“Totally,” I agreed. “Zero weirdness. I’ve never been weird about anything in my life.”
He flicked up an eyebrow at me, still grinning, as he lightly shoved me in the shoulder to move me out of his way.
I followed him back into all the chaos and colors, and we spent the rest of the party talking amongst ourselves and our friends. There was no awkward tension between us, just that same relaxed and natural chemistry I’d been feeling all night. On top of that, no one seemed to notice anything had happened, which I was glad for. Aspen was being really chill about everything, but I also didn’t think he’d want everyone knowing I’d jerked him off behind some weird barn that in retrospect kind of looked like it could be from a horror movie.Good thing that cornfield demon wasn’t real.
And the next time Preston came prancing up to us, I didn’t feel quite so jealous or threatened. Again, I wasn’t delusional enough to think that Aspen was my boyfriend or anything now.
But I knew I was closer than I’d ever been.
ASPEN
THE NEXT MONDAYafternoon, I clocked out after finishing a short shift at Common Grounds, untying and hanging up my apron. I’d already taken my only class of the day in the morning, so I was free for now.
“See you, Aspen,” Lisa, another student at BBU whose shift was just starting, called out and waved to me as I headed out of the kitchen and into the dining area. I waved back, and pushed out through the double doors.
The fall air was cool and brisk, but the sun was still nice and warm. It was a perfect day to walk around by myself, maybe on the boardwalk or the beach. I was afraid if I went back home to my dorm, Ren or Che or someone else would want to talk or hang out. Even though I’d spent all of Sunday holed up in my room writing a paper for my business ethics class, I needed more alone time.I wasn’t an introvert by nature, but… I had a lot on my mind.
Saturday night, the night of the GSA club’s banger rave, had really thrown my brain for a loop; a loop I couldn’t seem to crawl my way out of.It wasn’t just the fact that I’d ended up letting Caelyx fucking Vane reach into my pants and jerk me off while he’d humped me like a horny golden retriever, it was also the fact that he’d made me come twice.Twice, in like five fucking minutes. He didn’t seem to know or understand what my other hookups had been like, which was definitely a good thing, or I knew he’d be a complete egomaniac about it.
I was sort of shocked he hadn’t announced it to the whole party the second we’d sauntered back into the crowd. If anything, just because he’d find it funny to embarrass me. But he hadn’t, and no one had brought it up, so I was pretty sure that for now, he was being mature about it. I wasn’t sure how long I could expect that. Maturity and grace weren’t exactly the traits Caelyx was most renowned for.
But if he found out that he was the only one that I’d… No, I wasn’t ready to unpack that yet, even in the privacy of my own head. I could blame it all on a bout of temporary insanity if I really wanted to be a coward, but the saddest lies were the ones we tell ourselves. I knew why I’d let it happen. I just didn’t want to think about it yet. And the last thing I wanted was forhimto figure it out. Better to just avoid it altogether.
I dug into my pocket to extract my wireless earbuds, ready to drown everyone else out and soak my brain in way-too-loud music, until I felt the presence of someone behind me. Whirling around, I found myself facing a tall man with a powerful build, an expensive-looking suit tailored perfectly over his broad shoulders. He looked middle-aged, but his thick waves of blond hair weren’t showing any signs of graying yet.
“Hello,” he greeted me with a smooth voice and a polite grin.
“Uh, hi,” I responded, twisting one earbud in my fingers. “Can I help you?”
“You can, actually,” he said, before adjusting the edge of his sleeve. His cufflink glimmered in the sun like it was made of real gold as it flickered quickly in and out of my vision. “There’s a lovely little restaurant just up the block here, if you wouldn’t mind a walk. I’d love to sit and chat with you.”
It was an insane request, but voiced in such a pleasant and calm tone, that I could only stare at him and blink.
“Um… No?” I finally managed to force out some kind of answer, but when I made a move to walk past him, he sidestepped to block my path.
“I’m afraid I must insist, Mr. Davis.”
Anxiety crept up my spine, spreading a chill over my skin. We were on a public street with plenty of other people milling around so I didn’t think he could throw me into the back of a van or anything, but still.
“Do I know you?” I asked, narrowing my eyes as I took a step back and away from him. I wasn’t above busting into a run to get away, and I’d been putting in plenty of time on the treadmill at the campus gym. This guy was in pretty good shape, but I didn’t think he could outrun me in his suit and fancy dress shoes.
“Not yet,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for the right time.”
“The right time for what?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“For us to sit and chat,” he repeated his request from before. That gentle and pleasant expression on his handsome face hadn’t remotely faded, and it was clear in his voice and body language that he wasn’t budging on what he wanted, no matter how many times I said no.
“And how do you know my name?”
“You asked if you know me. You didn’t ask if I know you,” he reminded me lightly. “Now, if you’ll just follow me this way to that restaurant I mentioned.” He gestured up the block. “It’s a crowded street, Mr. Davis,” he said when I still didn’t move, reminding me that he somehow knew my freaking name. “And there’ll be plenty of people in the restaurant. There’s no need to be so cautious.”
“And if I say no?” I asked.
An amused grin carved itself across his face as he raised an eyebrow, exposing a set of perfect, pearly teeth. It reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“As I said, I’m afraid I must insist. I’m prepared to follow you for as long as it takes, but I’d prefer if we didn’t waste each other’s time.”
So even though it seemed like the worst idea in the world, I let out a deep sigh and hesitantly allowed him to lead us up the street to a pricey little bistro I’d never even thought about eating at. It looked like it was full of tourists on vacation.
