21 Days

by Bethany Lopez

  Shelly just stood there, looking at me with a confused expression on her face.

  “TJ? TJ put that look on your face?” she asked, still standing in the open doorway.

  “Can we get off the street and go inside?” I replied, making a sweeping gesture with my arm to get her inside.

  I followed her through the door and stood behind her in the deli line. I knew it would only be a matter of minutes before she’d ask me what was going on. I was hoping to stall her until we had ordered our food and weren’t in the middle of a crowd.

  She turned back and started to say something, when the guy at the counter saved me by asking for her order. Once it was my turn and I ordered my chicken salad, I joined her by the pick up line and leaned in to say, “TJ and I are hooking up.”

  I figured it was better to just blurt it out than play twenty questions.

  Shelly’s eyes got round and she began to bounce up and down, clapping and grinning like a deranged clown.

  “Stop that,” I hissed, glaring at the starting customers.

  Shelly stopped bouncing and put her hand over her mouth, “Sorry,” she said as another giggle escaped.

  I narrowed my eyes at her and picked up both of our orders when the guy called our names. I ushered her to a booth in the back corner and sat, placing her food in front of her.

  “How did that happen? What happened? Are you guys like a couple now?” Shelly fired off each question in one breath.

  “Calm down,” I said with a laugh, unable to maintain the scowl that I’d been trying to hold her off with. “Don’t get you’re panties in a bunch. No… we are not like a couple now. We are friends who are going to explore a new, sexual side of our relationship. We’re both attracted to each other, and now that he’s living under the same roof as me, that attraction has been getting harder to deny. So … we decided to surrender to that attraction while he’s living with me.”

  The excitement died on Shelly’s face and she leaned in toward me. “You mean the two of you are going to have sex with each other for the next two weeks, then he’s going to move out and you’re going to go back to just being friends?”

  I nodded as I took a bite of my sandwich.

  “That sucks,” Shelly pouted.

  “It doesn’t suck,” I argued. “You just want to make everything into some big romance, and that’s not what either of us are looking for. We aren’t relationship people, Shel, you know that.”

  “I call bullshit. You have both been in a relationship with me, Cal, Scott, Gaby, and each other, for the past eight years.”

  “It’s not the same thing,” I replied.

  “Of course it is … Anyway, what if after two weeks, one, or both of you, don’t want to go back to just being friends?” she asked.

  “We are going into this openly and honestly. If one of us gets too serious, or wants out, we’ll end it. No hard feelings,” I responded, feeling proud that we could be so mature about this.

  “That sounds great in theory, but feelings develop, Sash. I’d hate for either of you to get hurt,” Shelly said sadly.

  “Can you stop acting like we’re doing some horrible thing? It’s just sex. TJ and I have it with other people all of the time, and we’re able to keep our feelings out of it. Now, we’re going to enjoy each other. It’s no big deal,” I assured her.

  “If you say so,” Shelly said, unconvinced.

  “How’s everything else going?” I asked, eager to get the topic off of my sex life.

  “Pretty good. Work is going great for me, and Cal’s been working with Brock. He’s been thinking about opening up his own shop. He was going to talk about it with Scott and TJ, to get their take, but he’s been picking Brock’s brain about it first, since Brock started his own painting business. It’s scary to think about, but exciting too.”

  “Wow, that would be great!” I said, excited for her. “He should go for it. Tell him to let me know if he needs an investor or silent partner or something. I don’t know a lot about that business, but I have the money, and would be excited to be part of it.”

  Shelly’s eyes misted over and she took my hand in hers, “You’re so sweet, Sasha. Thank you! I’ll let him know. Oh … we’re talking about getting everyone together to go out to dinner this weekend, and maybe dancing. It’s been a while since we’ve all gone out together.”

  “Ugh, well, my dad is going to be in town Friday night and I have to meet him for dinner, but I can do Saturday. I’ll check with TJ and see if he has any plans.”

  Shelly looked at me with a smirk and I realized what I said.

  “I mean since he lives at my house … and I’ll see him tonight. Not because I have to check with him before I make plans,” I said, backpedaling.

