ALICE Ch 22

Alice regains just enough composure to notice the way that Faye is staring at her.

“Yes,” Alice says, embarrassed, covering herself again. “Sorry about the boobs. I’m not trying to flash you. Not on purpose. I promise.”

Faye scurries into the bathroom and returns with a robe, which Alice pulls on gratefully.

“OK, OK. So I went to try to hook up with the Woodcock sisters,” she explains.

Faye’s eyes somehow grow even larger.

Alice sighs. “I know, I know. It was dumb to try to get with them both. Anyway, they uh… kind of pranked me. And I’m naked and I don’t have my room key. That’s why I’m bothering you. I deserved it.” She snorts. “They’re funny.”

“My word,” Faye says quietly, sitting on the edge of her bed.

“I kind of just like them more now,” Alice says, sitting beside her. She sighs. “I kind of want to go knock again. I bet they expect that. Actually, yeah.” She chuckles to herself. “I think I will. Can I use your phone?”

“Course.”

Alice calls the front desk and asks to have another room key brought up. She hangs up, then sits beside Faye again. Alice pats her shoulder.

“Thanks. I owe you one.”

“No trouble,” Faye replies shyly.

They sit in silence for a second. “I have two toys,” she says.

Faye perks up, curious.

Alice rolls her eyes and holds up a finger. “I have a Fleshlight. But it’s a pain in the dick to mess with and clean, so I haven’t used it in a long time.” She holds up a second finger. “And I have a butt thing.”

“What?”

“I don’t know what you call it. It’s real funny shaped. I think I was drunk, and this thing had incredible reviews or something. I don’t actually remember. But I have it. It’s weird.”

“Do you like it?”

“I never had the balls to use it. It’s not that big, but it’s cold and hard and weird.” Alice shrugs.

Faye frowns up at her. “Like an Aneros?”

“I don’t know. It was like a year ago.”

Faye hops up and goes to the duffel, which is now neatly packed up on top of the dresser. She brings it over and opens it, rummaging inside. She comes up with a shiny, silver, metal object.

“It’s similar to that,” Alice says.

“This is an Aneros. It’s very good,” Faye says, quite serious.

“I’m sure it is. I’m not shading it. I promise. I thought you were using that.” Alice points at the sleeve still in the bag.

“I did. So you can have it now,” she says. “If you like. But you probably don’t want it. I used it.”

Alice has never seen anything cleaner or neater than the contents of this duffel bag. She snorts.

“I trust you,” she says, plucking the sleeve out. “Besides, if I take it, that gives you an excuse to buy a new one.”

“It will,” Faye says, looking pleased.