“Nah, just girl crap… tampons and shit,” I reply.
Matt and Nate both jolt back, screwing up their faces. The reaction is priceless as I chuckle to myself, knowing I’ve thrown him off the scent. The last thing I want Nate to know is that I was thinking about Ria.
I need to call her when I get home.
“Wow! You really are an over-sharer, aren’t you?” Matt chuckles, and I grin with a nod.
“Sharing is caring. Plus, I have a feeling we’re going to be in each other’s lives a lot, so you may as well know my cycle so you can tell when I’ll be in a good mood and when I am not.”
Nate grunts and moves awkwardly.
“Um… nooo, nope, no,” Nate says, raising his hands in the air as Matt laughs.
“You should have a calendar on the wall in the gallery with it all marked in fire engine red. Alex’sdo not disturbdates or something,” Matt teases.
I giggle and nod. “Yes, I like this. I can tell you’re an ideas man, Matt. A week during the month on the calendar at work, where it’s just smeared out—”
“Okay! Stop! You two are way too into this. And there will be no such weird artwork on the calendar at work. I donotneed to know your… stuff, Alex. I’m all good with that part of womanliness—”
“Womanliness?” Alex chuckles.
“But I don’t need to know about it…any of it.Just have the week off. I don’t care. Do what you gotta do. Just fucking don’t do shit to my calendar,” Nate demands, appearing downrightuncomfortable and awkward, whereas Matt appears like he’s finding this as ridiculously hilarious as I am.
With a loud chuckle, I reach over and pat Nate’s arm. “It’s all good, Natesicles. Don’t worry, I’m on the depo. I don’t get a period.”
He opens his eyes wide and grunts. “Oh my God, then why the hell are we even having this conversation?”
Matt laughs softly, a slight shake of his head following.
“Because I like to make you squirm. And it’s worked like a charm.”
“For fuck’s sake, is this what the next year of my life with you is going to be like?”
I smile widely and nod. “Yep. All awkward conversations and me teasing you until you break. Can you handle it?” I ask, picking up my glass and having a sip.
Nate sits back in his chair. “Fuck, this is gonna be a long ass year.”
“I like this chick,” Matt announces. “You’re all right by me, Alex.” He raises his glass, and I clink mine to his. Our eyes connect, and for a moment, a brief moment, energy surges through me. It’s like something unspoken is said between us. I’m just not sure what, and if I’m honest, I don’t know if I want to find out. My stomach flips as I look into his green eyes, the flecks of gold shining through the more I look at him, and my body bursts into a cascade of goose bumps. A shiver runs down my spine, and my body shudders. With a subtle shift in my seat, I try to cover my reaction in hopes he doesn’t notice. His movement mirrors mine, and we both look away at the same time. My breath catches as I quickly take a long gulp of my stout, trying to calm the raging sea in my stomach.
“So, tomorrow, Alex?” Nate asks, making me look up at him.
“Yes, tomorrow, we’re back at the gallery. You paint. I’ll put up any of the other pieces from the back on display. I sell, sell,sell. And we work our little tushies off again. We got this shit, boss.”
“Thanks for today, I appreciate you.”
I scoff, waving my hand in the air. “Nah, just was well taught, and I’m kinda charming. I could sell ice to Eskimos, fire to Satan, all that kinda crap. Gift of the gab and whatnot.”
“Well, I’m very happy Ria sent you to me.”
“Me too. Aww, group hug!” I call out and lunge forward, grabbing both Nate and Matt around their necks and pulling them into a hug across the table. They both laugh and wrap their strong arms around my tiny waist after we stand. The hug is awkward, seeing as there’s a small table between us, but I don’t care. We’re bonding, and seeing as I’m going to be spending a hell of a lot of time with these guys over the next year, I need to be able to get along with them well.
I pull back as they laugh at me and sit back down, picking up my glass and drinking the last of it.
“You’re so happy,” Nate says, his eyes firm on mine. “With everything you’ve been through, Alex, to be still upbeat in life, I don’t know how you do it. I’m going through a breakup, and I’m struggling, but you’ve been through so much more.”
I can’t help but notice Matt’s eyes droop with sadness.
Sighing, I shrug. “Life is shit, Nate. It fucks with you, it messes with your head, it royally screws you over—”
