Page 28 of I Could Never

Josh gave me the side eye. “What the fuck is a booby prize?”

“You’ve never heard of that?”

“No, it sounds interesting though.” He snapped his fingers. “Wait, was that silicone tit we fried your booby prize?”

I snorted. “I thought you were smarter. A booby prize is not actually aboutboobs, Mathers.”

“Sorry. I only know one kind of booby—very well, I might add.”

“It’s a term for the prize given to the last-place finisher. Like a consolation prize. Booby prize.”

“Ah. Well, then yeah, you definitely deserve a booby prize.” He winked. “A for effort, though.”

“Well, thank you.” I tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. “I know you’re trying, too. We would tie for the booby prize around here.”

We just looked at each other for a few moments. “It’s my turn to ask you something,” he said.

“Uh-oh.” My pulse raced. “Okay.”

“How come you freaked out whenever Brad would come to visit me in Chicago? Was it just about that text, or was it something more?”

“I didn’t trust you at all,” I explained. “He always said you’d gotten him into trouble growing up, and I worried that would extend into adulthood. He told me about all the women you dated, how he never thought you’d settle down.”

“How bad do you think I am?” Josh chuckled. “I’ll admit, I liked to party. And I like women. But I never tried to steer him wrong once I realized how committed he was. In the end, I respected his feelings for you.”

“I believe you now. But that wasn’t easy to see then.”

Josh leaned against the counter. “Honestly? Living on the edge has gotten a little old for me, especially since Brad died. Maybe it’s depression, but nothing gets my rocks off anymore. Nothing stimulates me.” His eyes bore into mine. “I wish I could find something that did.”

I felt my face heat. “How was that date you had the other night?”

“Oh.” Josh looked away. “It…didn’t work out.”

“Shame.” I sighed. “Maybe it’s not so much that nothing gets your rocks off, but more the fact that you’re getting older, wanting different things.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know what I want. That’s always been my problem, but especially now that everything in life seems trivial.” He glanced down at my fingernails and grinned. “You cut your claws.”

“You were right. I couldn’t wipe his ass with them.”

Josh broke out into laughter. “The things you never thought you’d have to worry about, huh?”

“Actually, speaking of thingsyounever thought you’d have to worry about… I have a favor to ask.”

“What?”

“Would you consider letting Scottie shower with you from now on—planned, of course? Me bathing him isn’t working out. He doesn’t like to sit still, and I get water all over me. I think it would go smoother if he was able to stand in the shower with someone. He clearly prefers that, and I suspect that’s what he was used to. Obviously, it’s not appropriate for me to shower with him.”

“I’m sure I speak for him when I say I think he wouldlovethat.” Josh grinned mischievously.

I could feel myself blushing. “Yeah, well,Iwouldn’t…”

“You’d rather me get my crank yanked.”

“Basically, yeah.”

Josh glared at me, then sighed. “Okay. I’ll take him in with me. But I need, like, ten minutes to myself in there first. Then I’ll holler and you can bring him in. Sound good?”

“Yeah. Of course.”