Jess laughs. “That’s so funny you say that. Sam and I made a bargain at coding camp junior year that if we hadn’t lost our virginity by the time we were twenty-four, we’d meet up and help each other ‘solve the problem.’ All the other campers were banging like bunnies after lights out and we were the only ones without a boinking partner.”
I narrow my eyes, nodding as I consider this revelation. “Interesting. You do realize twenty-four is only a year away.”
“Nine months, actually,” she says. “I’m a June baby, remember?”
“That’s right.” I grin. “Huh. So…maybe you should slip into Sam’s DMs and see what’s up.”
She snorts. “No way in hell. And even if I wanted to mortify myself by bringing up a bargain from when I was seventeen, I have no idea where Sam is. He dropped off social media after high school and never popped back up again. He’s probably working for the CIA as a code cracker or something and has to stay deep undercover.”
“Or he just realized he feels happier spending his time doing real life stuff.” I pop my perfect last bite between my lips with a happy sigh. “Mmm, so good. The chocolate is caressing all my best taste buds.”
“Speaking of caressing,” Jess says. “Do you need birth control for Friday? I have boy condoms, girl condoms, three different kinds of spermicidal lube, and a couple of morning-after pills I’ve stockpiled, just in case.”
My eyes go wide. “I’m still on the pill for cramps, and I’m sure Ian will bring condoms, but thanks. Also, should I be worried about you? That’s a lot of precautions.”
“Don’t ever assume a guy will bring condoms,” she says firmly. “They don’t get pregnant; we do. I’ll give you some of mine. That way you’re totally prepared.”
“Okay, but—”
“And I’m fine.” She drops the last of her third cookie into her mouth, chews, and swallows before she says, “The women in my family are just really fertile. And my mother will murder me with a rusty chopstick if I get pregnant before I’m married, thirty-five, and hopefully a billionaire.”
I wince. “That Tiger Mom thing is for real, huh?”
She snorts. “Oh my God. So real. So very, very real.”
“But your mom always seems so sweet.”
“She is sweet, but she has high expectations, and I don’t want to find out what happens if I don’t meet them.”
“She’ll still love you, is what will happen,” I say gently. “Because you’re a wonderful daughter and person and you deserve love and support from your family even if you aren’t perfect all the time.”
She wrinkles her nose. “Gross. Way too many feelings and hard conversations down that road. I’ll just stick to meeting expectations and hiding the things I don’t want her to find out about. But you’re good at the therapy stuff. If I were your student, I would feel very supported right now, and reveal my squishy inner world to you with a drawing of a wet cat drowning in noodles or something.”
My lips hook up on one side. “Ian said the same thing. Without the cat part, but…”
“See, I told you. This could be more than a hookup for you two,” Jess says, a smile in her voice as she turns back to her computer. “Now I have to focus. The sugar rush has activated my genius centers and I’m pretty sure I see how to fix Dickhead’s screwup. And I’m also positive he did this on purpose, the little shit. I’m going to have a long talk with him tomorrow.”
“Should you ask for a meeting with HR and chat there, maybe?” I ask, concerned for her. “If this guy is sabotaging your project, that’s a big deal. He should, at the very least, have that added to his record.”
She shakes her head. “No. I don’t want it to seem like I can’t control my team. There are already enough stereotypes about Asian women being timid and submissive. I need to show the powers that be that I can handle these guys. And if a hard talk doesn’t do the trick, I’m tracking all my work. I can go to HR and show them exactly what’s up at a later date if necessary.”
“You’re smart,” I say. “But I’m sorry that you have to worry about stereotypes instead of just doing your work.”
“All part of the fun of being a lady in a male-dominated profession,” she says. “But it’s okay. I love my job, and no one can take that from me, no matter how hard they try.”
“Same.” My heart fills with a warm, proud feeling. “We’ve come a long way from the little girls who were always picked last in gym class.”
Jess grins as she whispers, “Yeah, we have. I want you to have so much fun Friday. You deserve a sexy, romantic first time with a gorgeous guy who adores you. And don’t say he doesn’t adore you because he so does. It’s written all over his face every time he looks at you. He’s smitten.”