It’s a slow Monday morning in customer service, which gives me plenty of time to think about this past weekend. It was amazing, but I can’t stop thinking about Rhys’s rejection when it came to having sex with me.

I think we should get to know one another better.

I know it’s a direct reference to what happened that first night, namely my reaction when I inadvertently began talking about my family. I’ve just maintained the secret about my identity for so long, it’s pure instinct at this point. There really isn’t any good reason to keep it from the people I trust. After what he told me about his own family and Princeton, it seems only fair of me to tell him all about my past, which isn’t nearly as sordid.

We have another date this Saturday, which I guess means we’re technically in a relationship. Perhaps we can finally consummate it, especially if I follow through on my decision to finally tell him all about Faith Flanders.

“So when is that man of yours gonna call back, Prynne?” Jermaine asks, bringing me out of those thoughts. “We need something to get this day poppin’.”

I make sure my face is perfectly neutral. It was bad enough yesterday dealing with Shiloh and her third degree. I still don’t think she believes me that nothing happened, at least the thing that she suspects might have happened.

“He knows not to call me at work again,” I reply firmly.

“You really gonna do ya girl like that? Keep him all to yourself and let us suffer?”

“I still haven’t heard this voice of his,” Holly grumbles. “I want to know what it sounds like.”

“Like sex wrapped up in sex and drizzled with sex,” Jermaine says.

“What the fuck does that even mean?” Peter mutters under his breath.

As if on cue, my phone buzzes on my desk and a picture pops up on the screen. Before I can grab it, Holly, whose desk is right next to mine, sees the same flash of hot pink that my eyes have caught.

“Was that underwear?” she gasps.

I hold the phone close to me as I open the message. Sure enough, it is the pair of underwear I gave Rhys on Saturday in the car. They are lying against a pillow with a dark blue sheet covering the lower half. My brow wrinkles in confusion until I see the message Rhys follows it up with.

RHYS: As promised they have been adopted into a happy home. Here they are tucked in and ready for bed.

I laugh out loud, which does nothing to curb the curiosity of my coworkers.

“What was that about underwear?” Jermaine asks, giving me a suspicious look. “What kinda kinky stuff you and your man been gettin’ up to, girl?”

“They were hot pink!” Holly divulges, arching her neck to get another look.

I scowl at her and press the phone against my chest.

“You better share your dirty pics! This day has been too long and too boring. Ya girl needs a distraction.”

“Oh come on, Prynne. It’s no big thing. I already saw ‘em,” Holly pleads. “What were they doin’ on that pillow? What did he write to you?”

By now even Peter is looking up with curiosity.

My phone buzzes in my hand again and I dare to look. It’s another photo. Another laugh escapes me when I see it and the accompanying message. In this photo, the underwear is on a table next to a bottle of beer and a bowl of Cheerios.

RHYS: Just in case you were wondering, they are being well fed and cared for. Unlike their mom, they seem to enjoy IPA beer.

“What in the Sam hell?” I’m so focused on the picture that I didn’t notice Holly creep over to see it over my shoulder. She starts laughing when she sees the message. “Oh that is too cute.”

“Now, y’all just making a girl mad,” Jermaine protests, rising up from his chair to come look over my shoulder as well.

“Oh no you don’t!” I say, pressing the phone into my chest again. “You go right back to your seat.”

The phone vibrates again, but I don’t pull it away from my chest this time, despite my curiosity to see what Rhys has come up with next.

“You don’t show me, I’m gonna start makin’ things up based on what I already know,” Jermaine warns. He leans in and pats me on the shoulder. “It’s okay, girl. Plenty of men are into the cross-dressing thing. Just look at me!”

“That’s not it at all!” I protest, spinning around to face them, half laughing, but aggrieved all the same.

“This is exactly how nasty rumors get started, Prynne,” Holly says, playing along with Jermaine.

“You two are terrible,” I say, but can’t stop laughing.

The phone vibrates against my chest again and they both stare down at it, their eyes gleaming with curiosity. Even I want to see what Rhys has to show me.

“Okay fine, but you have to keep what you see here in this office!” I warn them.

