It had been years since I’d found myself waiting so nervously for a date. Not that this was a date, exactly. I didn’t know what the hell to call these rendezvous because the five of us certainly weren’t together, but what the hell was I doing, then? It was strange to be waiting for one man to pick me, with the intention of delivering me to his boyfriend for sexual favors, on the behalf of his other friends who were also fucking me...

If I hadn’t been a slut before, I sure as hell was now.

Vincent arrived, his bass bumping loud enough to carry into the house. I came outside before he even got out of the car, hurriedly locking up the house. I still hadn’t thought of a good story to tell my parents about the security system. Maybe they’d accept it if I feigned ignorance.

Vincent rolled down the passenger window as I traipsed across the lawn toward him, cat-calling loudly, “Damn, baby, look at you! Owwww!” He howled so loud that our next-door neighbor, Carol, poked her head up above her rose bushes.

We made very awkward eye contact, and I waved. “Hi, Mrs. Fischer. Nice day out.”

“Oh, yes. Lovely.” She tried to smile, but she couldn’t fake it as she looked at me. “I take it you’re…enjoying the sunshine?”

I managed a painfully embarrassed smile before I hurriedly fled. I sunk into the passenger seat and scooched down low after I’d strapped in, trying to avoid being spotted by any more neighbors.

“I’ve sold weed to that lady before,” Vincent said. “I used to meet her and her husband after Sunday service so they could pick up their order. They tried to rope me into a threesome once.”

My eyes practically bulged out of my head. “Mr. and Mrs. Fischer tried to — What? No fucking way.”

“There’s more freaks out there than you think, Jess,” he said as he pulled out of my neighborhood. “People act all high and mighty publicly, but behind closed doors? Everybody has their thing.”

“And I take it this is Jason’s thing?” I said, pulling the cat ears out of my purse. “I didn’t see anything about this on his list. Pet play was only a two on his interest scale! And it wasn’t any higher on mine. If he expects me to start meowing like a cat…”

“First of all, you look sexy as hell, so chill out.” He reached over, giving my chin a little nudge with his knuckle. “Second, I’ll give you some advice about Jason from someone who knows him even better than he knows himself.”

I fixed him with a mild look, lips pressed into a thin line. “So it’s your advice, right? Considering —”