Cherise. Her smile was wicked.
"Cherise," Valerie squeaked.
Cherise tipped her weight onto one slim hip. Standing five foot ten in her stocking feet and with the face of an African queen, Cherise could make grown men quake in their boots. "Girlfriend," she repeated. "You did not call me when you got home Sunday." Cherise paused. "You did get home on Sunday ?"
Valerie could feel her face turning a traitorous red. "Of course I did." It was the truth.
"Mmmm." The corners of Cherise's lips tipped upward. "But you're hiding something."
Valerie was on the verge of an automatic "no" when she caught the gleam in Cherise's eyes. She couldn't pull it off. Cherise was going to wrestle the story out of her, no matter what. "I'll tell you over lunch," she mumbled.
Cherise's lips pulled back into a triumphant smile. "Your treat."
~~~
When Valerie and Cherise wanted to have lunch privately, with no familiar faces from the clinic, they went to King Wong, a dark storefront in a strip mall that also housed a laundromat, check-cashing service, and donut shop. Despite its greasy spoon appearance, the King Wong served food that was fantastic.
"Okay, okay. We're here." Cherise sat at one of the fake wood tables. "Now tell me what happened in Vegas."
Seating herself, Valerie picked up one of the plastic menus. "Can I decide what I want to eat first?"
Cherise put a hand over Valerie's menu. "You order the General Tsuo Chicken lunch special every time we're here."
"But — "
"Stop dilly-dallying, girl, and spit it out. Did you sleep with him?"
Valerie drew in a sharp breath. "I — How did you know ?"
Cherise removed her hand from Valerie's menu. "It's only written all over your face. Guilt. Sheepishness. And..." Cherise's expression grew thoughtful. "And talking to Peter didn't bother you. So it's true, huh?"
Valerie sighed. It was both true, and a fantasy.
Cherise leaned back. "Mr. Yummy. I was laughing at you, but you were being serious."
"No." Valerie could deny that much. "I wasn't being serious then. We hadn't even spoken a word to each other. I thought he didn't even notice I was in the world." But then he had noticed. Oh, boy, had he noticed. Valerie couldn't help feeling the wonder of that all over again. He'd walked across a room to meet her.
Cherise tapped a thumb on the tabletop. The gesture had an air of disapproval about it.
The waitress appeared, looked from one to the other of the seated women, and said, "General Tsuo Chicken lunch special, and Chow Mein Salad?"
Cherise turned to give the woman a sweet smile. "How did you ever know? And yes, thank you."
The waitress giggled, scribbled on her pad, and walked off.
"Okay," Valerie said, squinting. "What's with the tapping thumb?"
Cherise expelled a breath. "You jumped into bed with a complete stranger. I can't believe it!"
Valerie's eyes widened. "You're the one who told me to go to Las Vegas. You're the one who told me to see there were other fish in the sea."
Cherise widened her own eyes. "The operative word being 'see.'"
Valerie snorted.
"I sure didn't mean you should jump into bed with the first man you saw."
"He was not the first man I saw." He was the only man she'd seen, the only one who'd been worth noticing. Valerie shook her head. "It wasn't like that."
Cherise scoffed. "Oh, I think I know exactly how it was." Despite Valerie's warning look, Cherise plowed on. "You attended a staff meeting last Monday — Valentine's Day — wherein Dr. Peter Lindstrom, formerly your steady boyfriend, announced his engagement to the hygienist in the dentist office next door. With your ego battered, you decided now was the time to finally go see Las Vegas — "
"Hey, that was your idea!"
" — and once there," Cherise continued, "and with your ego still battered, you went absolutely wacko."
"I did not go wacko ."
Cherise's eyes narrowed. "Tell me sleeping with some man you'd never met before isn't wacko."
"Not wacko." Valerie was getting seriously annoyed,
"Cherise," Valerie squeaked.
