by Annie Green
Anytime?
Relieved I sighed audibly and wrote, :) Anytime.
So let’s finish our Twenty Questions game, Adrian wrote a few minutes later.
Don’t you have anything better to do?
Nope. I live for stuff like this.
I glanced at the people milling around the coffee shop. Most of them were students from Cal State Fullerton and I suddenly felt incredibly old. But I’m at Starbucks right now and I’d feel weird sexting around all these people.
Which Starbucks are you at?
The one off of State College and Chapman.
Cool. Be right there.
And before I could type back a message, Adrian was striding through the doors. I could feel the women in the room stop and stare as he made his way through the crowd of people in line. He really was something to behold.
“Hey,” he said, smiling only at me and I suddenly felt incredibly special.
“Hi,” I replied as he pulled out a chair and lowered himself onto it. “You following me?”
He grinned. “No, I was actually just across the street at Panera with my business partner.”
“Business partner? You mean for your at-home porn company?”
He placed a finger on his lips. “Shhh, don’t tell. It’s a secret.”
And then he leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. I, and every other female in the shop, ogled him as the muscles in his arms bunched and flexed. Holy mother, this was bad.
“So really though,” I began, “what business is this?”
“Oh just a computer programming site. Nothing big,” he said before he glanced around, “So this is where you hang out?”
“Yeah, and sometimes I go to McClain’s down the street.”
“Been there. Love how it’s open all night. So what are you working on?” he asked, leaning forward and glancing at my screen.
“Just searching for a job. I don’t have much of a resume though.”
His forehead bunched in confusion. “Thought you were going to focus on your art.”
“Unless you’re famous, no one makes money off their art.”
“Ah,” he replied, casually grabbing my drink and taking a large sip before making a face, “What the hell is that?”
“Espresso with milk.”
He looked offended. “You’re seriously the only girl I know who drinks manly drinks at Starbucks.”
“Well, what do you normally get?”
“Something with a lot of sugar. Like a hot chocolate or a white mocha. Speaking of which, that sounds delicious right now.”
He pushed himself up without another word and strode into line. I watched as he casually started speaking with a girl in front of him who flirted outrageously with him. She leaned forward, touched his chest with her ugly, pink nails and smiled like a chimpanzee. She looked ridiculous, but for some reason I felt a little envious. I’d never had that kind of confidence with attractive guys. If one started talking to me, I’d flounder around like a fish out of water and stammer like I had a speech impediment. All in all, it never made a good impression.
Which is why you’re still single.
“Oh shut it,” I muttered as my eyes followed Adrian up to the cash register. He smiled and gestured toward the menu behind the counter and the girl who was taking his order pushed up her glasses and blushed.
Now that was more like it. A girl just like me.
When Adrian came striding back to me, I rolled my eyes, pretending I hadn’t just been staring at him the whole time.
“So did you get anyone’s number while you were up there?”
He arched an eyebrow at me. “No, why would I have done that?”
“Because you flirt with every female around you. It’s like you’re some kind of siren, beckoning them in with that smile of yours.”
“Hey, I’m just a friendly guy.”
I sighed heavily. “If that’s what you want to call it.”
“I do. I’m a friendly guy. Don’t you think so?”
“Sometimes you can be,” I said, finishing off my drink and staring him down. “There have been a few times you’ve been nice.”
His mouth opened as he stared at me. “I’m nice to you all the time…”
Stare.
“…Most of the time…”
Bigger stare.
“…Some of the time and that’s as far as I’m going.”
“Thank you,” I replied with a smile. “You do have your moments, though.”
“And they’re growing closer and closer together, right?”
I shrugged and glanced back at my computer.
“Right, Jane?”
“I guess,” I said, knowing my comments were starting to annoy him.
“You guess?” He threw his hands in the air. “Ugh, you’re seriously not going to admit that I’ve been nicer lately?’
I began to giggle at the appalled grimace he wore on his face. “Fine. You’ve been nicer, but,” I began, leaning toward him, poking him in the chest, “I don’t know what you’re game is, Adrian. Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?”
He glanced around the coffee shop. “Because I’m a nice guy and I’m reaching out to the lowly of these…”
I snorted.
“And because like I said last night, I like you.”
“I don’t believe you,” I replied quickly, shutting my laptop and placing it in my bag.
“Where are you off to?”
“Home. I have to do laundry.”
“The exciting life of Jane Woods. You should write a novel. I can see it now. Bestseller.”
I shot him a look as I stood up, placing my satchel over my shoulder. “And what are you going to do that’s so exciting?”
“I’m going to hang out with you.”
“While I do my laundry?”
Adrian was becoming more and more bizarre. Maybe he should get examined for some kind of brain trauma.
“I’m hoping to get a peek at all of those slutty little items you wear under your boring clothes.”
“Ah, so that’s the punch line,” I replied as I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. “Not happening.”
You love it. You love that he wants to hang out with you and not those other girls.
“Okay, fine, but just wait for me, Jane. I want to hang out with you. Especially since you left me in bed this morning.”
