Ian's Way by Reese Gabriel

on her pencils. She had no idea the effect it had. I would have killed to have those ruby lips on my shaft, licking like a lollipop, biting down, teasing.”
    “And did you get your wish last night,” Nathan queried. “Or were you too busy being the woman’s sex therapist?”
    “At least I wasn’t busy being an asshole, like you,” he retorted.
    “I’m scientist problem solver,” said Nathan. “And right now I am calculating the odds that you will grow a pair and actually call Nikky back for a second round.”
    “I will let fate decide,” Ian announced, draining his glass. “Got a coin?”
    “Is this you or the beer talking?”
    “Both. Give me the damn coin.”
    Nathan produced a quarter. “Heads—you make love to her again. Tails—you make my fucking day and drop the whole sorry-ass subject forever.”
    Ian snatched the quarter and tossed it in the air.
    It plinked down onto the table, circling on its edge for several seconds before finally falling flat.
    “There you have it,” said Nathan. “It’s a done deal.”
    Ian frowned. “How about the best two out of three?”
    “No way, dude,” Nathan said. “Not a fucking chance.”
    * * * * *
    Nikky met Kaity for lunch at Greens ‘n Things. It was a brand-new restaurant, salads only. Since the two of them worked less than a five-minute walk from each other in the business district they made it a practice to try out every new place in the area at least once.
    At Kaity’s insistence, they took turns paying, though Nikky felt bad on account of her higher salary.
    Over the years Nikky had worked her way into a creative position at the advertising firm where she worked while Kaity was still slaving away as an executive assistant at a medium-sized consulting company.
    Kaity had had offers for advancement. Unfortunately they always came with strings attached. Her current boss, Mr. Musgrove was more than willing to stroke her career, provided she stroked him first, preferably in his office behind closed doors.
    Kaity blamed her hair color.
    “Guys think blondes are easy,” she reasoned. “We are supposed to want to spread our legs at the drop of a hat.”
    People also tended to think blondes were dumb. It was a stereotype which Kaity managed to reinforce with her off-the-wall exuberance.
    Nikky was one of the few people in Kaity’s life who had ever truly understood her. Nikky knew she wasn’t a fool nor did she intend to come across as mean and spiteful at times.
    Her brain just had a way of getting ahead of her mouth, especially when she was feeling threatened. The upshot was that Kaity said and did the things most people only thought about.
    Kaity had been Nikky’s hero growing up because she had been the first person in her life to speak against Nikky’s father, even if it was just in the form of hushed whispers at sleepovers.
    Oh boy, could Kaity make her laugh, and think too.
    With Kaity’s help Nikky had learned to express her anger, even if not directly against her father.
    The upshot was that Nikky had felt more valued because of Kaity . Nikky , in turn, showed Kaity a loyalty Kaity had never felt with any other friend. They were a perfect match. Except at those inevitable times when they competed for the same guy’s affections.
    “So, are you ever going to talk about it?” Kaity asked as Nikky passed her the salt.
    “Talk about what?” Nikky blithely sprinkled pepper in her soup.
    “Ian, what else? And don’t say there’s nothing to tell. You have been acting weird since you came back from his room last night. And if you put any more pepper in that soup, girlfriend, you will sneeze us both to Timbuktu.”
    Nikky frowned, eying the thick black layer obscuring her cream of broccoli. “I guess I am a little off.”
    “There’s the understatement of the century.”
    “I should never have gone to his suite,” Nikky concluded. “I knew it would make for a big mess.”
    “Why? Was he really a dud between the sheets?” Kaity was on