Page 25 of Next Time We'll Fall

“Who is Vincent?” I ask in confusion.

“The last man I dated.” Sage looks dreamy-eyed. “He was French, traveling around the world, and an amazing lover. He fed me baguettes with fromage and red wine almost every night and loved to buy me expensive Swiss chocolates. One night, he said to me in his very sexy accent, ‘Sage, you give de best blow jobs known to man.’” Sage giggled. “I think ’cause I learned this trick inCosmo, where you suck on an ice cube for a few minutes before going down. It really does something to the nerve endings.”

“I’ll have to try it sometime.” Rosie winks at me, and I nod in agreement.

Though I have no clue when that will be. It’s not like men are lining up to be with me, and frankly, I only blow men I am dating.

“We’re getting sidetracked, girls. Let’s get ready and grab some breakfast. Do you girls want to shower first, or should I?”

“I can go in.” Rosie yawns and stretches. “I may have a cold shower to help me wake up a bit. Mia said to tell you that she and Luke were having some fancy dinner tonight, but she wanted to know if we wanted to grab dinner tomorrow night. I said I would love to, but just needed to make sure you hadn’t made any plans for us before I fully committed. We were thinking pizza, wine, and board games here and then maybe a midnight swim at the beach.”

“That sounds like fun. I love girls’ night.”

“Me too.” Sage grabs me and Rosie into a little circle. “I know, sometimes, it may seem like I’m a bit crazy, but underneath it all, I’m still a girls’ girl.”

I decideto do a quick YouTube workout video while I wait for Sage and Rosie to shower so that I can occupy my mind while I wait for us to head out. I grab my laptop and set it up on the coffee table in the living room and get ready to scroll to find a good video. I need a workout that is going to make my muscles ache so that I feel like I’ve earned the big breakfast that I’m going to eat later.

Beep. Beep.

I hurry to the bedroom to grab my beeping phone and try not to groan when I see Rafe’s name on the screen.

“Why are you messaging me?” I mumble as I stare at the screen, and then it hits me that I still need to pick up my car from Cocktails & Chaos.

“Fuck my life,” I groan loudly as I swipe on my phone to see his message.

I only hope the conversation is kept PG. I hope he doesn’t recall the events of the previous evening. I do not want to relive anything from the night before.

RAFE: Morning, sleepyhead. Let me know what time you want to pick up your car.

JUNIPER: Oh, I can see if Mia can help me.

RAFE: I already told you last night I would help. How did you sleep?

JUNIPER: Perfectly. Thanks.

RAFE: I had a bit of a hard night.

JUNIPER: That’s a shame.

RAFE: I had a dream you were about to enter a wet T-shirt contest.

JUNIPER: Weird dream.

RAFE: And that you were about to give some random man a lap dance.

JUNIPER: Maybe take some melatonin before you go to bed.

RAFE: Also dreamed you had on my shirt and that we might have …

JUNIPER: I’ll be ready in twenty minutes. Sage and Rosie will come with us, as we have breakfast plans.

RAFE: Feeling like you need protection?

JUNIPER: Why would I be feeling that?

RAFE: Maybe it’s me who needs the protection.

JUNIPER: More like a doctor to check your head.