  “Mmm-hmmm,” She said with a wink. “You just let me know and I’ll set it up for Saturday. I think Gaby’s going out with Brock on Friday night anyway. Maybe she can bring him on Saturday, I’ll ask her.”

  “Sounds great!” We got up and threw out our trash, then gave each other a quick hug on the sidewalk before going our separate ways and heading back to work.

  I checked my phone and got in the car, smiling when I saw I had another text from TJ.

  Looking forward to it.

  Shit, Shelly was right. Those four words did make me feel giddy.

  Chapter 13 – TJ

  I pulled up and grinned when I saw Sasha waiting for me outside. She didn’t wear jeans and tennis shoes often, but she sure as hell made them look good. The tight jeans, combined with the low-cut shirt, were guaranteed to drive me crazy tonight.

  “Hi,” Sasha said when she opened the door and climbed inside. She looked around the car and met my eyes with a look of surprise on her face. “You’ve fixed it up.”

  “Yeah, a bit,” I agreed with a hint of pride. When I’d bought this old El Camino, I knew that although it looked like a piece of shit on the outside, it had real potential. I’d started fixing up the interior and upholstery, and it was looking much better. I’d have to wait a little longer to do any real work on the exterior, until I was back on my feet and a little more secure, financially.

  “It looks great,” Sasha replied, then looked at me, her face eager. “Now, where are we going?”

  “Bowling,” I answered, laughing out loud when her face dropped and her lower lip stuck out in a cute as hell pout.

  “Bowling?” she whined, making me laugh even harder. Sasha didn’t whine about much, but when she did, she gave a superior performance. “You know I don’t like bowling, TJ.”

  I let my voice drop a bit.

  “Just give it a chance, Red. I’ll teach you how to throw, you can watch me bend over, I can watch you bend over, it’ll be great. Especially since you’ve got that tight little outfit on.” This night was going to turn out better than I’d ever imagined.

  Sasha looked at me, her face flushed, and I knew my words had affected her, so I gave her a wink.

  “Okay, I’m game.”

  “Atta girl,” I responded, reaching my hand over to pat her leg, then leaving it there for the duration of our drive.

  We walked into the bowling alley and proceeded to the counter to book a lane and get our shoes. We’d come here a few times as kids, so I knew that Sasha wasn’t a huge bowler, but it was during one of those outings that I’d begun to look at Sasha differently. We were all juniors and had come to the bowling alley on a Friday night for Cosmic Bowling. Shelly and Cal were pretty deep in their relationship, and Scott was crushing on some girl who worked the counter at the restaurant of the bowling alley. We’d mostly been messing around and talking shit about school, but when Sasha had gone up to bowl, bending as she threw the ball, then turning and jumping up and down when she’d hit two measly pins, my seventeen-year-old body had responded. That night had changed the way I looked at Sasha forever. I thought it would be fun to recapture that moment, knowing that when I left the bowling alley this time, it would be with her on my arm.

  We walked over to our lane to
put our shoes on and get our balls.

  “Do you want me to order some food for you?” I asked as I programmed our names in.

  “Um … Yeah, I’m hungry, but I’m not sure what kind of stuff they have.”

  “I’ll find something you like,” I responded, stopping to lean down and brush my lips along hers.

  “Mmmm,” she murmured against my lips, pulling back and saying, “Oh, I forgot … Shelly wants everyone to get together Saturday night to go out for dinner and maybe a bar or dancing after. You game?”

  “Sounds good,” I responded. I turned to go order our food as she got her cell phone out, presumably to text Shelly.

  “You ready?” I asked when I walked back to our lane.

  “Sure. What’d you order me?”

  “A grilled cheese.”

  “Really?” Sasha asked with a laugh. “I don’t think I’ve had a grilled cheese since the last time I was here. They were so good.”