I flushed as a girl turned toward me and gave me a sour look. Little did she realize that Adrian and I were just friends (and that was a term used loosely) and nothing more.
“Fine. Fine, but stop saying that we slept together so loudly.”
“But we did and you did leave me all alone, cold and afraid.”
“Oh shut up,” I replied, slapping playfully at his arm. “You’re such a dick.”
He grinned widely at me as he grabbed his drink from the counter. “Thank you. Such a compliment from you warms my insides.”
I couldn’t help myself. I laughed all the way to the parking lot.
***
“So tell me,” Adrian said, as he helped me fold my laundry, “Why do you wear such naughty little things under jeans and t-shirts?”
He held up a pair of purple lace panties with two blue bows in the back as an example.
“I’d expect this under a short, fuck-me skirt.”
I swiped it from his hand. “I just like lingerie. That’s all. Nothing else.”
“Did Craig like lingerie?”
“Not particularly,” I replied, grabbing one of my white, paint stained shirts from the dryer. “He didn’t like much of anything about me toward the end.”
Adrian slanted me a look as he pulled a pink bra from my folded pile and fiddled with the straps. Between the sexting (as lame as he thought it was) and his sexy hands fondling my bra, I felt myself slowly starting to ignite. Starting specifically around my pelvis.
“Well, he’s a creep obviously. Any guy who turns down this…or you for that matter…is probably gay.”
“Cra
ig’s not gay,” I said adamantly, placing all my clothes in the hamper and heading toward my room.
“Maybe I should meet him. I have pretty good gaydar.”
“No need. He’s with someone else…a female someone else,” I added, as I made my way to my room.
Adrian lowered himself onto my bed as I began to put my clothes away. “Well, in any case his loss is my gain.”
I peeked over at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, if he hadn’t dumped your ass, I’d never have met you and I wouldn’t be sitting here right now watching you put your clothes away.”
“And that’s exciting because?”
“I can see the outline of your thong through those tight little yoga pants when you bend over,” he replied with a smirk.
I stood up and placed my hands on my hips. “Seriously?”
“Yeah and it’s not a bad view.”
I sighed heavily as he chuckled. His deep laughter was infectious and I found myself smiling right along with him.
“You’re such as ass,” I said, making my way over to him.
He smiled up at me, those beautiful teeth flashing. “You like me, admit it.”
Do it. Tell him.
I shoved at his chest and he fell backwards on the bed. I straddled his thighs, those muscular thighs that I’d dreamt about, as I pressed my hands to his chest.
“And what are you going to do, Jane? Tickle me to death?”
His comment was so unexpected that I giggled. “Are you ticklish?”
“Never telling,” he grunted as I pressed my fingers against his ribs.
“I will find it if you are.”
“I have all day,” he replied as I made my way up his chest to his neck.
Jackpot.
I pressed my fingers where his shoulders met his neck and he bucked upward.
“Stop,” he wheezed as I relentlessly tickled him. “I’m serious,” he said, grunting and howling until he thrust those muscular legs up, successfully tackling me under him.
His hands grabbed my flailing arms and he held them above my head. My chest heaved under his gaze and I watched as his pupils dilated.
“What are you doing to do? Tickle me?” I asked a bit breathless.
You hope he does a whole lot more than that.
“I’m debating whether or not I should kiss you.”
“Kiss me?” I squeaked as he smiled wolfishly.
“I think that Craig never properly kissed you and I’m thinking I should.”
My heart rate accelerated and I felt my entire body flush with heat.
“But only if you let me,” he said softly.
Let him. Let him!
“Maybe we shouldn’t,” I replied and Adrian seemed almost defeated. Almost. Because without warning, he leaned down and pressed those sexy lips against the corner of my mouth. He let the kiss linger before he pushed off of me.
“Now,” he replied, standing up and walking toward my dresser. I saw him adjust his pants and I knew that I’d turned him on. Little Jane made Adrian hot and all from one chaste kiss.
You go, girl.
“Now, what?” I asked, pushing myself upright.
“Now, I go home and get to work. I have things to do.”
His abrupt change in demeanor had my eyebrows meeting in confusion.
“Oh, okay. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just forgot about some stuff I need to take care of,” he replied with a smile that wasn’t as genuine as it usually was.
“Okay,” I replied, not sure if I liked how our hang out session was ending. “I’ll walk you to the front door?’
He shook his head and held up his hand. “You go ahead and finish up here. I’ll text you later.”
And with that he disappeared, leaving me sitting on the edge of my bed wondering what I’d done wrong.
***
My phone beeped two hours later as I walked around the nearby park. The sun was setting and I enjoyed watching the ducks as they floated aimlessly in the pond.
I glanced down and wasn’t surprised to see that it was Adrian.
Sorry about earlier. I feel like a shit.
His blunt apology had me stopping midstride, almost causing a bicyclist to run into me.
As I strode off the sidewalk I wrote back, It’s okay. Is everything all right?
