Was that a euphemism for jerking off? I'd never heard anyone call it a "medical problem" before.
"I'm fine," I told her. "Just, uh, really needed to go."
Not exactly a lie. I had needed to "go," just not in the way people usually meant when they said that.
"Better get a move on," I said. "Everybody's waiting."
We walked outside and met the rest of the gang on the lawn. Ollie carried a big picnic basket, but Val carried two of those. I offered to take one, and though Val didn't seem to mind lugging both baskets, he let me help out. I was reasonably sure Val could bench press a small car. Maybe a midsize sedan. He didn't need help with two picnic baskets, but I would've felt like a jackass if I hadn't offered to take one.
Guests had blankets slung over their shoulders or arms. I hadn't thought to bring one for Heidi. Damn.
I must've looked annoyed with myself because Ollie sidled up to me and said, "Got an extra blanket for you and your new girlfriend." He lifted the blanket he had over his arm, revealing another one underneath it. "So relax, you're covered. Got condoms too."
Luckily, he said that too softly for Heidi or anyone to overhear.
Condoms? I'd barely kissed Heidi, and she had way too many hang-ups for me to seduce her today.
"Guess you're planning to do your fiancée in the woods," I told Ollie. "Those condoms aren't for me, that's for sure."
My best friend smirked and wagged his eyebrows.
I had no idea what that was supposed to mean.
We all enjoyed our picnic by the lake, though I didn't see any couples sneaking off to have a little alone time in the woods, not even Val and Eve who were the two horniest people I'd ever met. They loved to make noise too. I couldn't count how many times I'd heard them getting it on in the caretaker's house. They lived there, so they had every right to be doing whatever the hell they wanted in their own home. I'd stumbled onto them at the hot spring last week too, and that was one awkward moment.
But I now knew Eve had great tits.
Heidi decided to hang out with the Kittens instead of having a private picnic with me. I lay on the blanket Ollie had brought for me, gazing out across the lake. I did not fall asleep, though Ollie shoved me once to make sure I was awake.
"Don't want you to get sunburned," he'd told me with a smirk. "Heidi doesn't go for guys who look like roasted pigs."
"I used sunblock, Ollie. That means I won't burn even if I do fall asleep."
"Oh-ho, you know what that means. You do care what Heidi likes in a man."
"Go jump in a lake." I pointed toward the water. "It's right over there."
Ollie kept smirking, but he went back to his own blanket with his own girl and didn't harass me about Heidi anymore.
I did notice Heidi watching me even while she was hanging out with her friends. She was wearing sunglasses, so I couldn't tell for sure if she was ogling me. I had stripped off everything except my boxer shorts. Maybe I'd told Heidi I wouldn't go naked as some kind of solidarity thing, but I hadn't been lying. Boxers were clothes. Promise kept.
Once, I glanced in Heidi's direction just as she lifted her sunglasses to look at me. She roamed her gaze over my entire body and licked her lips. When she noticed me noticing her, she lowered her sunglasses again and turned back to her friends.
Everybody tromped back to the resort, then split off to do their own thing.
I jogged to my room to change into my other work outfit, what Heidi said made me look like "Dracula's low-rent cousin." Her sort-of insult hadn't bothered me in the least. I could tell she liked my Ludar prince costume. But I wasn't wearing it to impress Heidi. I had actual work to do—in my gypsy wagon, for paying customers who loved my palm readings and all that other stuff average people expected from a gypsy.
Trotting out to my wagon, I opened the padlock on the door and went inside to get set up for the afternoon's entertainment.
Maybe Heidi would take me up on my offer for a palm reading.
I wouldn't hold my breath.
Chapter Nine
Heidi
What was I doing on this beautiful afternoon? Sunbathing? Having fun of any kind? Nope. My friends had wanted me to play Monopoly with them in the entertainment room, but I couldn't get into the idea. I loved board games, but I was too distracted to enjoy it right now. So instead, I was lying on my bed again, staring up at the ceiling balls again, thinking about Damian again. For two hours.