“One—I can’t stop thinking about him. And two, that Monday…he started working at my dad’s shop.”
“No!” Ren gasped, his hand covering his heart.
“Yep,” I said, popping the ‘p.’
“Wait…he had no idea you worked there, and you had no idea he was starting?”
“None. I might have known if I did my job better, but I don’t,” I replied, shrugging like it couldn’t be helped. “We didn’t actually ask each other for our last names, and we were mostly focused on exchanging bodily fluids.”
“Awkward.” He winced, sipping at his drink.
“Very. And as if all that wasn’t enough, I had to be an idiot and ask him for drinks tonight.” I rolled my eyes, still frustrated with myself.
“What’d he say?”
“That he had somewhere he had to be,” I repeated, sighing with defeat. “Maybe he’s just not that into me.”
“He’d have to be brainless to not be into you. You’re a catch! I’m gay, and even I can see that.” Ren said, and I grinned at him, thankful. “Maybe he really did have somewhere he had to be. Stranger things have happened. Did he say anything after?”
“Well, yeah…he said maybe next week, but I’m trying not to get my hopes up. I mean, he looks at me like he’s picturing me naked a lot. And I know I look at him like that too, because I do, picture him naked, I mean. And I’d love another go at him. But he hasn’t made a move, not even when we hung out on Tuesday night.”
“Wait, you hung out on Tuesday night?” Renly interrupted.
“Yeah, he found a stray dog, and I helped him bathe it at the pet store.”
“That’s promising,” he remarked thoughtfully.
“Yeah, and it was fun but…” I trailed off, worrying my lip.
In a lot of ways, I still channeled that nerdy outcast I was in high school. Boys didn’t talk to me. They went after my older sister. His brush-off had hit my self-esteem and made me feel like I was sixteen again, getting laughed at when I asked Mike Wilson to the winter semi-formal.
“You’re adorable. You’ve got it bad,” Ren gushed, gently shoving at my shoulder.
“But I don’t. I just really liked the dick, you know?” I said, lying through my teeth.
Ididreally like his dick, but it was more than that, or at least…it felt like it could be more than that. Maybe. I didn’t know. Dropping my head in my hands, I exhaled heavily.
“Hmmhmm,” he said, pursing his lips thoughtfully. “So go for drinks with him next week and see what happens.”
“It’s so simple when you put it that way, but you haven’t met him. He’s intimidating, like, I honestly don’t even know how I got him into my bed in the first place. I don’t think I can do it again.”
“Stop with the self-deprecating talk right now,” Ren ordered sternly. “I didn’t come here to listen to that.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” I pouted. “But anyway, workplace romances are never a good idea.”
“That’s what makes it so fun,” he pointed out, tilting his head and waggling his eyebrows. I shrugged, taking another sip of my drink and walking to the living room. I sat on the couch cross-legged, facing Ren. “I think you should go for it. Be boning buddies! What did you say his last name was?” He pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and sat opposite of me.
“I didn’t.”
“Really, Gwen?” He arched a brow at me.
“Alaric. Petersen, I think, spelt with an ‘e’ not an ‘o.’”
“You think,” he scoffed, typing it in. “Lucky for you, Alaric seems to be an uncommon name as far as Facebook profiles go. Is this him?” he held out his phone to me, open to a photo of Tattooed Thor himself.
“Yes, that’s him,” I said, my fingers itching to snatch Ren’s phone from his hands and creep through his profile, but I promised myself I wouldn’t resort to Facebook stalking.
“His profile is on lockdown.” Ren frowned. “But you’re right; he is very hot. Good job.” He held up his hand, and I high fived him before I took another sip of the mojito. It slid down almost too easily.
