“You’re kinda making me throw up right now,” Lacey said, her voice shocked. “Are you kidding me right now? He spanked you and you liked it?”

“Uh huh.” I couldn’t stop from grinning.

“Like spanked hard or softly?”

“In between.”

“You let this man spank you?” Lacey’s voice was incredulous. “What?”

“He wasn’t trying to hurt me, Lacey. It felt kinky and sexy and I have to admit, it turned me on.”

“Being spanked turns you on now?”

“Yeah, I guess it does.” I laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with two adults engaging in some harmless fun and foreplay.”

“So what are you now? A submissive or something?”

“Lacey, he spanked me, okay? That’s it. He didn’t whip me or tie me up or tell me to sit still for five hours.”

“What would you do if he did?” she asked suspiciously.

“Lacey, are you serious right now? You’re the one that told me to go after him if he was what I wanted. You’re the one that told me to not let my fear hold me back.”

“Yeah, but spanking?”

“Don’t knock it till you try it, girlfriend.”

“Okay, girlfriend.” She laughed. “I’ll tell my next boyfriend to bend me over and spank me. Harder, sir, harder!”

“You’re an idiot.” I laughed. “Though you should totally use that in Play the Player.”

“Of course I’m going to use it in Play the Player.” She laughed. “So seriously, you spent the last two nights with him?”

“He’s really nice, Lacey. I really misjudged him. I really like him. He’s not just sexy, but he’s funny as well and he really seems like a genuine guy. Like, he’s a manager, right? At this board game company, but he’s not in it for the money. He just really loves board games. Like, really loves them. Last night we played this game that he created. It was so much fun. And he was telling me that his siblings don’t even know that he created this game, but he told me. How cool is that?”

“That’s cool,” Lacey said, surprised. “He told you something he hasn’t even told his own family?”

“Yeah, he seemed really shy about it. It was totally unexpected and cool. He has all this bravado and he’s such an arrogant, confident guy. It really took me aback.”

“You sound like you really like him.”

“I really do.” I nodded. “I think I judged him way too quickly.”

“What are you going to do about Saturday?”

“I’m going to tell him tomorrow.” I said. “I don’t even care about getting paid. Bob can stuff it. He’s not going to fire me. But I don’t want Scott to be embarrassed, even if it is just a joke.”

“Wow, you really like this guy.” Lacey sounded pleased. “I’m happy for you.”

“Me too,” I said, and then sighed. “I just don’t know who this Helen is though.”

“Maybe she’s his ex-girlfriend.”

“Maybe.” I sighed. “He blew me off for her and lied about it...” My voice trailed off. “I’m not going to get negative.”

“Good,” Lacey said. “By the way, I have some news.”

“Yeah?”

“I think my dad feels sorry for me because he just gave me two thousand dollars and told me to buy a flight to come and see you.”

“What? No way!”

“Yup and he told me to give you a grand to help pay rent for two months.”

“I can’t take that. You’re my family.”

“Dad said to make you take it.” Lacey laughed. “He said he’s fed up of hearing us mope around on the phone all day talking about seeing each other. He told me to come down, stay with you for a few months and see about getting a job.”

“What about your book?”

“He told me that most writers have to work if they can’t pay the bills and that I’m wasting my life away with him and Mom. He told me to get out there in the real world, have some fun with Eliza and live a life worth writing about.”

“I love your dad,” I said honestly, and I did. He was the man I looked to when I wanted a role model of the perfect father. He loved Lacey so much, and I knew it must have hurt him to tell her to move out. She was his little girl, his world, and he would move mountains for her if he could. He was the father I wished I had. He was the man that showed me what I wanted for my kids. When I first met Lacey, I’d been jealous that she’d had someone that loved her so much. I’d spent nights wishing he was my dad too, and my dreams had basically come true. He’d been there for me as if he were my own dad. He’d cared for me like a second daughter. And that had helped to ease some of my own issues regarding my real dad, but it hadn’t absolved all my pain.

“Yeah I love him too. I think I’ll keep him,” Lacey said and her voice caught as she spoke. I knew she was already starting to feel homesick.

“So when are you coming?” I asked her, wanting to change the subject before she started crying.

“I was thinking in a couple of weeks. Is that okay?”

“That’s great.” I smiled into the phone. “I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I.” She said softly, but I knew that was only a partial truth.