Worse, I was going to have to watch him like it. This was exactly what Tamlyn wanted. She would be so happy. I decided to take a picture and send it to her as proof we weren’t the boring old people she was certain we were.
I snapped a wide picture of the guests mingling and enjoying themselves. I sent it to her and waited for her reaction. I was feeling satisfied that I was doing something cool and fun without being dragged into it. I wasn’t a stick in the mud. I was fun. I was young and hip.
My phone rang almost immediately. “Hey,” I answered.
“What is that?” Tamlyn asked.
“What is what?” I asked with a laugh and made my way outside to be able to hear her.
“Are you at a party?”
“I’m hosting the party,” I corrected.
“No!”
“Yes!” I shot back.
“And please tell me that is not my brother,” she groaned.
“That is Thomas,” I answered. “We’re having a Halloween party.”
“Batman?” she sighed.
“Trust me, it’s working wonders for him,” I said. “The ladies have been all over him all night.”
I kept the animosity out of my tone, but that was exactly how I was feeling. I hadn’t suggested the party to create a dating pool for him. I should have known this would happen. How could it not? Thomas was hot. The costume was like the cherry on top of his sexiness.
“Good job!” she exclaimed. “Thanks. I guess you guys aren’t quite as boring as I thought.”
“I thought you would like that,” I said. “I should go. I just wanted to send you that picture and prove it happened.”
She laughed. “You’re right. No picture and it wouldn’t have happened.”
Just as I was sliding the phone back into the small pocket in the side of my very tiny skirt, Batman emerged in the small garden area. “Is everything okay?” he asked and pushed up his mask.
He had ditched his glasses for the night. I was assuming that was out of necessity due to the costume requirements. I liked him with the glasses, but without the glasses, he could have been one of the jocks I saw roaming the campus.
“I had just sent Tamlyn a picture,” I told him. “She called to see if it was real.”
His deep chuckle washed over me. “She didn’t believe we could have a party?”
“Nope. That’s why I had to take a picture.”
“Is everything else okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” I assured him. “I was just getting a little fresh air.”
“It did get a little crowded in there,” he said and moved to stand close to me.
“Are you having fun?”
He smiled and nodded. “I am. I don’t mind small parties and I have to say the costume helps. I get to hide behind the mask. I get to be cool. No one has to know I’m a colossal nerd underneath it all.”
“You are not a colossal nerd,” I told him. “And the costume is hot. How many phone numbers have you got?”
“Probably not as many as you,” he teased. “I’ve seen you holding court.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do,” he said and looked directly into my eyes. “You know you are sexy as hell and every man in this place wants you.”
Maybe it was the tequila, but I had an idea, and I wasn’t going to talk myself out of it. I leaned up, not having to reach too far thanks to the red heels I was wearing. He must have figured out what I was going to do because he leaned down and met me halfway. Our lips touched in a gentle brush. If I was going to kiss him, I was going to make it count.
My lips parted, pushing his open as well. Our tongues danced around each other, testing the waters before I quickly pulled away. “Sorry,” I blurted out. I put my hand over my mouth. As if that would keep my wayward tongue from darting out and seeking his.
He looked stunned as he stood up to his full height. “It’s okay,” he said in a harsh voice.
“I should get back in there,” I murmured without looking him directly in the eyes.
“Yeah, me too.”
I stepped around him and rushed back inside. I couldn’t believe I had kissed him! There had been moonlight and alcohol and that damn costume. I wasn’t able to think straight. No woman could be expected to ignore the chance to kiss him in those circumstances. I was only human.
The rest of the night had been fraught with awkwardness. I avoided talking directly to him, but I caught him looking at me several times. Or maybe it was me watching him and he caught me. I didn’t know. I was going to blame it on the booze. Tomorrow I would apologize and promise to never throw myself at him again.
“Goodnight,” I told him without looking directly at him after we were finally back in our apartment and heading for bed.
“Lily, wait,” he said.
My head dropped forward. I knew this conversation was coming. I slowly turned to look at him. “Yes?”
“Should we talk about that kiss?” he asked.
“No,” I answered.
He laughed. “Got it.”
“I had a little too much to drink and I was riding the high of being at an actual party. It’s not a big deal, right?”
