Latte Darling: Book Two of The Darling Series

“You did not?” Elouise laughs.

I nod, even though she can’t see me. “I did.”

“Were they good at least?”

“The omelets? Of course.”

“Seriously, only you.” She must pull the phone away from her face because I hear some muffled sounds before she speaks again. “We’re about to start boarding, but I want to hear all the details tomorrow when we’re settled.”

Elouise is about to embark on part two of her honeymoon adventure with Beckett. They spent the first week in the Rocky Mountains, and now they’re flying to a secluded resort in Hawaii. Poor spoiled jerk.

I’m reaching down to set my phone on the coffee table when it starts to vibrate.

Seeing Axel’s name on my screen, I answer, “Hello, Darling.”

“Hey, Baby. Whatcha up to?”

I sink back into the couch. “Not much, just got done talking to Elouise.” He makes a humming sound that reminds me the weekend can’t come soon enough. “How’s your evening?”

It’s been a few days since I spent the night at his house, and things between us have only gotten better. He still comes over to spend every lunch hour with me, and he’s started calling me at night. And now that I’ve met Brian, I’m tempted to ask Axel if I can start sleeping there some weeknights.

“It’s going alright. Be better-”

A loud noise startles a scream out of me so I don’t hear the rest of his sentence.

Is that?

I scramble to stand.

Is that coming from inside my house?

“Maddie! Damnit, Maddie, what’s happening?” Axel’s raised voice breaks through my fear.

“I… There’s a noise.” I take a step away from the couch. “It sounds like something is breaking, or shattering, or something…” I whisper into the phone.

With shaking hands, I change my phone to speaker so I can have both ears free.

What the hell am I hearing?

The noise gets louder as I head towards the hallway.

“Maddison!” Axel snaps.

“I think it’s in the bathroom,” I answer, creeping closer to the open door.

“What’s in the bathroom?!”

“Shh!” I hush him as I approach.

The source of the sound is definitely coming from inside here. What I thought was the sound of breaking glass actually sounds like more of an echo, and there’s a slight buzzing quality to it.

What the…?

Reaching around the edge of the doorframe I flip on the light and peek inside.

“Maddie, so help me…”

But whatever threat Axel promises is lost to me, because my brain has slowed to a stop.

Is that?

A small blue blur is rattling around inside my glass shower stall. Bouncing off the walls, the vibrations amplified in the small space.

“Oh my god!” I slap a hand over my mouth but it’s too late.

“Maddie! What the fuck is happening!” Axel roars through the phone.

“Nothing!” I squeak. “It’s fine! False alarm!”

“I can hear it. What. Is. Happening.”

“It’s nothing! Sorry, I’ll talk to you later! Gotta go!” I hurry through the words and hang up before Axel can question me more.

With a laugh stuck in my throat, I fling the shower door open and scoop up the rogue vibrator.

Pressing my free hand to my chest, trying to calm my racing heart, my laugh starts to break free.

“I can not believe that just happened.”

Using my thumb, I depress the button on the end of Little Vibey to turn it off.

Only it doesn’t stop.

“What the hell?”

I set down my phone and try again, pressing on the button harder, but nothing happens.

A third and fourth try prove the same results.

“Well… shit.”

This little guy was supposed to be waterproof, but apparently leaving it on the shower shelf for a few weeks did something to short circuit the insides.

Flipping the vibrating item around in my hands, I look for another way to turn it off. Except there isn’t one.

I thought it was great that the new generation of vibrators didn’t need batteries, just a tiny little port for charging. Except now I see the flaw. If your fancy, high-tech vibrator jumpstarts itself into sentiency there’s no way to kill it.

“What am I supposed to do now?”

I don’t know if I’m talking to myself, or to Little Vibey, but I seriously have no idea how to turn it off. I mean, I suppose I could smash it. But with what?

Briefly, I consider shoving it under the wheel of Axel’s car and driving over it, but there’s no way in hell I’m opening the garage door to do that. Plus, what if it splintered his tire? How would I possibly explain that?

The longer I stand here, the weirder I feel about holding the vibrating sex toy. It’s one thing to use it, but just standing here holding it feels extra vulgar.

“Think, Maddie!”

I glance at the sink, but water made it crazy already. Drowning might not work, and I don’t need to add electric shock to my night.

Biting my lip, I look down the hall towards the kitchen.

“I wonder…”