“He’s the only one in the office that would say something. And he knows we don’t need to do that.”
“Favor still stands. I’ll say you brought me soup when I was sick and you won me over.”
“Good to know all it takes is soup in this relationship to win us over.”
Ollie laughs. “I’m easy.”
“Oh you are, are you?” I waggle my brows at him. “Good thing to know about myboyfriend.”
“W-what? No. I didn’t mean it like…th-th-that,” he stutters.
“Damn. I was thinking I might get lucky.”
“Hunter!” he hisses. “We cannot do…that. It won’t be?—”
He cuts himself off.
“Won’t be what?” Now I’m curious as to what he was going to say.
“I don’t want to say.” He shakes his head.
“Okay.”
“That’s it? You’re not going to keep pressing?”
I drain the last of my soup. “Nope. If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to.”
“Wow. I thought you’d keep asking questions about why I’ve never had sex.”
“Wait, what?”
“Oh, no.” He buries his face in his hands. “I can’t believe I said that out loud.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t want people to think I’m weird because I haven’t had sex before.”
“No one thinks you’re weird, Ollie.” My tone is firm.
He peeks one greenish-brown eye at me through his fingers. “You don’t?”
I shake my head.
“No. You’re my best friend. I don’t think you’re weird at all.”
Honestly? I’m not surprised. Ollie has never been the most forward of people. And who cares? If he doesn’t want to date, he doesn’t need to date. He’s happy, and that’s all that matters to me.
“It’s just, all of you guys talk about dating and finding someone, and that’s never exactly been something I’m concerned with.”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“I know.” He drops his hands and his eyes go wide. “You’re not going to tell the guys, are you?”
“Fuck, no, Ol. It’s not my news to tell. Promise.”
“Good.”
“Look”—I rest my elbows on the table and lean forward—“you and I are going to go to the party on Friday and have a great time. People will think we’re a greatcouple and it will be because you and I are friends. After? I’ll drop you off at home and you won’t have to worry about it again. Sound good?”
