His fingers looked lessangry now. The burn was only on the surface, it’d be gone by the morning. I’dpanicked more than I should have.
My own fingers were onlyscalded, but as I went to take them away from the water I could hear Docclearing his throat disapprovingly as though he was standing over my shoulder.I’dleave them for a minute or two.
“Two grown men and we can’teven make pasta between us,” I said after a moment, shutting the faucet off.The tips of my fingers were red, but I’d live. I’d had a lot worse.
“Yeah.” Ashley said. “So.Takeout?”
“Takeout works,” I agreed. “I’llclean up here, since most of this is on me.”
“I’m not gonna argue,”Ashley said, picking his way around the mess. “I’m gonna order enough food tofeed a small army and you’re gonna help me eat it.”
I grabbed a towel and pickedup the pot lid, cool by now, and set it on the counter. “That, I can dowithout screwing it up.”
Ashley laughed as he walkedaway.
FIVE
ASHLEY
“So, have you jumped onLogan’s dick yet?” Gabe asked, passing me my third mojito for the evening.
He was wavering a little,but I still felt stone cold sober. I’d spent too much time talking and trying notto cry to really get drunk.
This was one of my lastnights of freedom before I went home. All these people I might not ever seeagain were wishing me farewell.
Part of me wanted to be asdrunk as possible, but the rest of me wanted to remember every detail. I wantedto remember what Martin’s cologne smelled like when he hugged me, the raspof Peter’s stubble against my cheek when he’d kissed me there, the warmth ofGabe’s body sitting next to me at the bar.
All those things would begone so soon, and I wasn’t sure I could ever get them back.
“He’s straight,” I said,wrinkling my nose.
That was unfair. I couldreallyhave used a good fuck, and Logan was my only good option. I couldn’t risk bringinganyone else to my apartment right now, and I couldn’t exactly take my bodyguardwith me to a hookup.
All his friends were gay. He’d told meeveryone else who worked with him was attracted to men.
How come I got the straightone?
Even if he was, in my opinion,also thehotone. That almost made it worse.
“Oh, honey, straight men donotlook at otherguys the way he keeps looking at you. You should be able to feel his laser eyesburning a hole in the back of your head.”
“He has to watch me,” Isaid, pushing ice around with my straw. “He’s my bodyguard.”
Gabe snorted, sipping hisdrink. “Ifhe was looking at me like that, I’d be dragging him home.”
“You’re engaged,” I pointedout. “WhereisTroy, anyway?”
“At home.” Gabe shrugged. “Figuredtonight was just us girls, y’know? And your shadow. Who I wouldstilldrag home. We’ve been talkingabout threesomes, and Troy wouldloveLogan.”
“You’ve been talking aboutthreesomes?” I asked. This was brand new knowledge to me.
“Sure, why not?” Gabeswirled his drink, one of the crushed mint leaves at the bottom floating to thetop. He plucked it out, setting it aside on a napkin. “Me and Troy are forkeeps, right? Forever. We know that. It’s been like that since we met andanyone who says otherwise is a liar.”
“Agreed,” I said. That wasreal, genuine love at first sight. Troy had approached Gabe after a show whenhe was panda-eyed from not getting all his waterproof mascara off and asked himon a date.
Gabe had gone home with himinstead, and the rest was history. They had the best relationship I couldimagine.
That was where my confusionwas coming from.
