“Well, I’m staying with Holly this weekend, maybe we could all meet up and go somewhere?” I glance over at Jules to see if his face gives away his thoughts, but as usual, he’s sitting there with a dopey grin and tight lip.
“Yeah, sounds good. What d’ya wanna do?”
“What about the cinema?” Jules sits upright beside me, his excitement barely contained.
“Yeah! There’s this new mov–Oww!” I slap my hand down onto his thigh and dig my fingers in, before he can tell the girls all about the new anime adaptation that we’ve been dying to see.
“Cinema sounds good, anything in particular you want to see?” I give Jules another squeeze, reminding him to keep his suggestion to himself. Holly pops her head around theother side of the seat, her honey blonde hair just a few inches from scraping the floor.
“There’s a new anime out that I’ve been wanting to see for a while, if you guys want to, of course… I know it’s a bit–” Jules bats my hand away,he’s going rogue, and I’m powerless to stop him.
“Midnight curse and shadows?! Ilovedthe series, but I wonder if the movie will do it justice. Zander doesn’t think so, but I’ve been looking at the producers and directors, and not to mention the budget they had!” I don’t think I’ve ever heard Jules speak so many words to someone who isn’t me before. I can’t help the pride that warms my chest, or the unease that swarms my stomach. Layla glances at me, and I just shrug–
“Well, sorted then. Saturday late showing?” I suggest breaking up the animated conversation that Jules and Holly are having over me.
“It’s a date, well, double date,” she says with a giggle and mischievous look on her face, before spinning back around and whispering with Holly.
“Jules? What’s taking so long?” I wait a couple of seconds before knocking on the bathroom door again, “Jules?!”
“Just… Give me a minute, okay?” His voice is muffled by the slab of wood separating us, but I don’t miss the slight hesitation in his tone. Deciding whatever is happening in there needs further investigation, I brace my shoulder against the door and turn the handle–
“I’m coming in, you better be decent.” With a quick shove, the door opens. The lingering humidity from our earlier showers clings to my skin as I take a cautious step inside, unsure of what will greet me once the fog clears.
“Zander! I said one minute!” His rapid, panicked movements cause the air around him to clear. He’s standing with nothing more than a towel wrapped around his waist, and each hand placed over his chest covering his nipples.
“Jules, is that a–” My eyes fix on the rectangular strip between his pecs. He takes two quick strides towards me, placing one hand over my mouth and holding his towel with the other. I can feel the warmth from his shower radiating from his proximity, as the heat from his skin rises in swirls of steam from his shoulders.
“Shh! Yes, it’s exactly what it looks like. And no, I can’t get it off,” he says between clenched teeth. It’s obvious now that the beads of moisture lining his forehead are droplets of panic-induced sweat, rather than evidence of his shower. I try to reply, but it comes out as muffled nonsense against his soft, clammy hand. Jules narrows his eyes and stares straight into mine– “If I move my hand, are you gonna keep the noise down?” I nod frantically, relieved he can’t see the smirk growing beneath. “Okay…”
“JULES, WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE?!” It’s not a shout, more like a high-volume whisper.
“I just wanted to get rid of the few hairs that have started growing, and I thought I’d do it all in one go, y’know? But nowthe strip is stuck on there, and I daren’t pull it off.” I reach forward and tug the corner of the wax strip.Yep, it’s definitely doing what it says on the packet.“Oww!Don’t pull it!”
“Well, how else do you expect to get it off?” He doesn’t answer, he just drops his gaze to the freshly ironed t-shirt hung on the door. “You were just gonna leave it?!”
“Well… Yeah, kinda,” he shrugs.
“Not a chance. Here… Let me just…” I reach for the strip again, but Jules backs away.
“No, stay away…”
“Jules, I’m just trying to help–”
“No, you want to flay me alive, that’s what you wanna do!” His hysterical voice and reddening face threaten to free the laughter I’m working so hard to keep in, as he backs himself into the tiny space between the sink and bathtub.
“Well, looks like you’re out of options, buddy,” I tease.
“Zander, I mean it…” I reach forward, placing one hand on his chest, the other gripping the edge of the wax strip, as he braces both his hands against my shoulders. I almost feel bad for what I’m about to do. The look in his eyes as he steals the moment to stare straight into me is full of something I can’t place. I find myself staring back, if anything, to figure out what’s going through his mind as he stands there, almost naked and fully trusting. I give my head a quick shake, but the weight of his gaze lingers.
“Ready?”
“No! Wait, I–”
I pull my arm back in one, strong and swift motion. The sound of tearing cuts through the air before Jules has a chance to finish what he was about to say.
“Fuck! I think you’ve ripped my tits off!” I let the laughter out the moment my hand meets my side. Jules’ chest is angry and red as he stands, poking it, wincing at the contact.
“Well, let’s see what we got.” I hold the strip sticky-side up between us. Silence fills the room as we both squint at the adhesive.
