Shanaya is a lesbian, but her best friend - the woman she desperately loves - definitely isn't. Worse yet, she's about to marry a complete jerk. When a flamboyantly gay genie emerges from her antique necklace, she turns herself into a sexy man. But now can she learn to think like a man, act like a man, and make love like a man...before Allison makes the worst mistake of her life?
~~~~~ Excerpt ~~~~~
Shanaya nearly choked. âWhat? Youâre gay? A gay genie?â
He scowled at her. âOh, great. And now I have to deal with a bigot, too?â He waved his fingers mockingly. âAre you scared Iâm going to infect you with my horrible gay cooties?â
âNo, no, nothing like that!â she protested quickly. âIâmâŚIâm a lesbian! So Iâm actually kind of glad youâre gay.â
âYouâre a lesbian? Awesome!â The genie leaped to his feet and bounded towards her. âGay high-five, girlfriend!â
She lifted a hand and their palms clapped together.
âNow,â he said, leaning against her bookcase. âWhat can I do for you, o my mistress?â
Right. Genies grant wishes. ButâŚâFirst of all, I need to get everything straight.â She chewed her lip. âAnd I canât go on calling youâŚyou. Especially if youâre not going to tell me what your real name is. Not that Iâm asking you to,â she added hastily. âHow aboutâŚGene?â
âGene?â He rolled his eyes dramatically. âI suppose I can live with that. Gene. Fine.â
âAnd how many wishes do I get? Three?â
âThree?â Gene scoffed. âGirlfriend, that was centuries ago. You have to keep up with the times. Havenât you ever heard of inflation? You get lots more than that. But first, I have to lay out the rules.â
She nodded. âOkay.â
âRule one: No wishing for more wishes. That is total bullcrap. Also, you donât get to banish me and then summon me with a fresh set. You start with a finite number, and thatâs all you get until you banish me permanently or you die. Got it?â
She nodded.
Gene ticked off a second point on his fingers. âNext rule. No murder, violence, or emotional or psychological torture. Weâre kinder, gentler djinn, these days. You want to knock off your older sister so you can marry the sultanâs son instead of her, you better take care of that yourself.â
âUmâŚhow long have you been away from Earth, anyway?â
He ignored her. âThird. I can give advice, if you ask for it. But Iâm not going to volunteer information if youâre going to do something spectacularly stupid.â He grinned, sharklike, and she shivered. âWatching humans screw things up is half the fun.
âAny questions?â
She swallowed. âThereâsâŚthereâs this girl.â
âOh?â Gene cocked an eyebrow. âCute?â
âGorgeous!â
âAnd let me guess. She doesnât even know you exist, right? Youâve been pining your heart out for her for years, wanting one glance from her smoldering eyes, one kiss from her glistening lips?â
âNo! Weâre best friends!â
âBest friends. Sure. And you want me to change her sexuality so sheâll desire you? Or maybe just a simple love spell?â His look was disgusted, and she hung her head in shame. âHell and no. We canât take away free will. No potions, spells, hypnosis, or any of that crap. You want this girl in bed, you better find a better way to do it.â
Her heart, which had leapt with horrified hope a few seconds ago, crashed back into her belly. But⌠âWhat if it was my choice? You wouldnât be taking away her free will then.â
âYour choice? What are you talking about?â
The thought was so audacious it took her breath away. She swallowed, cold sweat breaking out on the back of her neck. âCould youâŚcould you turn me into a man?â
Gene stared at her, the silence in the room stretching out until she was quivering like a string. âThatâs more than stupid. Itâs insane.â