“An event?” I ask, feigning ignorance. After all, he didn’t mention anything about it last night—it was Ally who mentioned it this morning.
“Yeah, it’s not a big deal,” he says. I can hear some background noise, as if he’s walking around.
A lifetime career achievement award is… not a big deal?
“Ah,” I say, finally opting to sit on my bed because pacing was making me dizzy. “Well, hopefully you got lucky last night.”
As soon as I say the words, I wish I could take them back. Why am I so awkward?
Corey laughs. “Nah, sugar, sometimes it’s just as much fun to sit and watch.”
I swallow hard, not sure how to respond to that.
“Bex,” he says, his tone authoritative. “Come to dinner with me tomorrow night.”
“Corey… I don’t know,” I say quietly. I put the phone on speaker and toss it next to me on the bed, so I can lie down and bury my face in my pillow. There’s a reason Ally and Britney always talk me down from getting into a guy. As easy as it would be to say yes, it would be just as easy for me to get too into Corey too quickly. And when he leaves in a few days, I’ll be more upset about never seeing him again than I’d have any right to feel.
“Bex,” he says my name softly, and that alone makes me wet. “Did you Google me?”
I flip over and cover my burning face with my hands. “What? No, no, I didn’t, I wouldn’t… Why?”
Smooth, Bex.
He laughs, and the fluttery feeling in my stomach moves lower. How embarrassing is it that his laugh is turning me on? I’m getting wet, justhearing his voice, and I know as soon as this call is over, I’ll be reaching into my nightstand drawer for the one and only toy I own and relieving myself.
“Ah, darlin’, that’s the least convincing denial I’ve ever heard. And I work with some pretty shitty actors.”
This makes me laugh. “Okay, to be fair, I didn’t Google you. My roommate did. But I didn’t, like, look or anything.”
“Mhmm,” he murmurs. “Why not?”
“I… wait, what?”
“Why not? You’re not curious after hearing Ritchie last night?”
“Oh… your, ah, award-winning tag team adventures?” I laugh.
“Yeah. You didn’t want to see what I look like in action?” He sounds playfully indignant.
“Corey… of course I’m curious. It just feels a little, I don’t know… disrespectful?”
He laughs again, and I clench my thighs together. I’m making a mess of myself, and he’s not even physically here with me.
“Promise I won’t be offended. Honestly, I was hoping you’d tell me a video caught your eye.”
“Why?”
“If you wanted to try to re-enact anything.”
My body tenses at his suggestion, and my heartbeat, which hasn’t slowed the fuck down since my phone began ringing five minutes ago, races to a dangerous level.
When I don’t respond, he continues. “It’s natural to be curious. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about you while I was at the club last night.”
“Corey,” I whisper. “Come on. Are you being serious right now?”
“Come to dinner with me,” he says again. “Having drinks and talking to you last night was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. And I want more.”
“More tequila shots?” I joke, but my core throbs at the memory of his tongue on my skin, licking up the lime juice.
