“Hope so,” Ty replies.
I hope so too.
We’re silent for a few minutes. Ty is probably singing along in his head to that annoying Taylor Swift song playing over the stereo. He loves that catchy pop crap.
“So not to play Cupid or anything,” he starts suddenly with a guilty smirk on his face. “But so things are going good with you and Steph?”
“What does Maddie say?” I ask pointedly. “I think I’ve figured out that it’s going however she says it’s going.”
Ty smiles. “She’s says you’re talking every night.”
“We are.”
“Cool.” Ty smiles and I grin back, but mine is a little more forced than he realizes—or than I want it to be.
Sure, Steph and I have talked a lot. Every night for at least half an hour, and we text about ten times a day. And even though I’m always smiling when I hang up, I wouldn’t say that we’re getting closer. She’s flirty and funny—which I love about her—but when I try to ask her a serious question or move the conversation toward that ever-dreaded but always necessary “so where is this going?” she says something that derails it. Not in a bad way—she usually says something that makes my dick hard, but still.
“I’m thinking tonight we’ll really, you know, figure out if this is serious,” I admit to Ty.
“You mean have that ‘are we a couple or are we a couple of horny friends’ conversation?” Ty wiggles his eyebrows as I look at him at a stop sign, and that makes me roll my eyes. “I thought you’d already have done that.”
“I tried, but I think it should be done in person.”
“So what are you talking about, then, if it’s not your relationship?” Ty wants to know, the nosy bastard.
I shrug. “Well, I’ve told her about my plans for the clothing line. To have the proceeds go to charity, and my dad losing his ever-loving mind over it.”
“What does she think?” Ty asks as I ease off the freeway.
“She thinks it’s a great idea and that I should tell Don to back off,” I explain.
“Smart girl.”
“Yeah, I’ve always appreciated her blunt honesty.” At a red light, I let go of the steering wheel and lean back in my seat, reaching up and gripping the headrest with my hands as I try to stretch. My muscles—all of them—are killing me. I wish I had a hot tub at my place. “We talked a little about Dieppe.”
“Right. You’re both technically from the same place,” Ty replies.
“Sort of. She moved when she was young,” I explain. “We probably wouldn’t have known each other even if she stuck around. I went to that boarding school in upstate New York for a good chunk of high school.”
“Yeah. She tell you about that uptight Catholic private school her mom made her go to?” Ty asks. I shake my head, so he elaborates. “She came over with Maddie a while ago, before you moved here, and we were talking about high school once, and she mentioned that her mom stuck her in this school that was super religious and uptight. She had a uniform and no school dances, no pep rallies, just prayer groups. High school would have sucked.”
“Yeah, but I bet she looked fucking sexy in the little uniform,” I can’t help but mention, and Ty grins like it’s not the first time he’s thought that either.
I’m kind of bummed that I’m hearing this from Ty and not from her. I mean I hadn’t asked her about her high school experience—ever—but I have asked her about growing up in Quebec, and she’s never really said much or volunteered much personal information.
We hit another red light, and I grab my phone and send her a quick text as a bit of a joke and to let her know we’re on our way.
Carpooling home with Ty. He says u went to Catholic school. Would’ve killed to see you in a schoolgirl uniform. I bet u looked hot.
A few seconds later she responds.
Not as hot as you look in your Under Armour. See you soon.
I pull up in front of Ty’s place, and as he gets out of the passenger seat, he looks up and smiles. I glance up too. The only light on is the one in his master bedroom. He smiles from ear to ear at that.
“I love my girlfriend,” Ty mutters to himself more than me. “She knows I don’t need to talk right now…at least not with clothes on.”
I laugh. He winks. “Have fun, Westie. I know I will.”
