Lovestruck Read Free Page A

tell me that."
    "Well hon, at least you can count on Mike coming in soon. He'll soothe Bane's temper."
    Jenny giggled. Jeffery had it bad for Mike. On the other hand, Mike had no interest in their boss. Jeffery never stood a chance because Mike was head over heels in love with Tonya's brother, James, who owned and operated The Watering Hole, a Hell's Kitchen hot spot, which the St. Jennings staff often frequented after work.
    "I'm going to need a drink after today. Are you thinking about going to The Hole for happy hour?" Jenny asked.
    Tonya rubbed her hands together. "You know I'm always up for a drink after a long day of work. But don't you have a killer economics paper to finish?" She walked to the cart and rummaged through the supplies.
    "How could I forget?" Jenny mumbled under her breath. "Knowing my luck, I'll flunk out of college and have to work with Bane for the next forty years."
    Tonya shook her head and rolled her eyes. "At least you're getting an education. I should have a tattoo printed on my head saying, abandon all hope—"
    "Stop it. You know full well you can—"
    "Yeah, I've heard it all before. Let's not talk about it, okay?" Tonya grabbed a pillow and threw it at Jenny.
    Jenny caught it and finished helping Tonya make the bed. She didn't want to start an argument with her. "Whatever. Hey, maybe if Jeffery liked women he'd treat me with more respect. Some days he can be okay, especially if he knows I can put in a good word for him with Mike."
     
    Tonya finished making a hospital corner and looked up. "Um, dear, even if Jeffery liked pussy, you still wouldn't give him any."
    Jenny blushed. "Tonya Marie! Watch your language!" She looked over her shoulder to see if anyone happened to be walking by the open door at that moment.
    "You're surprised by the way I talk after almost thirteen years of friendship between us? You'd think someone like you wouldn't be so easily shocked." Tonya teased.
    As Jenny finished with her side of the bed, she spread out the blanket on top.
    "Ha! Sometimes you make it sound like my sexual preference is what defines me. I can be gay and not like foul language, you know? Besides, it's not like I'm getting a lot of action, so you talking about it only makes it worse."
    "Being gay in NYC isn't a big deal at all. Hello, practically all of the people we work with play for the other team. Well, except me. You'd think with so many options around you could finally get some good loving."
    Jenny looked down at her hands. "Tonya, you know it's not easy for me. Gay men have it so easy. Being a lesbian is much harder, even in a city that's so open. The bars and clubs scare me. Some of the women are so vicious. I'm not comfortable having a one night stand. I want . . . damn it, I want a relationship, someone to go to the movies with, to walk in Central Park with, go out to dinner with. I want what you had with Tom."
    Tonya snorted and started dusting the tables and chairs. "Yeah. We had a good three years together. If only he wasn't a walking STD."
    "You don't know that for certain. Tom seems like a good guy. We've known him since we were fourteen. You even married him. Do you honestly think he's cheating on you?"
    She shrugged. "He's a fireman. It's the norm for a man in uniform to cheat. They all do. I should have known the moment he became the quarterback in high school.
    Even back then he liked the tall, big-boobed, skinny, blonde bitches."
     
    Jenny placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Stop it. You're beautiful, smart and brassy."
    Tonya raised an eyebrow "Brassy? You mean loud, obnoxious and chubby." She spread out her arms to show her petite, curvy body.
    Jenny rolled her eyes. "You still don't know the whole story about what happened that night. Maybe you should ask—"
    "There are my two favorite gal pals."
    Both women turned. Mike stood in the doorway looking very handsome in his St. Jennings uniform. At six-two, with bright blue eyes and great muscle tone, he was a woman's