Lush by Lauren Dane

from
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    side to side, even as she tilted to grind herself against his fi ngers.
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    Too much indeed and he came hard and fast. Back from his
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    teeth.
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    And when he pulled out slowly, she fl opped, face- fi rst, to the
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    mattress with a happy sigh.
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    M
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    ary pulled a tray of empanadas from the oven, hum-
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    ming at how they’d turned out.
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    “I have such great timing,” Daisy sang as she
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    entered the kitchen. “Don’t know what it is, but I can smell that
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    I’ll be having at least four.”
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    Daisy was not only Mary’s best friend on the planet, she also
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    served as a manager for Mary’s catering business. Oh, they both
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    told one another she’d only do it until things evened out and
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    Mary could fi nd a replacement, but for the time being, both
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    women liked it that way and that was what counted.
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    When Daisy’s art career fully took off, Mary would hire a
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    manager behind Daisy’s back so she wouldn’t feel guilty. But
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    Lauren Dane
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    until then Mary knew it would keep Daisy working only one
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    job other than her art instead of four.
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    “You’re my best taste tester anyway. Everyone else just says
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    things are yummy. You’ll tell me if something is greasy or needs
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    something.”
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    Daisy rolled her eyes as she grabbed a shrimp puff from a plat-
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    ter, popping it in her mouth. “First of all, you’ve never made any-
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    thing your whole life that could be described as greasy. I bet if
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    you made a bowl of grease as an entrée, it wouldn’t taste greasy.”
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    Mary smiled, satisfi ed and proud. She worked hard at what
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    she did, but most of it her mother liked to say was Mary’s nat-
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    ural talent with food. It was her art. She just instinctively knew
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    how to make things people loved to eat and drink.
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    Not that it wasn’t nice to hear that reinforced by her friends
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    though.
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    “There’s a second thing. Lay it on me.” Mary began to core
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    the green peppers and get rid of the seeds. The kitchen fi lled
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    with the scent.
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    “This shrimp thing is awesome. I’d totally let this shrimp
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    thing feel me up. Levi and I are hosting his parents. At his house
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    of course.”
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    “Yes.”
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    Daisy’s grin was quick. “Like that? I haven’t even said what
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    I needed yet.”
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    “You want me to make dinner for them. Something ele-
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    gant and classic without being too heavy. Something with a twist
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    because you are not classic, but exotic and delicious. You want
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    them to know this but not in a negative sense. I’ll get you a few
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    menu ideas. When is it?”
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    Lush
    Daisy hugged her. “You’re awesome. How do you always
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    know?”
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    “Because I love you, silly.”
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    “I’m so lucky.”
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    Mary grinned back. “We both are. Now you have Levi too,
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    and that makes you even more lucky. His mother likes you
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    already, which we both know was the biggest hurdle. No one
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    cares what his dumb bitch sister-in-law thinks anyway. We’ll
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    get Jules to make you a dessert that knocks their socks off.”
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    “I’ve never had a boyfriend like this.”
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    “That’s because he’s not your boyfriend.” Mary tipped the
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    green pepper into the bowl with the cilantro, tomato and diced
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    onion. “He’s your signifi cant other in