the mind-blowing, fantastic sex?”
My grin grows. “It was pretty mind-blowing.”
“Honey, you did it on his plane!”
I'd texted that to her after we landed. I had to tell someone, and she seemed safer than my mom. My head bobs. “And in my childhood bedroom, and technically, it wasn’t sex, but also behind the barn…”
“Stop. I’m already jealous.”
“Oh, no, you’re not. I’m sure that in no time at all, you’ll snag some good-looking Englishman with a to-die-for accent.”
“Technically, when I'm over there, they say I have the accent.” Her voice softens. “I’m only mildly jealous that you finally had mind-blowing sex. But what I really love is that you’re positively glowing.”
“I just don’t know how to handle tomorrow at work. I mean, if I see him, I’ll probably trip. Oh, I know. I’ll drop something and end up on my knees in front of Duncan."
Shana's laugh vibrates through our apartment. "Tell me. Did that happen?"
"At Gaston's...with you," I remind her.
"No." Her forehead furrows as her smile grows. "Did you end up on your knees with him in Indiana?"
My cheeks catch fire. "I’ve already said too much. I don't kiss and tell."
"I know you kissed him. I know the sex was phenomenal. What I want to know is all the other gory details. Like...are the rumors true? Is he blessed? Is his junk blessed with length or girth? I myself have always been a girth girl, but if you can get both... Does he have both?"
I shake my head. "Not kissing and telling."
"You kissed it!" She bounces on the end of the sofa. "You kissed his cannoli!"
"I did," I softly admit.
"Oh. My. God. My little Kimbra has found her inner sex kitten."
"I did. I mean, with him, it isn't hard."
Her nose scrunches. "It isn't?"
"Not like that! Yes, it's hard and has length and girth and oh...sweet Jesus..."
"I'm so glad you didn't starve yourself this weekend. While your cousin ate wedding cake, you feasted on giant pastries." Her eyes narrowed. "So what's the problem?"
"Did I say there's a problem?"
"No, but I get this feeling you're worried about too much sugar."
"The opposite. I'm worried I'll become addicted to the pastry. Hell, I am already. And he laid it on the line. He doesn't do relationships."
Shana's eyes narrow. "What is a boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"That's what I don't know. He said he doesn't do forever. He can only promise right now."
"So he's honest. How many times have men promised forever and bugged down the road? Besides, the last I heard you didn't want kids, a white picket fence, or any of those things, either."
"I didn't. I don't...but that doesn't mean ever."
"Then enjoy Duncan while you can." Her expression turns serious. "Can you do that? Isn't some months or years of that radiant glowing smile on your face better than none?"
"I guess. And like I said, if we date—like, really date—for even a little while, it wouldn't be like I lied to my family."
"Right."
"Oh," I say, remembering my brother's announcement. "Kevin's wife is pregnant."
"Susan? Really? That's great. Now that will take the pressure off you. Your mom will get grandchildren and everyone will be happy."