Cooking Up A Seduction

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“You’re not leaving yet.” Lauren’s brows arched as she shook her head. She turned to her friends. “Can we talk about this tomorrow, please? I want you to have enough time to come up with a proper apology for barging in on our evening.”

Cameron caught Nyla rolling her eyes, but no one else seemed to.

“Congratulations anyway, babe.” Christa leaned over, giving Lauren a kiss on the cheek before turning and sashaying her way to the door.

Nyla wiggled her fingers and smiled. “Let me know about the engagement party.” The door closed behind them, but Cameron had the strange urge to call them back to keep from having the conversation he knew came next.

“What now?” Lauren pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and stared up at him.

“I think we covered well enough.”

“I’m not talking about our selective storytelling. Though all of our little half-truths seem to have a way of morphing into extensive lies. The karma kickback on this charade will be huge if we keep it up much longer.”

“That’s what I meant about the way you talk. You phrase things differently than anyone I’ve ever met. You should write a book.”

“I have.” Lauren stepped away from him, collapsing onto the deep red chaise as if it were a fainting couch. She pulled a toffee colored pillow onto her lap. “I feel like I’ve been outed by Christa’s little display.” 

“How do you mean?"

“I mean you probably think I have visions of coupledom dancing through my head, and I don’t.” She squeezed the pillow with both hands. “This just isn’t fair.”

“Fair?”

“I want to enjoy being single, I do. But I just can’t seem to. I don’t see the thrill in impulsive sleepovers with random himbos, I’m too nervy about STDs and my mother finding out. And every relationship I try to have decays too quickly for anything to happen.”

“Then it’s good that we were interrupted.” Now that blood had returned to his brain, Cameron was shocked to see how close he came to making such a critical strategic error.

“My lack of sluttiness is a turn-off for you?”

Cameron shook his head. “I don’t want you to be disappointed, to romanticize what happens with us. It’s a business arrangement. I don’t have the energy for emotional entanglements.”

“What’s the expiration date on you last relationship?”