What Lies Between Lovers. Sophia Shaw

others laughed uproariously.

      “Oh, forget ya’ll!” cursed Gary, and stalked off to the bathroom.

      His friends cackled even harder.

      “Samuels, Tanisia was there last night,” Jason stated once things calmed down.

      “Really,” he replied, but his tone revealed very little interest.

      “Yeah. And after a couple of drinks, she was all over Big Mike. I take it you guys are done?”

      Big Mike was Josephine’s older brother. They called him that because he was at least six feet, four inches, and built like linebacker.

      “Pretty much,” Tao confirmed in a quiet voice. “She’s a little too crazy for me.”

      “See, that’s what I’m talking about! You and Gary have got to stop messing with these young girls. They’re nothing but drama,” Jason replied. “I’m telling you, find yourself a mature woman who knows what she wants.”

      Gary returned in time to hear Jason’s advice.

      “You mean, like some hungry cougar? That’s just not my style, man,” he replied, shaking his head.

      “It has nothing to do with age, Gary,” explained Jason. “I’m talking about someone who’s not all caught up in finding Mr. Right to take care of her bills, get married, and have the 2.5 kids. Someone who’s just looking for a friend that can take care of her plumbing, and that’s it, if you know what I mean.”

      “Yeah, right!” scoffed Gary. “If you’re talking about Josephine, then you better forget it. That bitch is going to get you killed, ’cause her husband’s a Navy Seal. Tao will tell you. They were stationed together a few years ago. You can guarantee that he would hunt you down, and no one would ever find your body.”

      “Naw, I’m not talking about Josephine or married women either. Trust me, there are lots of beautiful, successful women who don’t want a man in their lives except for some good loving.”

      “Yeah? So where are they and how come I’ve never met one?” Isaac asked.

      “I just told you, you guys are too busy chasing after these young, ripe college girls. Right, Monique?”

      Monique had just finished her taping, and was rolling her shoulder to relieve a little stiffness still there. She had only been listening to the conversation with half an ear.

      “What?” she asked now that all four men were staring at her expectantly.

      “Wouldn’t you be interested in a relationship with a man that was strictly about fulfilling your sexual needs?” Jason repeated.

      She could only look at him, uncertain of the context of the question.

      “I’m just saying,” he continued. “You’re a busy, successful woman. And you’re always complaining about not having time in your life for a relationship. Maybe you just need a friend with benefits.”

      Monique realized that Jason wasn’t talking about her specifically, just other women like her. She shrugged and gave him a wicked grin.

      “There would have to be some pretty awesome benefits!”

      They all laughed and went back to their painting tasks, and Jason continued his lecture.

      “I’m telling you guys, it’s time to elevate your game,” he stated.

      “Yeah, right!” Isaac interjected. “These women may say they want only a sexual friendship, but I guarantee within a few months, they’ll be talking about love and commitment. And the better you lay the pipe, the faster they will fall. They’re just not wired for casual sex like men are.”

      “That’s not true,” Monique replied.

      Gary and Isaac looked at her with surprise, while Jason nodded, welcoming her contribution to the argument. Tao’s expression was unreadable.

      “Some women can really have an honest, mutually satisfying sexual relationship without falling in love,” she explained. “There will probably be some feelings there for her partner, but there is nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t automatically mean she’s going to change her mind and want to get married and everything. And I guarantee you that if she’s putting it on him right, he’s the one who will be begging her for the commitment!”

      They all laughed, and the debate continued for several more minutes. Gary and Isaac were clearly unconvinced that such women actually existed. Tao remained silent, but when his eyes met Monique’s again, there was a new light in their depths.

      Chapter 4

      The group of friends was finished painting Gary’s place earlier than expected. They ordered a couple of pizzas for dinner, and Monique was back home before six-thirty that evening. She immediately went into the shower to get ready for her date. She was still not excited about meeting Colin Grant, but it was too late to back out. While in the shower, she created a plan to spend about an hour with him, then make up an excuse about having a headache, or something, then head home early. If he turned out to be pleasant company, then she might stay a little longer, but the possibility seemed very unlikely to Monique. There had been very few men in her life that she found both intellectually interesting and physically attractive.

      The timing worked out well, and Monique pulled her car into the parking lot of the restaurant with a couple of minutes to spare. Colin was to be waiting for her at the front entrance, but none of the few men around met his description. She decided to take a quick look inside in case she had misunderstood the arrangements.

      Despite her reluctance at meeting someone new, Monique still chose to put some effort into her appearance. She knew she looked good, but it still felt nice to see the men look at her with appreciation and interest as she made her way through the crowded bar. She wore a sleeveless black cotton tunic with a simple boat neckline in the front and a plunging, scalloped back that left her skin bare right down to the base of her spine. She had paired it with long white shorts that ended around her knees and accentuated the long length of her legs. Her feet were clad in silver stiletto heels, about three inches high, bringing her to almost five feet, ten inches tall.

      She was headed back to the front entrance when a guy stepped through the door and looked around as though searching for someone. Monique indentified Colin right away from the picture that Cara had e-mailed her, and she walked toward him. He smiled widely when he recognized her.

      “Hi, Colin,” she said graciously while extending her hand. “I’m Monique.”

      “Hey, Monique,” he replied warmly, shaking her hand with a surprisingly strong and confident grip. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long?”

      “Not at all. Just a few minutes.”

      “Good. So, should we get a table or just sit at the bar?” he asked while looking around at the Saturday evening crowd that was steadily growing.

      “There were a couple of free tables near the back of the bar,” she suggested.

      “Okay,” Colin replied easily, then indicated for her to go first.

      As soon as they took their seats in a small booth, a waitress approached them and took their orders for red wine.

      “So, Cara tells me that you guys have known each other since public school. Back in Detroit, right? That’s pretty interesting,” commented Colin.

      “Yeah, we’ve been best friends since we were seven years old. Her family moved to San Diego right after our sophomore year in high school. I moved out here to finish my degree.”

      “What did you take?”

      “My undergrad was in Economics at the University of Michigan, then I got my MBA at San Diego State.”

      “And you’re in sales, right?” he asked.

      “That’s right.”

      There