“Look, I’ll put a sock on the door, and you decide whether you want to enter,” Weston offered with a one-shoulder shrug.
Dakota spread his arms out and looked amused at Weston’s serious tone. “Oh, come on, man. Let’s discuss an actual timeframe. I need my eight hours.”
“What you need to do is get a vacuum,” David mumbled as he intensely mashed the keys on his controller, taking out his frustration on the screen. They reminded me of a family, bickering and disagreeing while trying to share a small space.
Weston was already heading down the hallway, ignoring Dakota’s pleas. I gave everyone a hesitant wave before saying, “It was nice meeting you all.”
“Yeah, you too,” Dakota said, still looking after Weston with annoyance.
“Let us know if you need anything,” Kevin offered as he moved over for Dakota to sit. He stole a handful of popcorn, earning him a shove from his friend. “Just yell or something. Our boy’s good at a lot of things, but…”
“Beingthoughtfulisn’t one of them,” David finished.
“He’s thoughtful,” Dakota defended in an instant when he saw me frown. “Just absent-minded as of late. He’s been stressed.”
“He’s been a jerk,” David argued while giving his controller buttons one final mash. The game flashed “Victory,” and Kevin cursed loudly.
Since David was declared the winner, he finally looked at me long enough to take in detail. His eyes raked over my body quickly, as though he tried his best not to linger anywhere too long. He blew air through his lips. The noise sounded like a sigh or ‘humph.’ I couldn’t confirm because it was too low, and my anxious mind was already putting up walls to protect myself from judgment. He looked like one of the many people who bullied me in grade school for my weight and skin. Under his gaze, I did my best not to shrink.
“He’s not a jerk,” Dakota insisted in a steady voice. He motioned for Kevin to hand him the game controller. “Just difficult is all but he likes you and he straightens himself out for people he likes.”
I didn’t know whose word to take, considering I’d only known them for all of five minutes. My mind was repeatedly screaming red flags. My gut said something different. It was intrigued.
I started down the hallway towards the open door where Weston had disappeared. The sock was already tied around the knob. I took the knob in my hand and paused before deciding. The door creaked as I pushed it open and closed it behind me.
Chapter 10
Weston was shirtless.His back faced me when I entered the room as he changed. He pulled a thick sweatshirt over his head, muscles flexing slightly from the movement. Thank God he was turned away because I watched with my mouth agape.
One could make an educated guess on what Weston looked like underneath his clothing. The reality was insanely more satisfying. He was a little bigger than I envisioned. Still lean and not anywhere close to as soft as me. His arms looked strong enough to bench a school bus.
“Okay,” he said while turning to me. “Ready? I have a few ideas I want to show you.”
I nodded, half-grateful and half-disappointed he was getting straight down to business.
“Yeah, of course.” I rolled back my shoulders, trying to relax, and scanned the room for a place to sit.
The room he shared with Dakota was filled to the brim with merchandise. Name brand shoe boxes, water bottles, t-shirts, and socks. They’d hung signed posters of football players on both sides of the room and placed a large flat screen on a coffee table between their beds.
Speaking of beds, that seemed to be the only place to sit. Their desks were just another place to store all their items with no sign of desk chairs.
“Um,” I started. He looked up from the laptop he was holding.
“What’s up?” he said as he lowered himself onto his bed.
“Do you have a chair or something?”” I blushed when he looked at me for a beat. He smiled after a few seconds.
“So, you’ll kiss me, but won’t sit next to me on a bed,” he said as he set his laptop down and stood up. “Interesting.”
“I was just wondering -” I started.
“Say no more,” he told me as he headed towards the door. “We usually take the chairs up front when we have company. I’ll grab one.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I blurted while shaking my head. “I’m fine on the bed.”
Weston ignored my declaration and exited the room. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the space, waiting for him to come back.
“Weston,” I heard David protested. “What the hell, man?”