  I stepped up to her and ducked my head, so I could speak softly into her ear. “I remember. The sounds you made eating that sandwich, and the way your body looked when you bowled, are two of the reasons I brought you here tonight. This was the place where I started to look at you as more than just a friend.” I finished my sentence by kissing her neck, right below the ear, and breathing in her scent before straightening back up. “You ready?” I asked again, smiling at the dazed look on her face.

  She simply nodded, so I placed my hand at her lower back and guided her to the lane. “You got it, or will you indulge me and let me show you proper form?”

  “You can show me,” she said softly, the desire in her voice vibrating through my body.

  She picked up the ball and I followed her out to the markings on the lane. I stood directly behind her, close enough to torture us both. I ran my fingers along her arm until my hand rested at her wrist. “It’s all about control,” I whispered into her ear. “You bring the ball back, and keep your arm straight, so when you release the ball, it goes in the direction that you want it to. Aim for the right side of that center pin, and let it fly.”

  Sasha took a deep breath and nodded, then brought her arm back, bending as she did, and causing her ass to rub right against the front of my jeans. I hissed out a breath and almost blacked out. She released the ball and it went barreling down the lane, knocking out five pins upon impact.

  Sasha turned and rubbed her body against me. “If you do that every time, this game isn’t going to last two more minutes. I’ll drag your sexy ass to the game room and have my way with you on the pinball machine.” That said, she tiptoed up and kissed me quickly, before sauntering back to wait for her ball.

  She was right. A little teasing was one thing, but playing with Sasha was playing with fire, and I knew her statement about the pinball machine was no idle threat. And fuck if I didn’t love that about her.

  I walked past her, holding my arms up in surrender and making a big show of giving her a wide berth as she went to roll her second ball. I heard her giggle as she walked down the lane. I groaned low in my throat as she bent over again, so mesmerized by the site that I would’ve missed the fact that she rolled a spare, if she hadn’t turned and started jumping up and down and cheering.

  This time, rather than giving Shelly and Gaby high fives, she ran straight into my arms and kissed me soundly on the lips. “Beat that, hot shot,” she said with a grin.

  I allowed my hands to roam down her bottom and give her a little squeeze before I responded, “Game on.”

  We’d bowled a couple frames when our number was called and I went up to grab our food. I grinned over my burger at the sound of Sasha’s moan after taking her first bite.

  “This is the best grilled cheese ever!”

  “You need to take a break from that healthy shit once in a while … treat yourself.”

  “In one week with you’ve I’ve eaten more unhealthy shit than I have in a year,” Sasha replied, her eyes rolling back a bit as the next taste of melted cheese hit her tongue. “You’re gonna make my ass get bigger.”

  “Mmmm, I’d like to see that,” I responded with a laugh.

  She reached over and punched my arm. “Shut up!”

  We were both laughing when someone stopped next to our table. I looked up to see a tall dark-haired man, about thirty, with a petite blonde on his arm, who looked to be a few years younger. I had no idea who either of them were.

  “Hey, Sasha,” the man said. I looked over and saw the smile fall from Sasha’s lips.

  “Oh, hey, Sean,” she responded, wiping her hands on a napkin as she looked from Sean to the petite woman by his side, before turning to me. “TJ, this is Sean.”

  “How’s it going?” I asked, rising to offer Sean my hand.

  He shook it, then wrapped it back around the shoulder of the blonde, “Nice to meet you, TJ. This is Marley.”

  I nodded at Marley, then waited for Sean to finish the introductions.

  “Marley, this is Sasha,” Sean said finally.

  The girls said “hi” to each other, then Sean made their excuses and they walked away.

  “That was weird,” I said when we sat back down, trying to lighten the mood.

  Sasha just nodded and picked off a piece of her sandwich, her face clouded.

  “Who’s Sean, an old boyfriend?” I asked, trying to get to the bottom of her swift change in mood.

  “No, not a boyfriend, just someone I went out with a few times, no big deal,” Sasha said with a shrug. “Let’s finish up so I can kick your ass.” She attempted a smile, and I nodded.

  I was content to finish out our date and not get into a serious discussion about this Sean guy in the middle of the bowling alley, but I didn’t like the expression he’d put on her face, and I vowed to get to the bottom of things once we got back home.

