Page 19 of Good Girls Like it Dirty
“Not really. Megan and I are close, though.”
She remembered the pictures of a woman who looked like him but in feminine form. “Right. Funny thing, I never saw pictures of Sarah. Or saw your sisters around.”
He dressed Sarah and put her on the blanket. Sarah gurgled, playing with a rattle. “Megan, Emma, and Ashley never got along well. The tension escalated after Megan had a baby… Ashley always judged her for staying at home with Sarah instead of going back to work.”
“Seems like Ashley is a bitch,” she said, though she knew it to be truth. In their few exchanges, Ashley treated her no better than Paula—condescending and like she was some dumb foreigner because she was a cleaning maid.
He shrugged. “That’s the ruling.”
“Why didn’t you leave her sooner?” she asked, unsure if she’d like the answer. Rooting for people’s divorce was beneath her, yet she didn’t feel guilty for asking.
He scratched his chin. “I have a very rational side. I saw our relationship as an investment and wanted to make sure we tried everything before going our separate ways. But one thing she didn’t want to try was having a family.”
“Did she say she wanted one when you got married?”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Yes. I think she changed her mind along the way.”
She bit back a smile. He’d make a fabulous dad one day. “C’est la vie, huh?”
“Yes. A hell of a vie,” he said, and they laughed in unison.
For the next four hours, they shared a laid-back night. He ordered Thai food from his favorite place, and they talked some more and played with Sarah. Monique hadn’t cared for a baby in a while, now that her brothers were in their late teens. She warmed Sarah’s bottle, fed her, and kissed the top of her head when she fell asleep in her arms.
She and Zaine had only exchanged a quick kiss, but she didn’t miss the sex. Spending time with him was all she needed, after all those months in Los Angeles she’d been alone with few confidantes. Her roommates were nice people, but they never established any type of meaningful connection besides respecting each others’ boundaries and sharing bills and greasy pizzas. Now, for the first time, she had someone to talk to about anything and everything.
In a strange way, Zaine made her feel like she was at home.
She swallowed. Twice. Note to self: this is just playing house. For once, she was happy for their arrangement. It kept things honest and kept her from getting hurt.
Sarah was sleeping soundly when the doorbell rang.
Zaine was picking a movie for them to watch in the media room, so Monique dashed to the entrance to make sure the baby wouldn’t wake. When she opened the door and saw his sister, it dawned on her. They didn’t have a verbal agreement on what to tell people about how they got together. And there she was, opening the door of his house with a smile on her face. “Hello.”
Megan did resemble her brother, especially the expressive chestnut eyes. She withdrew, visibly surprised. She wore a knee-length red dress that screamed date night. “I’m here to pick up my daughter.”
“Please, come in. Sarah’s asleep so I opened the door to make sure she didn’t wake.”
Megan nodded and tossed her long brown hair to the side. “Trust me, Sarah can sleep through an earthquake. She probably will,” she added, chuckling.
Phew.Friendly vibes exuded from his sister. Why not reciprocate? “Your daughter is so lovely.”
“Thank you. I’m Megan,” she said, stretching out her hand. “And you are?”
“Monique.” She shook her hand. “I’m a friend of Zaine’s.”
She heard Zaine’s footsteps before he reached them, holding a DVD. “Yes, she’s Monique. A very good friend,” he added, and stood alongside her.
Megan picked up her daughter and grinned at her brother. “Interesting,” she said, then glanced at Monique like she was seeing her for the first time.
“Let me help you with the rest of your things,” Monique said, but before she could grab the big diaper bag, Zaine took it.
“I’ll do it. I’m sure she wants to have some precious alone time with me so she can give me a hard time on the way to the car,” he said.
His sister smacked his arm. “You’re lucky my husband is waiting in the car, otherwise I’d make it so embarrassing for you. Payback for all my high school dates.”
Monique watched the sibling teasing with a pang of jealousy. She missed her own brothers. “Nice to meet you, Megan.” She waved at the door.
Megan smiled over her shoulder and nodded. “Same here, Monique. Thank you.”
Monique heard them talking in a low voice as Zaine carried his sister’s things all the way to the sleek parked car.
“A very good friend?” she asked when he returned, shaking her head. “What does that mean?” What made a regular friend different from a very good friend?
“Let me show you,” he said, closing the door behind him and pulling her into a kiss.
