Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 159

"Well, you guys are dating. I don't want you to be mad at me."

"I just gave you a little over nine thousand dollars," I said. "People don't do that for people they're mad at."

"So you're not mad?"

"No."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

She watched me for a long moment with her beautiful slate eyes and then said, "Okay."

I could have ended it there. I should have ended it there, but I couldn't help myself. A few seconds later, I asked, "Why did you sleep with her if you thought I'd be mad?"

"She said it would be fine," Emily said. "And after you and Ashlee, it seemed like you two had some kind of understanding, especially with Shea being involved."

I wasn't sure what to say to that; talking to my sister about my sex life wasn't something I was used to. "Well, since we're being honest, there isn't an understanding as much as we're just sleeping together."

"Ah. So you're not actually dating anyone?" she finally asked.

I thought of Natalie and realized I had gone twenty-four hours without her crossing my mind, and a familiar pang resurfaced. "There was someone. We almost dated, but it didn't work out."

"So you're just dating multiple women at once, now?"

"I'm not officially dating anyone right now. Just sleeping with a few of them. Is that a problem?" I asked.

"No!" she interjected, looking at me. Then she looked down at the floor as we walked by the craps tables. I mean, not really. It just doesn't seem like you. You always struck me as a serial monogamist."

"Heh. Natashya said something similar. She thinks I fall in love too easily."

"You do," she confirmed. "I told her to watch out for that while we were talking yesterday, but I like her, and I told her she might be good for you."

"You liked her, huh?" I asked dryly. "I couldn't tell."

Emily's face flushed at that. "That was all before the club!" she sald and swatted my arm. "Then I realized things were a little non- traditional between you guys. Once you left with Ashlee and Shea, I asked Natashya about it, and she filled me in on some of the details."

"How much did she tell you?"

"I mean, she didn't go into extreme specifics or anything, but she told me a little about The Starlight and this past weekend. She said that while Shea took care of us on the plane, you were in the hot tub with her and Erin." She back up at me and asked, "So, you're banging the secretary too?"

I met her gaze but didn't respond.

"God," she said in mock disgust. "Way to play to the stereotype."

"Have you seen Erin?" asked. "Have you met her?"

"Oh, I get it. She's..." Emily made a chef's kiss motion. "I'm not surprised. I like her too. When I first met her, I thought you'd end up dating her, so I was surprised when I found out about Natashya. Then, I was even more surprised when I found out about Ashlee. I know it's a little weird because of the man with the gun or whatever, but she genuinely seems into you. Have you had sex with every woman here?"

"No."

"I meant besides me, dummy."

"No," I repeated. "Chloe."

"You haven't had sex with Chloe?" Emily sounded surprised.

"No."

"I didn't see that corming."

"Why?"

"I've seen the way she watches you. I just assumed..."

I shook my head. "That would be a bad idea. She's supposed to be my bodyguard. She can't do that very well if we're having sex."

"I just thought that's what the guys were for. Have you banged them?"

"Ew. No."

"What ew? Homophobic much?"

"Nol I'm just not into it."

"Relax. I'm just messing with you."

"Speaking of which, I didn't know you were into girls."

"I dabbled a little in college."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Remember Sydney?"

"Your roommate?" A light suddenly went off in my head as a mystery that had always bothered me was resolved. I spent a weekend at her dorm, checking out the school as a possibility after high school. I recalled walking into her dorm that Saturday night and finding them scrambling on the bed together, looking guilty as hell. On questioning them, Sydney confessed that they had been smoking weed and even managed to produce a fresh joint. Our mom had a zero-tolerance policy on drugs, so I was glad enough for the rare opportunity to smoke that it hadn't occurred to me that I couldn't smell weed nor that they only had unlit joints.

"Yeah," she said, "her and one other."

I arched an eyebrow at her.

"Not at the same time," she said, giving me another swat.

"Nothing recent, though?"

"Not till last night," Emily said, shaking her head.

"Ah," said, glancing around at all the mid-day gamblers. "What changed? Why her?"

"It's been a while since... y'know."

It took me a second to catch on. "Oh! Really?"