Oops.I said it.
“Just get it done, all right?”The call ends, and my phone clatters against the table.
“You okay?”June asks.
“I love my brother, but he really needs to get laid,” I grumble.
Amusement toys at the edge of June’s lips.“What is it?”
“Nothing.I just forgot about something I need to take care of, so I gotta get going.”
“Oh.”With a frown, she closes her notebook and starts gathering her pencils, eraser, and graphing calculator.“Okay, well, I think we’ve covered enough math for today, so…”
“You want to come with me?”I ask.
Her fiddling ceases.“Where?”
“To The Drift,” I answer.“I have to clean up one of the rooms at the carnival grounds.”
“Oh.”She smiles.“Yeah, of course.I’d love to.”
“Really?”
Not gonna lie.I’m a little surprised.Who wants to spend their Sunday cleaning up another person’s mess?I know I don’t, but the idea of June tagging along makes the task a lot more palatable.
“I mean, if I tag along, I get to spend some more time with you, so why wouldn’t I?”she asks.
Well, damn.
I’m not used to being wanted.Okay, that’s a load of bullshit, but I mean it in the most…I don’t know, non-sexual, maybe?Yeah, I mean it in the most non-sexual way possible.People don’t spend time with me unless they want something.And sure, June wanted me to help her with her homework, but it doesn’t feel quite so transactional as it does with others.
The reminder brings a warmth to my chest.Like a hot cup of coffee with extra whipped cream on a cold morning.
Reaching for the leg of her chair, I drag her closer and kiss her again.
“But first, I need my afternoon snack.”Then, I dive in deeper, sweeping my tongue against the seam of her lips.
Yeah, the room can wait another hour.
43
JUNE
“You know, when you mentioned needing to clean up something at The Drift, I didn’t think you meant month-old body paint.”I take the fresh rag and wipe at a smear of neon yellow from the mirror.Seriously, the room is a disaster.
“It wasn’t a month, and if I’d told you, would you have still come?”Ford counters.
A half-hearted scowl is all he gets in response.Why?Because let’s be real.I’m pretty sure he could’ve mentioned a prostate exam, and I still would’ve been willing to tag along.I think I’m addicted.I don’t know what it is about this guy, but the more time we spend together, the more I miss him when he’s not around.Whether it’s his snark or his intellect or his presence in general, there’s something about him I can’t get enough of.Add in how hot and bothered I was when he was teaching me math earlier, and I’m pretty sure I would’ve agreed to anything.
With a laugh, Ford tosses the rag in his hands at me, and I dodge it at the last second.
Slap!The damp fabric slides down one of the mirrors before landing with a plop on the floor.He reaches for a fresh rag from the side table and starts on another mirror a few feet away.
I’m almost sad I didn’t make it to this one.The room of mirrors.There has to be a hundred of them.Combined, they create a maze of reflections.Imagining the purple flashing black lights, men in black, and neon face paint from the event, it would’ve been a crazy place to wind up.Thankfully, the paint is pretty easy to clean off with a little water.I can’t imagine how difficult it would be if I had to scrape it off the reflective surfaces with a putty knife or something.We’ve been at it for a solid thirty minutes.I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand, inspecting my handiwork.
“So, why did this room get missed when the rest of it was cleaned up the night of the party?”I ask.
“You sure you want to know?”
