“Aside from another booty call, that is.”
Samantha couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Well, that, I guess. But I just meant… I haven’t needed anything from him, and I know he’s busy, so why disturb him? He’s already gone above and beyond for me. I never imagined he’d get Frank and Janice off my back so quickly. It makes the fake engagement thing seem so unnecessary now considering how quickly he manipulated them and got them off my back.”
“True. You never told me how that went down.”
“It was awkward as hell, but it’s done. Josh had papers drawn up that say they’ll forever back off. Unless I’m proven to be totally incompetent as a mother, and that’s not going to happen, is it?”
“No way. You’re far too neurotic.”
She snorted. “Thanks. Remind me again why I come here,” she grumbled as she plunked her elbows on the counter and leaned hard on it.
“Because you love my coffee and my frank talk.”
It was hard not to wrinkle her nose at that, because the last thing she did was love Jessica’s almond milk disaster. Still, the other half was true. “You’re right. That’s why,” she murmured, clicking her fingers.
Jessica laughed. “I’m just glad it’s sorted.”
“Yeah. Me too. The relief is dizzying. But after he sent through the papers, I knew it was finally real. Actually happening. Such a good feeling.”
“Wait a minute, he had the papers sent over and you didn’t thank him for them?”
“No,” Samantha admitted with a wince.
“Why not? That’s not like you, Ms. Polite.”
“He didn’t bring them over himself. He sent a courier. It irritated me.”
Jessica studied her a second. “That’s very unlike you.”
“Why is it?” she said on a huff. “I mean, I know the lengths he’s gone to for me, and I also know how busy he is so I guess it’s cheeky to expect him to bring
them to me, but I was…”
“Having a temper tantrum that day?”
“Maybe,” she admitted drily. “I felt like a booty call, I guess. And the way he pulled away after we did it?”
“He didn’t?” Jessica demanded, sounding totally scandalized.
“Yeah, he totally did. Couldn’t pull away from me fast enough. That pissed me off a tad, but it also made me realize that I wasn’t…”
“That you weren’t what?”
She shrugged. “I guess that I didn’t need his validation, I suppose.”
“That’s a strange thing to think about post-coitus.”
“I guess. But it’s just… I felt like I was free to own my reactions, you know?”
For as second, Jessica was quiet then she said softly, “Jamie really did a number on you, didn’t he?”
“I guess,” Samantha said quietly, ducking her gaze to the cookie crumbs on the counter. Wincing at the mess she’d made, she murmured, “Sorry about the trail mix I left on the counter.”
“I’ll forgive you,” Jessica teased, but then her tone turned serious as she murmured, “You’re going to do him again, right?”
“I don’t know.”
“You have to know! If it was as epic as your starry eyes seem to reveal, then... well, I’ll be mad if you don’t do it again!”