Want me to be honest?
Yes.
I was just majorly turned on and I needed space.
I stared at my phone, my whole body clenching as I reread his words over and over.
You were turned on from a kiss on the cheek? How very strange.
Good one. When you could be flirting, you choose sarcasm instead.
It is strange. You’re infecting my mind. I don’t know what it is about you…
Maybe it’s my charming personality?
As my message was sending another one of his came in.
You’re just not normally my type so I’m confused as fuck.
I’m sorry?
I didn’t know what else to say.
You should apologize. My brain is saying one thing and my dick the other and it’s all your fault. My whole body is confused. Ugh.
And that’s my fault because?
I began walking as I waited for his response.
Maybe he’s going to admit that he loves you. That he wants you. That he can’t live with out you.
I really need to get laid.
And just like that my mind squashed my thoughts. And without thinking I texted back:
Yeah maybe you should. I’m sure you have someone on speed dial.
I shoved my phone in my back pocket, irrationally hurt by his text.
“Stupid, asinine, dick…” I muttered, causing a passing skateboarder to turn and stare at me like I’d lost my mind.
“What?” I said, holding up my hands and glowering at the kid. He skated a little faster.
And I didn’t bother to stop and feed the ducks like I’d planned.
I felt like enough of a loser already. Being the weird bird lady wasn’t very appealing at the moment.
Chapter Five
I heard the wall shake as Adrian’s bedroom door slammed shut next door. I hadn’t heard from him since my text earlier that afternoon and I wondered if he was upset with me. Ah hell, I was upset with me.
You should have invited him over to screw you, not encourage him to call one of his bimbos and do her instead…
“Yeah, Sadie. I went on one date and it was terrible,” I said into the receiver, trying to ignore the sound of Adrian banging away at something as well as my screaming thoughts.
“How bad was it?”
“The guy stared at my chest the entire time.”
“Oh god,” she groaned into the phone.
“How was your date?”
“Better than yours, I guess, but only marginally. The guy was decent, but kind of boring. He talked about his cubicle job the entire time. I thought I was going to die from boredom.”
“Well, I blame you for this stupid scheme,” I told her.
She sighed. “Go ahead. I blame me too. You can cancel your account if you want.”
“No way. I have another date coming up. I have a feeling I’m close to meeting the one.”
“Well, I hope that works for me too. I’m getting old and according to Julian, I’m almost on the shelf.”
I laughed. Julian was her business partner and had the driest sense of humor on earth. I could never tell if he was joking or not.
Pulling the popcorn from the microwave, I poured it into a bowl.
“Well, tell Julian that he’s not that far off either. What is he? Thirty?”
“Yeah and that beard,” Sadie said with a giggle. “It’s atrocious. He’ll never meet anyone with that thing.”
“Get him to shave it off then.”
“I’ve tried, but he refuses,” Sadie said with a sigh. “Ah, well. What can you do?”
As she said that, a knock on my front door resoun
ded through my family room. My heart leapt in my chest as I peeked through the peephole. It was Adrian.
“Got to go, Sadie. Adrian’s here.”
“What? Adrian? Who’s that?”
“Gotta go. Love you,” I said as I hung up the phone.
I pulled the door open, relieved when I saw Adrian standing before me in running pants and a white v-neck undershirt. So he wasn’t screwing someone else.
Thank the Lord.
“What are you cooking?” he asked, pushing past me and walking into my kitchen. I should have been annoyed that he was always around, but I liked it. I liked having him around.
No. You LOVE it.
“Just popcorn,” I replied and he swiveled to shoot me a glare.
“So another lonely night in? Why am I not surprised?”
I grabbed the bowl he was cradling in his arm before he had a chance to munch on any of the fluffy kernels. I plopped down on the couch and poured M&Ms over the popcorn, excited for the sweet, salty mix.
“What the hell did you do that for?” he asked, coming to sit next to me.
“A better question is why you’re here with me when you should be out meeting someone…and by meet I mean screw…”
Adrian shrugged, popping a few kernels into his mouth along with a couple M&Ms. He chewed for a moment before he nodded his approval.
“Not a bad invention.”
“Duh,” I replied. “Now answer my question.”
“Which one?”
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. “Why are you here and not out and about like you’d planned.”
“One, I didn’t plan on doing any actual screwing and two I’d rather be here,” he said nonchalantly and my heart beat weirdly in my chest.
“Is it because you’re hoping to get some from me?” I asked, half jokingly.
“I’m always hoping that, but no. I just wanted to hunker down for a boring evening at home. And I know you do boring well, so I thought I’d see what you were doing.”
I shot him a look right before I smiled. “Well, I’m about to watch a historical romance.”
“Which one?” he asked, shoving his face with more popcorn.
“Stop eating all my food,” I complained before adding, “Jane Eyre. The six hour long one.”
“Jesus. Six hours?”
“Yeah and if you’re going to ruin it then you might as well just leave. No one comes between me and Mr. Rochester.”