Free Love Her Madly by M. Elizabeth Lee Page B

shoulders.”
    â€œThat’s from swimming, right? I love him already.” She stood up and went to her dresser, pulled out something small and rhinestoned, and stuffed it in the bag. Her supply of dazzling lingerie had increased dramatically over the summer. When she did her wash, it caused a sensation.
    â€œMe too,” I said quickly, just to get it out there.
    Cyn glanced at me. “Do you?” I stiffened, waiting for her to stake her claim. Instead, she smiled. “I’m glad. I think we’ll be seeing a lot of him around in the near future.”
    I should have asked her then and there if she liked him that way , too. The sooner I knew, the easier it would be forme to get over it, if I could. But I didn’t want to cede him just because she saw him first. What difference could a handful of days make?
    â€œI invited him to eat with us tonight,” I said. “I didn’t realize you’d be working.”
    â€œOh good.” She went to the mirror, applying mascara with quick little jabs. “I want him to meet the rest of the gang, too.”
    I pictured this reception by “the rest of the gang” and chuckled.
    â€œWhat’s so funny?”
    â€œMax and Tim are going to just love the competition.”
    Cyn shrugged. “I think Raj might possess the kind of cool that attracts even other guys.”
    She said attract . She was attracted to him. I felt sick.
    The moment I asked if she wanted him, it would be all out in the open. Someone would either have to back off, or we might let him choose, or she could just claim firsties. It simultaneously occurred to me that she was being Cyn: falling excessively “in love” with anyone who was new and interesting and rubbed her the right way. Hell, I was case in point. But as I watched her finish her makeup, I felt a troubling tickle of dishonesty. Cyn and I had been utterly straight with one another, and that was why our friendship was so solid. Now I was holding something back. It felt weird and wrong.
    â€œYou should meet up with us after work,” I hedged, not meaning it and already hating my new talent for duplicity.
    â€œAbsolutely.”
    â€œHey, so, does Raj know what you do?” I asked. I might have wanted him, but outing her as a stripper to gain sway was worlds beneath me.
    â€œThe dancing? No, not yet. But I’m sure he’ll find out sooner or later,” she said with a laugh, picking up her keys.
    â€œOkay. Just wondering.”
    She looked at me in the mirror as she fixed her lipstick. “It’s not really a big secret anymore. But I guess, in truth, I’d rather tell him myself.” She came back and gave me a kiss on the forehead, leaving a mauve lip print. “Anyway, he’ll learn soon enough how debauched we are. It’s part of our charm.” Before I had time to ask what she meant by that, she was gone.

    That night in the cafeteria, I staked out a seat facing the entrance. He appeared in the doorway, gliding in with his panther-like gait, stopping along the way to exchange an elaborate handshake with some guy in an Orlando Magic ball cap. He was laughing, his teeth flashing as he was introduced all around, shaking hands with every student at the table. Someone pulled up a chair and he was about to join them, but then he looked up and our eyes met. Whatever I’d felt at the pool was back with a roiling intensity that made my thoughts slow to a crawl and my mouth go dry. His dark eyes stayed locked to mine as he seemed to rise up in slow motion, murmuring something to the table and again pulling off the handshake, all without breaking our connection. He coasted toward me, wearing an embryonic smile that, as he approached, bloomed lotus-like into a spectacular grin. When he was a table away, he slyly lifted his hands, fashioned them into little guns, and fired them from the hip as he strutted toward me, fully aware, I was realizing, that this was a