Learning Curves(6)

She shook her head, and Kelli rolled her eyes. “Well, pack them.” She thought for a second and then looked at Lauren’s feet. “And take a couple pairs of hot shoes with you, too. Barely there undies and hooker heels drive a guy wild.” Kelli opened her purse, grabbed several condoms and shoved them in Lauren’s bag. “Here, take these, too, and I don’t want any of them to come back with you.”

Lauren stood there, not knowing what to say. It was too mortifying to tell her friend that the one and only man she’d slept with dumped her because she was timid and unresponsive between the sheets. Sexy panties, platform shoes, and a bag full of condoms weren’t going to change that. Since that horrible incident, she’d kept her head down and her mind on her work. She never wanted to go through that embarrassment again.

Kelli turned Lauren toward the door. “Go home. Shave your legs, then let that man fuck the common sense out of you.”

A shove from behind had her moving through the dwindling crowd. Forcing one foot in front of the other, she walked to the door, her mind spinning a million miles an hour. She was an intelligent woman, graduated cum laude, but when it came to sex she… She shook her head, having a hard time wrapping her brain around this unexpected turn of events.

Maybe she could use this opportunity to learn something?

Eyes down, lost in thought, she smacked into something very solid. She bounced back, but a hand reached out to help her. “Sorry,” she said quickly, and glanced up to see none other than her ex-boyfriend, Matthew Maynard, staring at her, his arm draped around his new girlfriend.

Crap. I so do not need this right now. She’d gone two whole months without running into him, and even though they were both going to the same engagement dinner a week from tonight, she’d been hoping never to see him again. But her cousin Gabe—Matthew’s best friend—was the one who’d set them up last year, and since he was family she couldn’t get out of his party.

“Lauren,” Matthew said. “How many times have I told you, you need to watch where you’re going?”

“I didn’t mean…” What the hell? She didn’t need to apologize to him.

He made a tsking sound. “You’re like the absent-minded professor. Always lost in thought. Some things never change.” With a brush of his hand he slicked his hair back, stole a glimpse of himself in the mirror behind the bar, and pulled his girlfriend in closer.

What did I ever see in him?

She was about to excuse herself and step around him when he said, “This is Jessica.”

Lauren forced a smile. The woman smoothed her hand over her long blond curls and flashed a perfect smile.

“Jessica, this is Lauren. You know, Lauren Neill.”

“Oh.” Jessica swayed slightly, the hem on her short, flirty dress swaying as her eyes flitted over Lauren’s clothes. “I should have guessed.”

Even though the once-over made her uncomfortable, it wasn’t in Lauren’s nature to be rude, so she held her hand out. “Nice to meet you, Jessica.”

“You, too,” she said, sandwiching Lauren’s hands between hers and flashing a giant rock that had to cost as much as Matthew’s Porsche.

She sucked in a quick breath and tried to sound normal. “I guess congratulations are in order.”

“Thank you.” Jessica held her hand out and beamed.

Taking the higher road Lauren said, “Your ring is beautiful.”

Jessica snuggled into Matthew, placed her hand on his chest, and in a disgusting display of affection, giggled as she kissed him on the mouth. “My baby is so good to me.”

“That’s because you’re good to me,” he murmured back, giving her a little slap on the ass. She yelped and giggled again.

Okay, you’re having great sex. I get it. No need to rub it in.

Matthew adjusted his tie. “The wedding is at the end of next month. You should come.”

Was he serious? Why the hell would she want to go to his wedding?

“Oh. Thanks but I…uh…have plans.”

Matthew guffawed. “Really?”

The bastard didn’t believe her. She could have plans. She took a breath to compose herself before she kicked him in the shins. If she wasn’t a lady…

“Yes, I have—”

Matthew rolled one shoulder and cut her off. “I’m sure any plans you have can be broken, but I do understand why you wouldn’t want to come. It’s no fun sitting at the singles table.” His gaze left her face and traveled the length of her. “My cousin Frank will be there. You remember Frank don’t you? The boring banker? You two might really hit it off. You both have a lot in common.”