After the Morning After Read Free Page B

Kool-Aid?” she murmured before clapping her hands loudly. She didn’t think that her news had been worthy of such a strong reaction. “All right, snap out of it. Surely what I said is not that shocking.”
    “It is coming from you,” Addie retorted. “And did you say something about grape Kool-Aid?”
    Victoria smiled. “Never mind about the Kool-Aid. Can I assume your shock is because of what I said about bondage?”
    “Being that you’re you and bondage is…well, bondage , the fact that you’re into it is more than a bit shocking. But personally, I’m more interested in the whole him- leaving-you-two-days-before-the-wedding part,” Bella said. “That must have been just awful. What happened?”
    Victoria shrugged. “I don’t know what happened. He just left town two days before. All I got was a note saying that he couldn’t go through with it. I assumed he didn’t love me.”
    “Yeah, I guess I’d assume the same thing,” Bella agreed. “And I see now why you’re reluctant to get involved again, especially after that. I mean, it’s a double whammy, isn’t it?”
    “Yes, it is,” Victoria said.
    “Are you going to start dating? And let’s be clear—neither Addie nor I will understand if you refuse.”
    Victoria frowned and looked at Addie.
    He nodded in agreement with Bella. “Let’s face it, honey—there’s no time like the present for you to start moving on. No point in getting stuck in neutral.”
    “And besides,” Bella chimed in, “you said you weren’t in love with Keenan anyway and that you’re not pining, so what’s the BFD?”
    “BFD? Big fucking deal, right?” Victoria looked at Bella for confirmation and continued when she nodded. “It’s not a BFD in that sense, but at any rate, you don’t have to worry; I agreed to do it, so I will. And besides, you two seem to be having such fun with it, I don’t want to be left out,” she joked. “I’m just glad I didn’t draw the short straw and that now I get to go last. I’m not embarrassed to say that I am really kind of nervous about it. All those months of watching you guys put yourselves out there gave me time to think and prepare mentally.”
    Bella nodded. “Good, because I think you need to go after that long drink of water you slept with the night you left here after bawling your eyes out. Trying your hand at Italian now, dear?” she asked with a sly smile.

Chapter Three
     
    Victoria’s mouth flew open, and she felt her entire body flush with embarrassment. “He…h-he’s Indian, not Italian. But when did you… H-how did you…?”
    Bella frowned. “Indian? But isn’t he just a little, well, pale to be from India?”
    “He’s not from India; he’s from Georgia, was born and raised there. Now tell me —”
    “But he looked Italian, like a southern Italian, of course. But still Italian. I —”
    “Oh for heaven’s sake, Bella! What difference —” Victoria began, infuriated until she saw the teasing glint in her friend’s eye. “Will you just tell me, please?”
    “Tell you what? How I saw you? I was on my way home from spending the night here after Addie so graciously offered us the use of his place to sober up. And since I was close to the Hotel Carlisle when the call came in about a disturbance taking place there, I decided to check it out. Well, imagine my surprise when as I’m making my way through one revolving door, I see you rushing through the other, but in the opposite direction.
    “You looked thoroughly and enviously used. Your hair was mussed, your lips were swollen, and you had that cat-that-swallowed-the-cream smile. I started to call out to you but changed my mind because we didn’t know each other very well, and you seemed like the type to be embarrassed to be seen leaving a hotel looking like you’d just had a serious schtupping.
    “Anyway,” she said, ignoring Victoria’s pleading look at the ceiling, “I was further surprised when I walked into the hotel and no more