The music starts and as soon as the first note hits, Nate’s head falls back and he starts laughing and pulls me into a hug. We sway for just a second before it’s my turn to start. We switch off verses just like the first night we met, only letting our voices collide during the chorus. We don’t look out into the bar patrons the entire time. It’s four minutes of us singing to each other, laughing through notes, fumbling over misremembered words and using extreme hand and arm motions as we belt out about a small town girl and a city boy.
We don’t feel like just best friends tonight. We haven’t for a few weeks, if I’m going to be honest. We feel like more and I’m not sure what to think of it. I’ve never shied away from my love for Nate. I dote on him every chance that I get. But it’s never been in a romantic way, at least not really.
I remember the night he almost kissed me. I wanted him to, at least part of me did, but I was trying to think about it logically, being responsible. I pulled away in fear of ruining our friendship, but I’d be lying if I said curiosity didn’t almost win. Since then, we’ve always kept each other safely planted in the friend zone. We work there. I never had any intention of taking things out of that zone, but lately it seems like that’s exactly whatNate’s trying to do. For years, I’ve wondered if he’d try again, but it seemed that my window of opportunity closed when I turned him down and I accepted that.
I’ve watched Nate date around for years. Gorgeous girl after gorgeous girl, and yet I still never felt like any of them were good enough for him. I confided in Abby last year, telling her that I sometimes wish I would’ve been more spontaneous with Nate when we were younger. But I always just felt like I missed my chance. Maybe this is him giving me a second one.
“We both could use some fine-tuning on that song,” I say, taking the final sip of my beer before placing it back on the counter.
It’s probably about time we find a hotel for the night. We have another long day on the road. Nate’s finally been back in touch with the team, or at least his coach, since everything happened, and he seems eager to get back. It’s hard to keep a competitive spirit away from competition for too long, but if you ask me, I’d say a few weeks away from it has done Nate some good.
“I’m ready to pass out. Let’s walk to the hotel down the road,” he says, before he stretches and pays the tab and we head out of the bar over to the hotel.
This hotel is so damn cute. It’s very western and I guess that makes sense considering we’re in Tennessee, but I love it. This whole town seems fun. The street we’re staying on has bars and restaurants all lined up along it. I’d bet this would be a fun place to come for a weekend. The front desk sign says ‘y’all come back now’ and it made me snicker.
“Yes, we have a room available on the second floor.” I hear the receptionist say. I walk over to the desk where Nate is standing, resting my elbows on the cold counter.
“Great, we’ll take it.” Nate looks at me after I just spoke for the both of us.
“Okay, it’s a king with a pullout couch. Here’s your key card. Have a nice night.” She hands Nate the card, giving me a questioning look.
“I can ask for two beds, Mi,” he tells me in a hushed voice.
“We made it work at the cabin, we can do it again for another night.”
After we get into the room and Nate does his little security check, I shower and change before he does the same. The fluorescent lights in the bathroom are blinding as I turn on the water to brush my teeth. Thankfully there’s a smaller, dimmer light that I can turn on instead.
Nate’s standing next to me, drying his hair with a towel as I’ve got toothpaste running down my chin, trying to hurry up. He only has on a white t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts, one hand is leaning on the bathroom counter, causing the muscles to flex in his arm every time he puts more pressure on it. My eyes continuously dart to where he’s standing and every time I look at him, he’s staring back at me.
Wiping my mouth with the towel, I place my toothbrush back in my travel holder.
“Turn,” he tells me. Gripping my hips lightly with his fingers. He positions me to face him.
Seriously! Why am I throbbing again? You just had an orgasm last night, don’t get greedy.
Nate takes the pad of his thumb and swipes at the corner of my mouth, dragging just slightly when he hits my bottom lip.
“Toothpaste,” he says, huskiness lingering within his tone. He stares at his thumb for the briefest second, a small sliver of white residue on it and then, out of nowhere Nate slips the pad of his thumb in his mouth and sucks.
Oh, hell.
Fucking vagina, please stop betraying me.
Everything about tonight felt natural and real and just fucking incredible. After the last couple of days, and everything that Mia’s done for me lately just in general, I wanted to do something for her tonight. Something that I knew would make her smile. There wasn’t too much off the interstate, but I did come across this hole-in-the-wall, kind of honky-tonk little bar just inside Tennessee. Their website said they had karaoke and I knew that’d be something Mia would enjoy.
Mia’s wet hair is dripping in this bathroom next to me as she’s aggressively brushing her teeth. You’d think she just ate an entire bucket of caramel corn with how vigorously she’s scrubbing. Her little pajama set tonight is fucking cute as hell. It’s actually something that matches which is never the case with Mia, as far as I’ve known. It’s a silky light blue with stripes and she looks so sexy in it. The shorts show just enough with leavinga little room for imagination and the shirt has buttons down the center that are just begging to be ripped open.
“Turn,” I say, noticing a spot of toothpaste in the corner of her mouth. My hands grip around her waist, turning her to face me. The contact feels so good. Touching Mia sends all of the blood to my dick immediately and a quick memory of her coming apart from my touch passes through.
My thumb drags at the corner of her mouth, getting the toothpaste and then I take an extra swipe and pull my thumb down slightly brushing near her bottom lip. Her chest is moving up and down as I stand there in front of her.
“Toothpaste,” I say, bringing my thumb into my mouth. The toothpaste is minty, but it’s Mia’s bottom lip that I’m dying to taste. Dying to have between my teeth.
We’re standing here, in this small, humid bathroom, feeling the air crackle between us.
“Nate,” she whispers, slowly leaning her head back and closing her eyes as I place a hand on her stomach and walk us backwards, towards the wall.
She breathes out and I can feel my pulse jumping. I know how important a moment like this is to her. I have never had a clearer vision than I do right now. I have wanted Mia, on some level, for years. And I never let myself act on it. If our road trip has taught me anything when it comes to her, it’s that she also thought this wasn’t in the cards anymore, but maybe she’s opening herself up to it. Showing her how good we could be together is all I can think of.
