“I sense that means something, young Padawan.”
“I drank both glasses. He’d already left.”
“Seriously? He seemed so keen when I cockerized him online.”
“That is not the verb for sending Tinder messages.”
“Isn’t it? It should be. Did he say why he left?”
“That’s where it gets interesting. He bought me this necklace.” I touch it and lift my chin back so she can see it better. “So I thought it was going to go swell.”
“Holy shit,” she says, looking closer. “That looks expensive. Are those real diamonds?”
“I think so.”
“I don’t get it. Why give you that and then leave?”
“The guy from the diner, Enzo Lauria, remember him?”
“I remember you telling me about him.”
“I went to the bathroom and when I came out, Andrew was running out the door and Enzo was standing there looking like he’d done me a favor.”
Maisie grins so broadly that I think her face is going to split open.
“What?” I ask. “What is it?”
“Holy shit. You know what that means, right?”
“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
“It means Enzo’s into you.”
“What? No, it doesn’t. Does it?”
“Of course it does. Why else send your date packing unless he wants to date you himself. Did you ask him? What did he say? Did you talk to him? Tell me you talked to him.”
“Slow down. I’m not done yet.”
“There’s more?” She digs into her ice cream, scooping out a piece so big it almost falls off her spoon. “Go on, don’t keep me hanging.”
“I asked him what he said and he wouldn’t tell me but then he said all this sexual stuff.”
She almost chokes on her mouthful. “He did what?”
“I mentioned that I was on a date and he started telling me how he doesn’t do dating. Said he does other stuff instead and then he started describing it to me.”
“The filthy animal.” She claps her hands together with glee. “Like what?”
“I can’t remember exactly.”
“Yes, you can. I can tell by the look on your face. What did he say?”
“Something along the lines of how he only wants to dominate women.”
“Is that all?”
I feel my cheeks burn as I recall it vividly. “And that he does anal and spanking and a load of other stuff and how I need dominating but he’s not the right man to do it.”