“OK, fine. You’re right. There is someone here. Unfortunately, my brother’s business partner thought the house would be empty. So he showed up. You won’t believe what an awful person he is—”

“Are you kidding me? Hunter is there? Hot-as-Hades Hunter?”

“Shut up, he’s not hot, okay?”

“Fine. Just make sure you don’t scare him away before I arrive. I remember him from your 21st birthday party. He sure was hot then. In fact, I recall him from a lot of your teenage birthday parties. There was even a time you had a thing for him. Are you sure you didn’t plan this all along?”

“My god, no, Dani, I did not plan this.”

“So, I guess it’s pointless asking you how the sologamy is going, seeing as you’re not exactly solo.”

“I’m still solo. Don’t put any comments on my Instagram about Hunter being in the house.”

“I wouldn’t sabotage that. How’s the new ’gram direction working out?”

I shoved an olive into my mouth and chewed while I thought about it. Sologamy really wasn’t trending as a money spinner. “Not great. I’m making a few dollars but nothing like the wedding bucks I was earning when I was about to marry Chicago’s most eligible philanderer.”

Dani snorted. “Glad you can joke about it. What are you going to do?”

“I’ll reassess after Christmas. A media group contacted me today about doing a Cooking for One thing. It’s a company that does meals by monthly subscription. They deliver the fresh food and recipes, and I’d have to cook them up and be all, hey, girls, just because you’re alone doesn’t mean your diet has to suffer.”

“That’s so sad.”

“Thanks. Even the sex toy supplies have dried up.”

“Much like the drought in your lady garden.”

It was my turn to snort. I’d just taken a mouthful of water, and I choked on it. “I’ll have you know that’s not a desert between my legs, it’s more like an oasis,” I said when I’d recovered.

“Really? And who’s keeping it watered for you?”

“That would be me. Sologamy involves a lot of masturbation.”

“No. Stop it. Too much information.”

“You asked.”

“Yeah, well, I’m closing this down. It’s time to meet Casey for yoga. Remember yoga? You should probably be channeling all of that sexual energy through your eighth chakra and away from your kundalini.”

I laughed. “Oh, my god, listen to you. There isn’t an eighth chakra—”

“I’m sure there is. Anyway, we miss you, and we’ll see you in a couple of days.”

“Can’t wait.”

“Good. Love you. Behave and keep your hand out of your pants.”

I was just about to respond when she made a kissy face and shut off the app.

“Do girlfriends always talk that dirty?”

I hadn’t noticed Hunter enter the kitchen. I should have been embarrassed, but after what we’d done the previous night, it was a bit late to be coy. Anyway, he looked too sexy watching me the way he did. “Yeah, we do, because we know guys always eavesdrop.”

“Is that so?”

The kitchen was enormous, and there’d have been plenty of space where I could keep my cool, but Hunter had crossed the room as he spoke. Hot, charged air compressed between us as he placed his hands on the counter either side of me. I gulped like a cartoon character.

“That is so. You just proved me right.”