Downstairs in the lobby, Ian helped her on with her cape. “Stay here while I give the ticket to the valet.”
While she was waiting, she heard someone say, “Kate?” Glancing up, she spotted a man standing a few feet away, his brows knitted together in confusion, a woman by his side. He looked vaguely familiar, but it took her a few seconds to make the connection because she’d only seen his profile picture and had never met him in person.
Kent from online dating. Supposed lover of cooking, animals, and long hikes in the woods.
He approached her, eyes glassy, shirt untucked, hair mussed.
“Hello,” she said coolly.
“So it is you.”
“Yes.”
“Wow. You look great. Weren’t we supposed to go out once?” he asked.
“Yes, but you decided I was too fat and you canceled on me at the last minute.”
Ian walked up then.
“Look,” Kate said. “It’s Kent.”
Ian looked contemplative. “Speaking of threesomes.”
“You’re not fat,” Kent said.
“Well, maybe not now, but I could blow up again at any moment.”
“She really likes Cinnabon,” Ian said.
Kent looked her up and down. “Maybe we could reschedule.”
Ian folded his arms across his chest. “Never gonna happen.”
Kent’s date said, “I’m standing right here,” and she did not sound pleased.
“Just so we’re clear. Now that you know I’m not fat, you think we should go out?” Kate said.
“Sure. Why not?”
“Oh, sweetness,” Ian said, “let him have it.”
“You know, I thought I’d dodged a bullet by not going out with a guy who tapes himself having sex with unsuspecting women—”
Kent’s panicked and guilty expression confirmed Ian’s hunch, and if either of them had any lingering doubts about the tapes, the look on Kent’s face had certainly removed them.
“—but now that I know you’re not even bright enough to figure out when someone’s profile picture has been FatBoothed, the bullet I dodged was twofold.”
“You FatBoothed yourself?”
“My boyfriend did.”
“Why would you be on a dating site if you already had a boyfriend?”
“He wasn’t my boyfriend at the time.”
“But I wanted to be her boyfriend, so you had to go.” Ian made a motion with his hand like he was brushing away something unpleasant.
“What do you mean by taping himself having sex with unsuspecting women?” Kent’s date asked.
“My boyfriend suspected Kent might be taping the women he sleeps with without their knowledge,” Kate said.
“But I wasn’t positive,” Ian said. “More like erring on the side of caution.”
“But we’re more positive now,” Kate said.
Ian nodded in agreement and looked at Kent’s date. “But if you’re cool with shooting some video, carry on.”
“No judging,” Kate said. “If the two of you decide together that you want to do that, you should definitely move forward.”
Ian smiled. “Really?”
“I’m not speaking from experience,” Kate said. “But sure. Why not? Although I’d probably lean toward photos instead of video. And they’d have to be stored securely, of course.”
“Well, not in the damn cloud, that’s for sure.”
“Hey!” Kent said.
All three heads turned.
“Oh. Right. You,” Ian said.
Kent’s face was so red it was almost purple. “I don’t know what the hell you two are talking about.”
“I think you might know a little bit about it,” Kate said.
Kent’s date looked as angry as he did. “If you think I’m sleeping with you tonight, you’re crazy.” They watched as she turned on her heel and stomped away.
“I don’t think she’s cool with the video thing,” Kate said.
Kent glared at Ian. “You’re an asshole.”
“Trust me, you have no idea how big an asshole I can be.”