Chapter Five
I leanedup against the alley wall in my usual spot and looked down at the text I had just written. I smiled a secret smile before hitting send.
Ethan:I swear if these guys tonight don’t stop grabbing and pinching my ass, I’m gonna start spilling drinks on purpose!
I only had to wait for a minute before I got a response. This time I had a full-blown smile on my face. James never made me wait for more than a minute or two before he would respond. I was convinced that he must wait for my texts like I waited for his.
Jay:Don’t know that I like guys touching your ass like that. That’s not cool. Are you okay?
It never changed. James was a hero and always wanted to protect people. We had talked about that and so many other things in the last few weeks. We had stopped messaging on the dating site within the first week and had exchanged numbers so we could text directly. I had expected the messages to get more involved, maybe even move into some sexting by now, but it hadn’t. We stayed firmly in the friend zone, and I was starting to really need to break out of that purgatory.
I had done texts showing my makeup skills, asking him how he liked my eyeliner, or if he liked my outfits. I wanted him to notice me, really see me. He was always supportive, complimentary even, but he never took it too far. It was frustrating as fuck. If I hadn’t felt a spark with him in that alley and seen the interest in his eyes the few times I’d seen him in the bar, I would have moved on by now. But I had seen them, and I wanted more. We already clicked on the friend level.
James had so much in common with me, from reading fantasy and science fiction to a love of running. We had both read all of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King and got pissed at the ending. He had even read all of the Harry Potter books, which I found cool as shit. I had never gone to college, but I had plans to one day, and I’d always loved to read. It was my escape for so many years when life was giving me a hard time. James had gone to college and was a fucking oral surgeon, but when we chatted, he never made me feel dumb or less educated. We just seemed to click. And I was wondering why he wouldn’t pick up on my increasingly less than subtle hints to make a virtual fucking move. I prepared my next volley in myend the friend zonewar and hit send.
Ethan:Aww, that’s so sweet, Jay. You wanna come over here and keep my ass assault free? I give good rewards for my bodyguards.
As usual, I didn’t have to wait long for his reply. But my smile faded when I saw his response.
Jay:I’m sure you have more than enough gorgeous young guys who would stand in line to protect you. Much more your speed than me, lol.
I hit the dumpster next to me with my fist in frustration and closed my phone without responding.Damn him!As I got back to work behind the bar, I wondered what I would have to do to tell him I didn’t think of him as old. I thought he was perfect. Looking around at the people lining the walls and hanging out at the tables in the Swallow, he wasn’t like the assholes that hung around here. He wasn’t like any guy I’d met in years, truth be told. There was just something about him that screamed, “He’s the one for you.”
These guys around here were all so immature, drifting through life with no plans. I had plans, I just hadn’t had the opportunity to start them yet, but I was getting there. Just a few more years of bartending and Jens and I would have enough to start our own business. Jens would do the makeup, and I would do the styling. I was building up a clientele already, mostly helping guys and even some women, get the perfect look for special occasions. I could turn a beer budget into a champagne look with just fabulous accessories and a little vision. I had made my own style as my business card.
But my plans were much bigger than that. I wanted to go to college. I had always been great with numbers. They were easy for me and did what I wanted them to do. In a secret place in my heart, I wanted to be an accountant. I could do all the books for our business, but if I branched out, I could do it on the side, too. I had no idea how I would get there, but one day there would be the letters CPA behind my name. I had plans for my life. And now I was going to make a plan for James.
* * *
Another few weeksof friendly texts and I was firmly in lust with James, but he wasn’t taking my bait. We had started sending daily selfies a week ago. It was James’s suggestion, and I was all for it. It would give me the opportunity to show him I was more than just a young guy who tended a bar. We were going to share our days with each other, so when we chatted, we could picture the other’s place.
The one I got today from James stunned me. He was sitting at a workbench wearing a skin-tight tee and jeans that had no business being that tight, but I thanked all the gods they were. He was holding the phone out to take the picture, and the flexing of his arm was simply delicious. All of this was perfection, but it was the smile on his face and those little laugh lines around his bluer than blue eyes that made my breath hitch. I wanted him to smile like that at me in real life. I wanted to be the reason for those little lines and the sparkle in his eyes.
My daily selfie today had to be just as great because I wanted him to fucking notice me. I put on my makeup with care and didn’t wear my contacts since James had mentioned he liked the real color. He called it cognac. I got chills imagining hearing him call my eyes the color of cognac. It was one of my favorite liquors, even though I’d never told him.
I put on my favorite blue tee that brought out my eyes and then slid into my black fishnets, then the black skirt with the buckles that came halfway down my thighs and showed the tops of the stockings. I finished off my outfit with my favorite platform ankle boots with the six-inch heels and started snapping pics in my full-length mirror. My hair was picking up highlights from the window beside me, and I looked amazing if I did say so myself. I finally chose a picture I liked and hit send before I could overthink it.
Ethan:I love your selfie today! You are one sexy man, Jay. Here’s my look for work tonight, too much?
It took several minutes before James responded, and I thought I had the time wrong. I always texted when he was on his lunch hour, or when he was at home after work, and I was on my breaks. After so many weeks, we had a timetable set up for our chats, so I was sure I had it right. What could be taking him so long? Finally, he responded, but it wasn’t theholy fuck, you’re so hot,I had hoped for.
Jay:Ethan,if you’re trying to keep those guys from touching, you shouldn’t look so touchable.
It wasn’t a declaration of lust, but it was the closest I had ever gotten to him saying he liked the way I looked. So I jumped on this new line of conversation.
Ethan:You think I look touchable? What would you touch right now if you could?
Jay:Your hair is glowing in the sunlight and looks so soft. Is it as soft as it looks?
Ethan:It’s very soft. As soft as my skin. I make sure everything on me is soft and touchable.
Jay:And those fishnets are so perfect on you. You have great legs. Do you shave them?
Ethan:I shave everything, Jay.
Jay:Fuck, seriously?
Ethan:Everything is smooth, soft, and touchable, Jay. Everything.