Cherise tipped her weight onto one slim hip. Standing five foot ten in her stocking feet and with the face of an African queen, Cherise could make grown men quake in their boots. "Girlfriend," she repeated. "You did not call me when you got home Sunday." Cherise paused. "You did get home on Sunday ?"
Valerie could feel her face turning a traitorous red. "Of course I did." It was the truth.
"Mmmm." The corners of Cherise's lips tipped upward. "But you're hiding something."
Valerie was on the verge of an automatic "no" when she caught the gleam in Cherise's eyes. She couldn't pull it off. Cherise was going to wrestle the story out of her, no matter what. "I'll tell you over lunch," she mumbled.
Cherise's lips pulled back into a triumphant smile. "Your treat."
~~~
When Valerie and Cherise wanted to have lunch privately, with no familiar faces from the clinic, they went to King Wong, a dark storefront in a strip mall that also housed a laundromat, check-cashing service, and donut shop. Despite its greasy spoon appearance, the King Wong served food that was fantastic.
"Okay, okay. We're here." Cherise sat at one of the fake wood tables. "Now tell me what happened in Vegas."
Seating herself, Valerie picked up one of the plastic menus. "Can I decide what I want to eat first?"
Cherise put a hand over Valerie's menu. "You order the General Tsuo Chicken lunch special every time we're here."
"But — "
"Stop dilly-dallying, girl, and spit it out. Did you sleep with him?"
Valerie drew in a sharp breath. "I — How did you know ?"
Cherise removed her hand from Valerie's menu. "It's only written all over your face. Guilt. Sheepishness. And..." Cherise's expression grew thoughtful. "And talking to Peter didn't bother you. So it's true, huh?"
Valerie sighed. It was both true, and a fantasy.
Cherise leaned back. "Mr. Yummy. I was laughing at you, but you were being serious."
"No." Valerie could deny that much. "I wasn't being serious then. We hadn't even spoken a word to each other. I thought he didn't even notice I was in the world." But then he had noticed. Oh, boy, had he noticed. Valerie couldn't help feeling the wonder of that all over again. He'd walked across a room to meet her.
Cherise tapped a thumb on the tabletop. The gesture had an air of disapproval about it.
The waitress appeared, looked from one to the other of the seated women, and said, "General Tsuo Chicken lunch special, and Chow Mein Salad?"
Cherise turned to give the woman a sweet smile. "How did you ever know? And yes, thank you."
The waitress giggled, scribbled on her pad, and walked off.
"Okay," Valerie said, squinting. "What's with the tapping thumb?"
Cherise expelled a breath. "You jumped into bed with a complete stranger. I can't believe it!"
Valerie's eyes widened. "You're the one who told me to go to Las Vegas. You're the one who told me to see there were other fish in the sea."
Cherise widened her own eyes. "The operative word being 'see.'"
Valerie snorted.
"I sure didn't mean you should jump into bed with the first man you saw."
"He was not the first man I saw." He was the only man she'd seen, the only one who'd been worth noticing. Valerie shook her head. "It wasn't like that."
Cherise scoffed. "Oh, I think I know exactly how it was." Despite Valerie's warning look, Cherise plowed on. "You attended a staff meeting last Monday — Valentine's Day — wherein Dr. Peter Lindstrom, formerly your steady boyfriend, announced his engagement to the hygienist in the dentist office next door. With your ego battered, you decided now was the time to finally go see Las Vegas — "
"Hey, that was your idea!"
" — and once there," Cherise continued, "and with your ego still battered, you went absolutely wacko."
"I did not go wacko ."
Cherise's eyes narrowed. "Tell me sleeping with some man you'd never met before isn't wacko."
"Not wacko." Valerie was getting seriously annoyed,
Similar Books
![Between Two Doms [Club of Dominance 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)](https://fs.collectorofbookboyfriends.com/615655/thumbs/152x264/between-two-doms-club-of-dominance-1-siren-publishing-menage-everlasting.png)
