Page 94 of Dirty Like Jude
“You know what I mean,” shesaid.
“Iguess.”
She went to change and I perused the offerings on Tinder. It was a habit, but one I wasn’t sure I cared to keep up. These days, they were all left swipes.Not Jude. Not Jude. NotJude…
Swipe.
Swipe.
Swipe.
The Girl Time playlist was still going strong, Tegan and Sara girlying up the place with “Closer” when Jessa came humming out of the closet in yoga pants and a T-shirt, her supermodel hair in a bun on herhead.
“Speaking of Jude…” she said, throwing me a not-casual unassuming look, in the most awkward segue inhistory.
“I didn’t realize wewere.”
“Come on.” She flopped down on the bed next to me. “He barged in on our lady lunch.With flowers.I understand you maybe didn’t want to say anything about it in front of everyone. But it’sme. I texted you twice, left you a demanding voicemail, andnothing.”
I quirked an eyebrow at her. “And?”
“And… I believe our friendship demands an explanation, RoniWebber.”
“Yes. Because you were so forthcoming in your undying love for Brody Mason all thoseyears.”
“Roni, come on.Judeshowed up at ateahousewithflowers. If Brody showed up at ateahousewithflowersfor me, I would’veexplained.”
Uh-huh. Did she expect me to believethat?
“You want me to explain Jude Grayson?” I said. “Good luck waiting on that to happen. You’ll be old and gray before I ever have the firstclue.”
“Okay. So just tell mesomething. Did you guys go to dinner thatnight?”
I rolled my eyes. “We’re fucking, Jessa. Is that what you’re trying to ask? We’re not teenagers anymore. You can say the dirtywords.”
Her big brown eyes went Bambi-wide. “You andJude?”
“Yes. Me andJude.”
“Sincewhen?”
“Since nine years ago, officially. With a few giant hiatuses in-between.”
Her mouth dropped open. To be fair, I’d never told her I’d had sex with Jude,ever.
But hey, it wasn’t like she’d everasked.
“Do you likehim?”
“I’ve always likedhim.”
“Roni!”
“Oh, don’t start freaking out like all theguys.”
“Whatguys?
“These guys.” I held up my phone. “Let’s just say I haven’t been as active as usual on Tinder and the dudes are sniffing out that I might be going off the market, and they’re freakingout.”
