“Okay,” I said. “I just want to make sure, though…”
“What?”
“That you don’t think he’s gonna buy you, or anything,” I said miserably. “The way you were looking at him out there—”
“Aw, Dre, c’mon!” She said. She was laughing at me. “This isn’t my first date. You don’t think I have an actual crush on Cole Bryson, do you?”
“Don’t you?” I asked, dumbfounded.
Jenny shrugged. She looked exasperated. “I like his wallet. I like his thick cock. I like his box seats. I like batting him around like a cat toy.”
“You don’t like him?”
“Oh yeah—I like him, all right. Who the fuck wouldn’t? He’s wicked hot, and he’s a billionaire! But he’s a John, Dre. He’s paying for me to do whatever he wants. And he wants to do lots of things, let me tell you. He’s nasty, and I like it.” She paused to fluff her hair.
“But just because I’m enjoying myself doesn’t make it any less of a job. Or any more than a job. I mean—oh, you know what I mean.”
My heart sank, and I nodded at her. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“Enough about me. I can take care of myself.” She looked at me with her big, blue eyes. “How’s it going with Mr. Sex in a Suit?”
“Great,” I said noncommittally.
“He did fuck, you, right? I saw you two out there.”
“He fucked me,” I said. “We fucked.”
“Was it that bad?” Jenny was looking at me as if I had three heads. “Dre, are you going to cry or something?”
“No,” I said, but my eyes were totally filling with tears. I blotted them carefully. “Jenny, I can’t cry. His whole family is out there. And they can’t know how we know each other, either.”
“Okay,” she said. “We can handle that. I’ve had to lie to so many wives and girlfriends that the lies just spring out, Dre. And they’re usually pretty good. Don’t worry about that part. But we do need to worry about those tears. Tell me what’s going on.”
I shook my head almost violently. “I can’t. I can’t talk about it.”
“He hit you or something? Is he some kind of freak?”
“Nope,” I said.
She played gently with my hair. “You cross some kind of line with yourself?” she asked.
I probably never gave Jenny enough credit for being smart. “Something like that.” I sniffed.
“S’okay, Dre. That happens to everybody.”
She hugged me. “The thing is, nobody knows what those lines are but you. That’s why it’s awesome that feelings and thoughts are invisible. They’re like magic. Nobody knows the truth but you, okay? You’re safe.”
“Okay.” I sniffled some more.
“So you do what you think is right. And remember, if it gets too bad, just close your eyes.”
“’Cause then it’s like it never happened,” I finished for her. “Jenny, I probably haven’t told you this lately, but you’re smart.”
“I know,” she said. “It’s my secret weapon.” She gave me a long look. “And Dre—just because it’s not gonna happen for me, doesn’t mean it’s not gonna happen for you.”
“What?” I asked.
“You know.”
I shrugged. I knew exactly what she meant. “Jenny, it’s not gonna happen for me.”
She shook her head and pointed at herself. “No billionaire’s gonna buy me. ’Cause I’m a whore, Dre, and I don't even feel bad about it. But you’re different. You're doing this to take care of your brother. You’re actually a good girl. Mr. Suit knows that. I can tell.”
“He’s not going to buy me,” I said miserably.
“He might.” She grinned at me and shrugged. “Crazier shit’s happened, that’s for sure.”
“What about you and Cole?”
“I am going to suck him as dry as I can—him and his wallet.”
I finished drying my eyes, and she linked her arm through mine. “You ready?” she asked.
I nodded.
“Then let’s go bat some billionaires around like cat toys,” she said and gave me a wicked grin.
Our little group was quite popular that evening. Everyone wanted to have a drink with the two gorgeous billionaires and their super-hot, mysterious dates. Even Evie seemed impressed. “You own part of the Thunder?” Evie asked, her flat chest pressed out toward Cole. She was looking at him as if he was some sort of rock-star, farm-team-owning Greek god.