“Don’t get me wrong, if there’s a game on and I’m at a bar with a bunch of fans, I can get into the spirit, but I don’tknow players’ names or stats or any of that crap. And don’t get me started on those fantasy footballers.”
“Ha! Dylan does that shit! I never understood the draw myself, though.”
“I never would have pegged him as a fantasy football guy. He seems more likely to play ball sports rather than manage a fake team or whatever it is that they do.”
“He played football in high school, actually. Dylan was the most athletic of the three of us. I really thought he’d go off and play in college and maybe even go pro one day. But he decided college wasn’t for him and started working in the shop right after high school.”
“I could totally see him playing football. Typical jock fuckboy, huh?” she laughed.
I chuckled too, because that pretty much summed Dylan up. “Yeah, I guess so. But art was his first love, and all he ever talked about was working at the shop.”
“That’s so awesome that you guys all work together and that you love what you do.” Lexi finished her drink and waved to get Diane’s attention. “Want another beer?” she asked me as Diane approached.
“One more.” I finished my beer and pushed the glass across the bar.
Time seemed to fly by when I was with Lexi. Despite my having to stay away from the topics I wanted to talk about most, there was rarely a lull in our conversations. Everything felt easy with her. Well, almost everything. Except for the whole‘she won’t date me thing,’everything else was great.
Before I knew it, the bar was shouting out the countdown to midnight. Lexi was staring at the TV screen above the bar, counting down along with the rest of the bar, a huge smile plastered on her face. She glanced over at me with a few seconds to go.Was she going to let me kiss her at midnight?
3… 2… 1… Fuck it.
I pulled Lexi into my arms. She looked up at me, still smiling. “Happy New Year, Brando.”
I leaned in close so that our lips were almost touching. “Happy New Year, Sweetheart.”
Surprisingly, Lexi was the one who closed the distance between us and kissed me. Maybe it was wishful thinking on my part, but that kiss felt different. It felt as if Lexi was leaving the door open for more.
29
LEXI
It had been weeks since New Year’s, and things were going surprisingly well still. I hadn’t ended things with him, nor did I start dating him like an adult.Avoidance Lexiwas still running the show. Thankfully, Brandon and I were keeping things pretty casual, and he still wasn’t pressuring me for more. We even made it through Valentine’s Day without him pulling any romantic crap. Sometimes we’d meet at one of our apartments, or we’d grab a drink at a local bar beforehand. Nothing too datey, and we still hadn’t had any sleepovers. Sometimes I’d catch him looking at me funny. Like he was admiring a piece of art, but mostly he was holding up his end of our arrangement and keeping feelings out of it. If he was catching feelings, he was doing a pretty good job of hiding it, which was fine with me.Or was it?
Over the past month, we’d only gotten closer. Although we didn’t really dig deep into our pasts, he was quicklybecoming someone I’d call a friend. That was definitely a new concept for me—friends with benefits? I guess it was a step up from fuck buddies?
What the fuck was wrong with me?Brandon was a great guy. He was funny and kind and could fuck like no one I’d ever been with, and I was pushing him away at every turn. I needed to just chill and be the cool girl.Go with the flow.
My thoughts continued to spiral as we walked up the stairs to his apartment. We’d come from having drinks at the Basement, something we did pretty often these days. It was beginning to feel less weird spending so much time with him, and we were having so much fun.
Brandon opened the door and guided me in with his hand on the small of my back. As soon as the door shut, I turned and pushed him up against it, reverting to the only way I knew how to act with a guy. Thankfully, he didn’t stop me and leaned down to capture my mouth with his.
“Mmmm, need something, Sweetheart?” Brandon taunted as he lifted me into his arms.
“Yes, you, now,” I demanded.
Brandon chuckled against my lips as he carried me to his bedroom. “So needy tonight.”
“Tonight?” We both laughed, and then a yelp escaped me as I landed on his bed with a bounce.
“Well, you were a good girl at the bar tonight. Maybe you should get a reward?”
I nodded my head vigorously. I had been on my very best behavior and didn’t once try to make him jealous or act bratty. Actually, the thought hadn’t even crossed mymind. I was too busy enjoying his company.Fucking crazy.
“Strip,” he demanded, drawing me out of my thoughts. I slowly undressed while he stood at the foot of the bed with hungry eyes, looking too good to be real. But he was real, and he was all mine. Well, he’d be all mine if I weren’t such a fucking mess.Did I want that?The more time we spent together, the more the line I’d drawn between us blurred.
When I was fully undressed, Brandon asked, “How do you want it, Sweetheart? It’s dealer’s choice tonight.”
I put my index finger between my teeth, thinking about how I wanted him. At that point, I thought we’d fucked each other in every way possible. Brandon adjusted himself through his jeans. “Better decide soon, or else you’ll be in for a punishment.”
