I like this. Ganging up on Noah
Marcus
Painting night starts at 7. Don’t be late (looking at you Bode)
Bode
Fuck you
“Hey. Look who’s on time.”
Getting out of the car, Bode is walking over to us, a snarky look plastered across his face.
“Had to prove a point to you idiots.”
“How many alarms did you have to set to remember to come?” Noah asks him, walking around the car.
“Easy for you to say. Graham is the most punctual person on the team besides Marcus. You have a built-in reminder.”
The three of us head toward the small shop set in the strip mall near downtown.
“Maybe you should move in with him.”
“Hey!” I interject. “I don’t need a revolving door of teammates sleeping with me.”
“Sleeping with you?” Bode asks, raising his brows at me.
“Uhh…I meant sleeping in my condo.” I try to recover, but do a poor job of it.
Jesus. The last thing I need to do is tell the guys what Noah and I are doing. We just started this thing. I’m not ready for it to be over. I want more. Want to see if these things I’m feeling are real, or if they’re just a reaction from being so close to Noah.
“Sorry, Flounder. I’m not bringing all the women into your place. We’re too loud.”
“Can you show a little bit of respect for women?” Marcus grumbles, coming up behind us, smacking Bode in the head. “It’s like I’m surrounded by teenage boys.”
“Don’t lump me in with him,” Noah calls after him as the two of us head into the small shop. “I’m better than that.”
The studio the team found for the event is an explosion of color. Paintings of all kinds line the bright white walls. Square tables are set up with two blank easels on each side. Sinks line one wall, and a hat tree holds aprons of various sizes. A small stage sits in the middle of the room with an instructor waiting for all of us.
The four of us find an empty table as Jasper walks over to us, dropping into the seat next to Marcus.
“Look who’s on time!” Jasper chirps.
Bode flips him off as Dax takes the empty seat beside him.
“Welcome, everyone,” the instructor calls out. It cuts off any further argument from Bode. “We’re so happy you could join us tonight.”
The older woman has a short gray bob, overalls covered in paint, and wears white low-top sneakers.
“Tonight is going to be very low-key. We’ve got drinks at the bar for you.” A few guys whoop at her comment. “We want you to have fun and relax. Express your creativity.”
“Think you can handle that?” I ask Noah, who’s in the spot next to me. The side of the table facing the instructor is empty so we have a better view.
“Please. I’ll show everyone here up.”
“I’d say we should make a bet, but I don’t know what that would look like with you.”
Noah gives me a quick up and down glance. “I have a few things I could think of.”
