Page 72 of The Stranger

“Sure,” his mouth says. But his face needs a punch. “Primrose told me about the virgin conversation,” he says with a crooked grin.

“What?” My body jolts—she’s not a virgin, just inexperienced. Isn’t she? She’s just chosen her partners badly. Been fucked by selfish men.

“I hear you nearly choked when Sylvie announced that Sophia is a virgin over tomato flan.”

Ah. That. The Armagnac must be clouding my brain.

He gives a huff of a laugh. “I’m pretty sure Maria hopes she’s a virgin.”

“Vegan,” I mutter, leaning forward to take up my glass again. “I almost showered the table in wine.”

“Not the rosé!” He makes to clutch invisible pearls. “You wanna make Jose cry?”

“The rosé. Sylvie wants him to put away a crate of it for her eighteenth birthday.”

He pulls a face.

“I know. I don’t want to think about her being eighteen.”

“I was thinking more of how rancid it’ll taste by then.” Jacques reaches for his beer, hooking a finger around the long neck. “You know, I’m not sure which I’d rather be, a vegan or a virgin. I guess it would depend how long I’d have to suffer.”

“Both are unlikely states for you.”

He gives a grin. “Everyone was a virgin once, though I doubt your memory goes back that far. Do you remember your first time?”

“Juliette,” I say with a fond smile. “My fourteenth birthday. She was the older sister of a friend.”

“Older?” He quirks a brow.

“By a couple of years.”

“That is a pattern for you.”

I ignore him. Allegra was only three years older than me. And now she’s suspended in time.

“Not much older than Felix, really.”

“Are you trying to upset my peace?”

“I’m just sayin’.”

“Say less,” I mutter, stretching my legs out in front of me, crossing one ankle over the other.

“Getting laid is the best. It resets everything for me, puts me in a flow state.”

I make an unhappy noise, and his amused gaze slides my way.

“You ought to be invested.”

“I think I’d rather be deaf.” Deaf to this conversation, at least.

“The better I fuck, the harder I work.”

“I think I work hard enough.”

“But do you fuck enough?”

“That’s none of your business,” I answer smoothly.