"Four days and you're already obsessed with her." Shepard sips his mineral water. "You're not going to make it the month."
"I will."
"What is it you normally do? Wait until day thirty to fuck the poor girl?"
"No."
"No." His blue eyes light up with realization. "It's worse. You wait until you've had your fill. Then you fuck her and send her home early."
This time, my shrug fails to sell my disinterest.
Yes, I've had my fair share of casual relationships in the last four years. A dozen, maybe.
Yes, I set a firm timeline. And I occasionally end things early.
But it's not because I'm done with a woman the second I fuck her.
It's because she's looking at me like she has ideas about unlocking my heart. It isn't happening. Better to end things before I hurt her.
"I end things when they're over," I say. "Some women want anticipation more than anything else. Once we've fucked, there's nothing left to anticipate."
He shakes his head, not buying it. "I've heard you discuss this. Bragging about how badly women were begging for your cock by day thirty. And how you managed to resist temptation until the very end."
"If you want to hear about my sex life, all you have to do is ask."
"I don't have to ask."
He's right. I talk a lot of talk. Though I don't feel that same compulsion now.
I want to keep my thoughts of Eve to myself.
I don't want him to know the sound of her groan. Or the way her head falls to one side. Or the feel of her fingers against my thighs.
"You're the one bragging about your limo," he says. "Since when do you have a limo?"
"It's a service." I hold up my gin and tonic, beckoning a toast. "Besides, I've heard stories about your limo."
He laughs. "Have you?"
"Jasmine isn't so tight-lipped."
"Are we toasting to that?"
"You don't want to toast to her?"
"To what?" He holds up his mineral water. "True love?"
"True desire."
He chuckles sure and taps his glass against mine. "You don't fool me, Ian. You can act as casual as you want. Ask as many questions about my sex life as you want. I can still do the math."
"You can? Damn, I didn't realize the CFO could do maths. When did you learn that?"
He shakes his head not fooling anyone. "You've never invited a woman to dinner with me before."
"You were unpleasant company before."
He half-smiles, accepting the claim but not the overall reasoning.
It's true. Before Jasmine, Shep was a beast. Constantly frustrated, quick to anger, free of joy. Now—
There it is.
His eyes turn to the entrance as his wife enters the room.
She looks as gorgeous as always. Subtle makeup lining her almond eyes. Dark hair in a sleek line. A strapless red frock that falls just above her knees.
Sexy yet demure.
Exactly what winds his watch.
She crosses the room to us.
He stands. Pulls her into a tight embrace. Whispers something dirty in her ear.
She blushes as she releases him.
I stand. Offer my own hug. "You look lovely."
"Thank you." She lets Shepard pull out her chair. Sits. "You too."
"Thank you. I was going for lovely," I say.
She laughs. "I can never tell which of you is teasing the other."
"Ian lives to torment me," Shep says.
"Yes. It was his idea. But why would meeting his—what do you call her?" she asks.
"Eve," I say.
She turns to Shep. "Why would meeting Ian's girlfriend torment you, baby?" Her eyes fix on her husband. "You're not going to be upset if she doesn't like you."
"No one likes me," he says. "I'm used to it."
She squeezes his hand. "I like you."
"Now."
She nods true. They share a look. One of those looks of pure understanding.
They know exactly what they want to communicate.
They don't know everything about each other.
She knows more about his secrets than I do, but she doesn't know everything. She's asked my help enough I can see that.
But she does know his heart. Knows every place she needs to tread carefully. Every wound she wants to mend.
It's bizarre, seeing my miserable friend this happy.
It fills me with a familiar warmth. And it twists the knife in my back.
I'm happy for him.
But it hurts to see this kind of love up close. It's gnaws at the gaping hole in my chest.
"Am I early enough?" Jasmine breaks from her husband's stare. Scans the room for a clock.
Shep holds up his left wrist, so she can check the time. It's a mindless gesture. He doesn't realize he's doing it. She doesn't realize she's following.
It's routine. Something worn into their bones.
Only three weeks of marriage and they have a routine.
They had a short engagement too.
Though… they were high school sweethearts, a million years ago. Shep never has told me what happened.
I know a lot. Mostly rumors I picked up before I met him. Or dirt I dug when I was deciding if I'd buy into his latest company.
He had quite a reputation before rehab. And after. Tied a lot of models to his bed.
"I want to see her come in. No, I want to see your face when she gets here." Jasmine's pitch rises. "I never thought I'd see Ian Hunt smitten."
The server drops off another round of drinks. Mineral water for Shep. Gin and tonics for me and Jasmine.
"What was it like? When you met? Was she how you imagined? Did you know it was true love right away?" She holds up her drink to toast.
"Princess, don't encourage him." Shep rolls his eyes, but he still holds up his glass of mineral water.
"To new beginnings." She runs her thumb over her engagement ring as she turns to me. "Spill."
True love is far beyond my understanding. I ignore that question. Focus on the other. "Exactly the same and completely different."
She motions go on.
There's no way to describe it without bringing up my ex-wife. "What was it like the first time you saw Shep again? Was he as you remembered him?"
"The exact same and completely different."
"It was like that. I had no idea she had green eyes. Or round hips. Or the world's most perfect laugh. But there was something about her I knew."
"You didn't know what she looked like?"
"Only her hair. And her style. Though words didn't do it justice… She's beautiful in an entirely different way. She is pretty, but it's not about her gorgeous eyes or her strong nose, or the slope of her chin. It's her."
"You are obsessed with her." She taps Shep. "You were right, baby."
"Wonderful. I was right about Ian. And now we're going to talk about his love life after dinner." He feigns irritation, but he fails to hide his smile.
Jasmine doesn't try to hide hers. "Did it feel the same? Finally seeing her in person?"
Movement at the entrance draws my eyes.