20
Finn
“What’s up, Lenny?” I ask through my truck’s speaker. I turn the blasting air conditioning down so I can hear my cousin.
“Lenny?” she asks. “Someone’s in a good mood. Also, please don’t call me that.”
I laugh. “No? Why not? Brings me back to the good old days when you had braces and headgear.”
“Exactly. Ass. Anyways, why are you so cheery?”
“I’m just in a good mood. Mom’s doing well. Her new boyfriend is a good guy. We got a few more booking requests through the website—”
“And you got laid,” Lennox adds, interrupting.
Perhaps… “Why do you say that?”
“Because I hung out with your new girlfriend all day today. I might’ve implied you already told me what was going on, so she literally spilled everything.”
I wish Lennox could see my expression right now, a direct mix between irritated and rageful. “So you accosted Avery? I’m a big boy. I don’t need you to protect me.”
“Yes, you do, Finn. You may look like a grown man, but you’re fragile like a teacup puppy when it comes to the women you fall for.” She snorts in laughter.
“If she told you everything then you know we’re not actually dating.” I pump my brakes when the red sedan in front of me slows down for no apparent reason. I hate traffic driving back from Scottsdale. Everyone on the road drives like they’re lost.
“Do you like her?” Lennox asks.
“I slept with her. Of course I like her.” I instantly regret my statement because I know what’s going to come out of Lennox’s mouth next.
“Um, you’ve slept with plenty of women you don’t like. Cass, Anette, Rayna, Molly, Heather, that one stripper from Ruby’s whose first name was legally Sprinkle. As a reminder, she was the one who squealed like a little piglet when she came.”
Oh God. “When the fuck did I tell you that?”
Lennox roars in laughter. “You were so hammered. Tequila is like truth serum for you, dude.”
My cheeks fill with air as I roll my eyes. “I liked all of those women. I just didn’t want a relationship with them. And they didn’t want a relationship with me either.”
“Wrong. Molly was in love with you for years, and Rayna cried for three days straight when you got back together with Nora.”
“Do you keep tabs on all my hookups?”
“God, no. The volume alone would be way too much work. Who the hell would have that kind of time? I saw Cass last week, though.”
I’ve only had one friends-with-benefits situation that didn’t end in total disaster. Cass is a legitimate friend, but I’ve had her in every position you could imagine. The only reason I haven’t called her in a while is because I was taking a break from fucking around. Cass is extremely apathetic about sex and relationships. She’s not remotely close to being interested in a relationship with me, which is probably why Cass was the only woman in the world Nora wasn’t jealous of. It’s why Nora invited her into our bed so many times. “How is she?”
“Good. She’s still working at Ruby’s.”
“I figured as much.” Obviously. I’m convinced Cass is the best-paid bar manager in Las Vegas.
“She asked about you. She told me to tell you to call her.”
“What’d you say?” I ask distractedly, flicking on my blinker and hauling ass to pass the little red sedan on the two-lane highway.
“That you were involved with someone.”
I blow out a deep breath. “Am I?”
“Aren’t you?” Lennox is quick to reply. “I mean, this sex coach thing is real cute and all, but it’s obvious you guys like each other. What’s the problem?”
“The problem is that the last time I got involved with a woman who wasn’t over her ex… Need I elaborate?”
“I just spent all day with her and I can confirm—Avery is Nora’s antithesis.”
I shrug even though she can’t see me. “She’s only here for the summer.”
“She lives like five hours away, Finn, and she’s a consultant, which she can do from anywhere. By the way, your girl is a total baller. You won’t believe how much she spent on me in Sephora today. She didn’t even flinch when they read the total at checkout. I nearly had a heart attack.”
“Lennox,” I scold.
“What?”
“Don’t take advantage of Avery like that.”
“She insisted!”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“How about this. In a year and a half when you get the first chunk of your trust fund, you can afford to pay her back with interest for me. Deal?”
“You need my inheritance for that?” The first chunk of my inheritance is a little less than four million dollars. What the fuck did they buy at Sephora?
“I mean… You’d need a hell of a lot more money than you’re making now.”
“Thanks for that,” I grumble. Not emasculating at all.
“But worry not, I talked you up all afternoon.”
“Do I need talking up?” I ask absentmindedly. My exit is coming up and it’s easy to miss in the dark. It’s the last stop before the final two-hour stretch home. With a quarter tank left, I’m not risking it.
“I think she really likes you. But you need to be careful, Finn.”
“I told you we’re not actually dating.” I flick on my blinker. “But out of curiosity, why?”
“Because it’s weird. She dated her ex for four years. He dumped her on her birthday seconds after he gave her an engagement ring. That happened a few weeks ago. She should be a hot mess, but she’s fine. When Charlie and I broke up, I couldn’t eat, sleep, or get out of my pajamas for ages. I was devastated. It’s bizarre. Avery shouldn’t be okay.”
“Maybe she knows she dodged a bullet,” I say, turning on my exit and pulling into the truck stop right off the highway.
“Or maybe she’s not dealing with it yet. And maybe sleeping with you is a way for her to postpone the inevitable meltdown that’s coming.”
I pull into the only free pump with a green diesel handle. “What’s your point, Lennox?”
“Talk to her. Don’t be the rebound guy this time, Finn.”
Her words rub me the wrong way. I know my cousin means no harm, but it was always my weak spot with Nora. No matter how much I loved her, no matter how hot our chemistry was, we were doomed. Maybe because I started as her rebound guy.
“Avery needs a friend right now. That’s all. I need a friend.”
“You know what your problem is?”
“My meddlesome cousin?”
“You think that loving a woman means letting her get away with whatever she wants. You’re not a dick if you set some boundaries and stand up for what you need from a relationship.”
I shut off the truck and pick up my phone, bringing my conversation with Lennox with me. “Except Avery and I aren’t in a relationship. She’s preparing herself for when she wants to get back into the dating game again. I’m basically her practice field.” I insert my debit card and want to gag at the cost of diesel fuel per gallon. When the fuck did this jump a whole dollar? Gas prices keep creeping up and it’s half the reason I only see my mom about once every two months now. I used to make the drive every weekend just to check on her. I normally spend the night, but this time it felt like three is a crowd. Mom’s happy and her new man seems obsessed with keeping her that way. There was no need to linger.