  Chapter 14 – Sasha

  I was being ridiculous. I knew it, could feel it, but couldn’t stop it.

  Yes, when I’d first hooked up with Sean, I’d laid it all on the line and explained to him that I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, a husband, or a baby daddy. Those weren’t things I wanted in my life. Yes, when he’d told me that our “hook-ups” had run their course, and he was ready to find someone who was ready to settle down, I’d been a little upset that he’d let me go so easily. But … to see that he’d already moved on, to a short, blonde chick who looked like she was already picking out china patterns in her head, really upset me.

  I didn’t want to be with Sean. I knew that … Yet, I felt betrayed by the fact that he was already dating Marley. Even though I was at the bowling alley, on a date with TJ. It was not rationale at all. But it was how I felt.

  I walked into my bedroom and pulled off my clothes, throwing them into the basket in the corner, and crawling into bed.

  I felt the bed dip and heard TJ’s voice, “Hey, Red. Talk to me.”

  “I’m sorry, TJ, but I’m not in the mood now,” I mumbled in the pillow, hoping that he wouldn’t be pissed that I wasn’t fulfilling the promises I’d been making since this morning.

  “I got that,” TJ replied. I felt the bed give way and looked up when I heard his zipper going down. I watched through the sheet of my hair as he shucked of his pants and pulled his shirt over his head, then pulled back the covers and settled in. “Come here,” he said, patting his tanned, muscled chest.

  I maneuvered enough to get under the blankets myself, clad in only my underwear, and scooted over to lay my head on his chest. He began to run his fingers through my hair, and I sighed, closing my eyes and letting the feeling of calm overtake me.

  “So … Who’s Sean?” TJ prompted.

  I brought my hand up to rest on his abdomen and absently doodled on his skin as I thought about how I should answer. Truthfully, I decided. This was TJ after all, and he’d seen all of us girls at our best, and worst. I knew he could handle it.

  “He’s no one, really. He’s the last guy I was hooking up with. It ended a few days before you moved in here. He knew the
drill … I wasn’t looking for anything serious, yada yada yada,” I said softly as I doodled. “I was all set to give him the big kiss off, but he beat me to it. Said he was ready to find a woman that wants to settle down, and he knew I was not that woman. I should have been glad. Instead, it hurt. I don’t know why, I didn’t love him or anything. Maybe it was just my pride that was hurt.”

  “Do you really think it was your pride?” TJ questioned.

  I sighed and attempted to shake my head against his chest. “I don’t know, I guess I wished that just once, I would find a guy that wasn’t willing to give up on me so easily,” I admitted, my chest feeling heavy.

  “Have you changed your mind? Are you ready to be in a serious relationship, settle down, have kids?” TJ asked. I had the feeling he was playing devil’s advocate … Either that or Dr. Phil.

  “I never want to have kids. That’s just not in the cards for me. But a serious relationship? Maybe. I don’t know,” I admitted.

  “When you saw Sean tonight, did you want him back?”

  “No, I think I just felt offended that he found his Mrs. Right already, I mean, we just stopped seeing each other a couple weeks ago, and he shows up tonight with little miss petite blonde. She couldn’t be more different from me. It made me wonder what he saw in me in the first place,” I whispered against him. “I know it doesn’t make sense, TJ, it’s just an insecurity. Maybe I’m tired of being the fantasy.”

  TJ cupped his hand under my chin and lifted it, so I was looking him in the eyes.

  “You are a fantasy, Red, no doubt about it. You’re independent, confident, and sexy as hell, but that’s not all you are, so don’t sell yourself short. You’ve kept these guys at an arm’s length, so they gave you what you expected them to. If you’re ready to move on to something more serious, you’re going to have to open yourself up, and put yourself out there. Don’t hold back,” TJ said softly, his eyes intent on mine.

  His words made sense, and eased the ache in my chest a bit, but I couldn’t help but worry that I’d been keeping men at a distance for so long, that I wouldn’t have the first clue of how to allow them to get closer.