Skinnydipping by Bethenny Frankel Read Free Book Online

another boost. I didn’t even like the coke high. God knows I didn’t need anymore nervous energy. But I did like the danger, the intrigue, the ceremony of it, and the tingling sensation in my mouth. More important, it was an appetite suppressant.
    Tony portioned out the lines and I snorted one line. That was enough, and I wanted to stay in control. He inhaled the rest. He leaned back on the bed, his arms behind his head, and looked at me. “You’re cool,” he said. “I like you.” He patted the space on the mattress next to him. I crawled over, trying to show my cleavage to best advantage. He put his arm around me. “And you’re so much hotter than my wife.”
    “Your wife?” I was angry for about a second. We’d shared so much about our lives in the bar all night, but he’d left out this one minor detail. Then, somehow, I wasn’t surprised.
    He looked guilty. “Yeah. She’s back in Brooklyn with my daughter. I really miss them. But I like you. You’re smart. Not like most of the women I meet at clubs. I can actually talk to you.”
    “Um … thanks?” I said.
    “You’d probably really like my wife.”
    I leaned back against the headboard and looked at him. “Yep. I probably would.” We smiled at each other. And another potential soul mate bites the dust.
    This confession and my tacit acceptance of it seemed to open a door for him. He told me all about his family, how he had met his wife, how he felt when his daughter was born. He wanted to talk all night. He wanted me to be his shrink. “You’re probably too young to get what it feels like to have that responsibility, but it’s a lot of pressure. It’s great, but it’s also hard. When I’m away from them and I go out like this … it’s just really nice to flirt with someone young and pretty like you. You know what I mean?”
    “Not really,” I said.
    “I just love talking to you!” he said.
    “Tony, I think you’re a sweet guy,” I said. “Handsome and charming and obviously very successful. Your wife is a lucky woman. But you should set a better example for your daughter,” I said, noticing the coke residue under his nose.
    “Yeah, I know.” He sniffled a little. Oh God, was he going to cry? “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lead you on. I am an asshole. You shouldsee my daughter. She’s beautiful.” He looked up at me hopefully. “We could still fool around?”
    “No,” I said, patting his leg maternally. “We could not.” I got the impression he wasn’t really the cheating kind. He could probably have been persuaded. But maybe he liked me because he sensed I wouldn’t go there.
    I left him alone, staring into space.
    I went back downstairs to find Brooke. She was talking to a group of women seated in a circle on the floor. “He’s married,” I said.
    “What?” she said, alarmed. “Married?”
    “Yep.”
    “Oh no, I’m sorry. I really didn’t think he seemed like the type. Isn’t he too young?”
    “Apparently not. He’s even got a kid.” Defeated, I threw myself onto a sofa. I felt like I had a motor running in my chest. My heart was beating fast but my body was exhausted.
    One of the girls sitting on the floor leaned back against my knees. She had long wavy blonde hair and a perfect tan. “Have another drink, honey,” she said. “Then come talk to us.”
    “I’ll get it!” Brooke said, eager to do penance for introducing me to a married man.
    “I’m Sandra,” said the blonde. “And you are adorable.” She had a lilting British accent.
    I didn’t feel adorable. I could see my stomach pushing against the tight fabric of my dress—and I hadn’t even eaten anything.
    “I’m Faith,” I said. “I thought I was getting lucky tonight, but apparently not.”
    Sandra laughed. “Men. They’re hardly worth it unless they’re disgustingly rich. And actors hardly ever are.”
    “Hm,” I said, nodding as if I already knew this. Which I didn’t.
    Another one of the girls, who had long reddish-brown