“Yes, yes,” Jermaine says waving his hand dismissively. “Now show me whatever it is that’s got y’all laughing and shit.”

I turn back around so they can look over my shoulder again, pull the phone away from my chest and scroll back up so they can see the first two and we all laugh again. The next photo shows my underwear on a leather couch in front of a TV with a basketball game on.

RHYS: Here they are enjoying the Knicks game. We lost. :(

Then the next photo pops up and I go from slightly embarrassed, but amused, to absolutely mortified. It’s a picture of my underwear next to a can of shaving cream and a razor. There is a Post-it note stuck to the counter with an arrow pointing to the razor and Do Not Use! written on it.

RHYS: I think they would welcome a visit, especially if their original owner were to “change things up.”

“Now what does that mean?” Holly asks from behind me.

“Mmmm,” is all Jermaine hums, but I can tell by the tone of his voice he absolutely knows what it means.

The next photo pops up, which only makes things worse. It’s just my underwear next to a comb.

RHYS: Or not. ;)

If it was just my eyes seeing each new photo and message, I would have thought it was hilariously cute. Instead, I have Jermaine cackling with glee behind me and Holly still scratching her head in confusion.

“Okay, that’s enough,” I say, bringing the phone back to my chest.

“I still don’t understand,” Holly says, looking back and forth between Jermaine and me.

“It’s nothin,’ honey,” Jermaine says, placing a hand on her shoulder and leading her back to her chair. “We gonna leave Prynne alone for now.”

I give him a grateful look as he settles back down into his chair.

He just purses his lips at me before adding, “But if you need tips, hit me up. If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to handle your shit.” His eyes dart down to the area where my crotch would be if the desk wasn’t blocking it.

As if my face couldn’t get any hotter.

I pull the phone away and start typing in anger.

ME: You are in sooooo much trouble!

“You didn’t!” Rhys says, laughing on the other end. “Why on earth would you show them to your coworkers?”

“Well, you were the one who decided to text me at work! Holly saw the first one before I could grab my phone,” I protest, laughing myself. Even though I still feel my face getting warm at the memory of it, I can see the humor in it now.

I’m lying on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. Thank God Jermaine didn’t expound any further on those last few texts, even if he did continue to give me deliberately knowing looks and winks all day. Poor Holly was just left in confusion, which was fine by me.

“I’m still mad, for your information.”

Rhys just laughs again on the other end. “Next time I’ll be sure to only send naughty texts after the five o’clock whistle.”

“I still need to punish you.”

“Ohh, I like the sound of that.” His voice has me closing my eyes and going back to that tub. The things he did with his mouth…good grief!

I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling. “In fact, I was going to tell you something, but now you have to wait for it.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, and it’s a shame, because I really wanted to tell you tonight.”

“Well, now I’m curious.”

“That’s too bad,” I say, getting wrapped up in making him wonder. “It’s something big.”

“Wait a second…am I going to be a father? Oh wait, it couldn’t be that.” He laughs.

“You know what, Shiloh is right, you are a jerk!” I say into the phone even though I’m laughing myself. “Just for that, I’m definitely not going to tell you tonight.”

“Oh, come on Prynne,” He pleads. “Don’t I at least get a hint?”

“No,” I retort staring at the ceiling. I sigh and add in a softer voice, “besides it’s not the right moment. You’ll just have to wait.”

There’s a pause at the other end and my brow wrinkles, wondering what he’s going to say.

“You know you can tell me anything, Prynne.” His voice is serious now, all hint of teasing gone. “I am someone you can trust.”

Now it’s my turn to pause. A moment ago, the mood didn’t seem appropriate for what I had to reveal. Now, I feel myself itching to tell him about myself.

“I wasn’t joking when I said it was big news.”

“I know,” he says with a sigh, making me wonder how much he has sussed out so far. “You can tell me in your own time. I can wait. Just be forewarned, there isn’t much that could shock me.”

One side of my mouth hitches up with a cynical smile as I stare at the ceiling.

Just wait until you learn about Faith Flanders, Rhys.