LITMIR.BIZ

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she’d hung on to her tight body, perky tits and effervescent smile. In fact, quite a few of her physical traits had greatly improved since high school. Julie suspected Chelsea’s breasts were even perkier—high, full, prominent and aimed right at the eyeballs of men. Chelsea had been cute as a button before, and she was better put together every year, while Julie felt she was sliding too fast into old age. But, if you’d asked her at seventeen which way she’d like to go—blossoming in her late twenties or having it all at seventeen—Julie would still have taken seventeen. Stupidly.

      So she watched Chelsea from across the rec room, doing what she did best—flirting with Billy. It was amazing how long your nemesis could follow you without ever losing interest in your man. Julie had threatened Billy with unspeakably painful things if he ever touched Chelsea, if he even accidentally brushed up against her. Thus, Billy’s arms were crossed protectively over his wide, hard chest, laughing at absolutely everything Chelsea said. Now and then she’d put a hand on his forearm and gaze up at him, chatting away, making him grin like a fool.

      “Some things never change,” Cassie said, climbing up on the bar stool beside Julie.

      They watched together as Joe joined Billy, passing him a beer. Then he leaned down a little and asked Chelsea something: Can I get you a drink? She just shook her head and laughed, drawing Joe into the conversation. Then a third man joined them. Hmm. Chelsea had three good-looking men cornered, holding them captive with her cleavage. Yet again she put her hand on Billy’s forearm.

      “If he laughs at her once more, I’m going to throw a dart at him,” Julie said. “Then I’ll chop him up in little pieces.”

      Cassie sipped her wine. “Maybe you should have a drink. Loosen up a little.”

      “I’m the designated driver. And I’m going to designate him right out of here in about ten minutes.” Then she said to Cassie, “I’m just not fun anymore, am I?”

      “Well, you’re not a lot of laughs right now. But there have been fun times…”

      “Did I ever flirt like that?” Julie asked.

      “I’ve known you to have a flirt or two, but usually with your own guy,” Cassie said. Then she glanced at Chelsea and said, “How does she make never getting married look so good and I just make it look so…fat?”

      “Cassie, you’re not fat. You’re…”

      Cassie gave her a second and then put a hand on her arm and said, “Don’t. When you have to search for the right word for longer than three seconds, you’re just going to come up with a synonym. And I’ll hate you.”

      “We used to do some really fun things. We stole a port-a-potty and put it in the football coach’s front yard. That was fun. Wasn’t it fun?”

      “I think it spilled and violated us…”

      “We laughed till we peed,” Julie pointed out.

      “Yeah. We were idiots.” Cassie sipped her drink. “We went on that all-girl camping trip once,” Cassie said. “But there was a leak and it didn’t stay all-girl too long. I lost my virginity for the third time that weekend.” She sipped some more. “Maybe we should do that again. An all-girl camping trip. And this time, keep it to ourselves.”

      “Can’t. If Billy ever finds out I’m willing to camp, my life is over. Sleeping on the ground is about the only vacation we can afford.” She sighed. “I’m not fun anymore,” Julie said. “I’m a drudge.” Billy came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. Julie turned and looked up at him. “Did you touch her?”

      “No, Jules. I’ve gotten really attached to my balls. But if she’s going to keep rubbing those tits on my arm, I’m going to need a lot more to drink.”

      “Funny,” she said. “How much longer do we have to stay?”

      “Joe has some fireworks,” he said.

      “There could be fireworks right in this room if I have to watch Chelsea gaze at you like a lovesick puppy for one more second…”

      “Everyone else is having fun watching her flag her butt and preen. What’s wrong with you?” he asked with a grin.

      “I admit, it’s been entertaining as hell, but I was thinking maybe there’s a Law and Order rerun on TV. It’s a tough choice, but I might have to go with the rerun.”

      “Isn’t this just a rerun?” Cassie asked, laughing.

      Although it wasn’t late—eleven or so—Julie and Billy said their goodbyes and left the party. They drove by Julie’s mom’s house, scooped up three sleeping kids and went home. While Julie made sure everyone was tucked in for the night, Billy turned on the TV. She washed her face and brushed her teeth and crawled into bed. Before she could fall asleep, he was shedding his clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor and getting in beside her. She could feel him naked and primed against her thigh.

      “Oh, Jesus,” she muttered.

      “What? You wanted to come home early. You didn’t turn on a rerun…”

      “Billy…”

      “Tell you what—just for fun, let’s not fight. Let’s just do it. That always puts you in a better mood.”

      “Did Chelsea get you all spooled up?” she asked him.

      “Chelsea?” he asked, laughing. “How many years are you going to ask me that, Jules? I don’t want Chelsea.”

      “I can’t…Come on…”

      “Why? You on the rag or something? Cramps?”

      “Late,” she said.

      He rose up on an elbow and looked down at her. “It’s not that late…”

      “I’m late,” she said. “My period’s late.”

      Shock was etched into his handsome features. Then dawning. “Oh, so that’s what’s got a bug up your ass lately. We’re caught again? We can’t be.”

      “If we are, I’m going to kill myself. Then you.”

      He grinned at her. “We could use another girl to even things out.”

      “What we could use is a vasectomy!”

      “Yeah. I guess. After this one…”

      “Billy!”

      “What?”

      “We can’t have another baby!”

      “Well, you act like this is my fault!”

      “It wasn’t the UPS guy!”

      He grinned into her eyes and brushed a little hair away from her brow. “I bet I know when it was,” he said, his voice thick and husky. “We had dinner with your folks and you liked me. I didn’t fuck up all night, which is a miracle, huh? Then after the kids were in bed, you liked me a lot. Kind of took me by surprise, but I think I stepped up to the plate pretty good there.” He gave her a kiss on the nose, on the lips, on the chin. “I did such a good job, maybe you popped about ten eggs and one of ‘em slipped right by that IUD…”

      Her eyes welled with tears. “We can’t afford another baby. We can’t afford the ones we have.”

      “We get by okay. It won’t be a struggle forever.”

      “It will if you keep knocking me up!”

      He chuckled. “You’re so damned knock-upable. I just can’t help myself. And it’s not like I planned it. I’m just so potent.”

      “See, you think you’re so manly right now. They’ll swim through anything—through condoms, IUDs, diaphragms…And you’re goddamn proud of yourself!”

      “Nah, that’s not it,” he said. “But I have to admit—I

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