“Right. We both were drinking. We’re both a little drunk right now.”
That almost sounded like an invitation. “Which is why we should go to bed,” I said with no conviction.
He stared at me for several very long seconds. I wanted to believe he was contemplating the other option. If he suggested we stay up a little longer or maybe have another drink, I was going to jump at the chance. I shouldn’t, but I would. If he kissed me, I would eagerly take it. I waited for what felt like an eternity.
“Goodnight,” he said and turned to go to his room.
I wasn’t disappointed. Okay, maybe a little disappointed. Deep down I knew it was the right thing to do. This couldn’t happen between us. I was glad he had the good sense to know better. One of us needed to be rational. I was glad it was him. I didn’t have the strength.
I walked to my room and quietly closed the door. I stripped out of my costume and left it in a pile on the floor. I crawled into bed and shut off the light. I stared up at the ceiling and mulled over the night. It had been a success. I had fun and I knew Thomas enjoyed himself. Together, we were better.
I touched my fingertips to my lips. The kiss had been amazing. The kiss had held so much promise. I wished I could have taken it further. The man was an amazing kisser. One kiss and I was hooked. I craved more. I wanted to know what it would feel like to have him over me. I wanted him to touch me. Intimately.
I slid my hand under the sheets and rested it against my belly. I was primed and ready to be touched. Unfortunately, the man I wanted to touch me was out of reach. Sometimes, a girl had to take matters into her own hands. I wiggled and squirmed as I pushed my sweats down my legs. I turned my head to make sure my door was closed. The last thing I wanted was to have him walk in on me masturbating to the idea of him.
My fingers slipped over my pussy. I opened my legs and explored. As I touched myself, I thought of him. I imagined him touching me. I could almost taste him on my lips still. Would he be a gentle lover? Would he be demanding? I groaned at the thought of his hand between my legs. His fingers stroking over my clit. His mouth on mine with his tongue plunging deep inside.
I continued to rub and stroke between my legs. I wanted more. I felt like I was going to die if I didn’t get more. My other hand slipped under my shirt and squeezed my breast. I could feel myself climbing closer to an orgasm. It was going to be powerful. I held on to the image of Thomas. I pictured him smiling. I imagined his bare chest gliding over mine as he pumped inside me.
“Oh god,” I groaned and let my release flow.
My body arched and my toes curled. The high was over as quickly as it came on. I relaxed my hand against my stomach and took several deep breaths. I couldn’t believe I had just done that. Thomas was turning me inside out. He was making me want
things I hadn’t wanted in a long time. I hadn’t been able to turn off the sexual yearning and focus on school.
“Dammit,” I whispered and quickly pulled my pants back on.
Now that I had done it once, I was going to want to do it again and again. I was going to fantasize about him and what it would be like to have him inside me. How was I supposed to look at the man and not blush? I was going to have to have coffee with him in the morning and pretend I didn’t touch myself and pretend it was him.
I rolled to my side and fell asleep with the idea of being with him on my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. Most importantly, I wondered what would have happened if I hadn’t been the one to step away. Would he have continued to kiss me? Would we have found ourselves banging in the bushes behind the clubhouse? Now that I had crossed that bridge, I was afraid there was no going back. The switch had been flipped.
The following morning, I awoke to the smell of coffee. He was up. Did I get up and face the awkwardness head on, or did I stay in bed and hope he left before I had to see him?
“Just get it over with,” I muttered and threw off the blankets.
I splashed some cold water on my face before making my way into the kitchen. Thomas was sitting on a barstool with his coffee in one hand and his tablet propped up in front of him. He was shirtless, like he usually was in the morning. That had started a few weeks ago. I should have been used to the sight of him half-naked, but it always got me. This morning, it got me especially good.
“Good morning,” he greeted.
“Hi.”
“Hungover?” he asked.
I popped a K-cup in the machine and waited for the caffeine I so desperately needed. “Not really. You?”
“Nope. I didn’t have all that much to drink.”
“I think I had enough to get a good buzz,” I said. I wasn’t giving up my excuse that the alcohol made me do it.
“I’m going to head down for a workout in a few. Want to come?”
Sure, why not sign me up for self-inflicted torture? “I need to get caught up on my homework,” I lied. I was not strong enough to watch him get sweaty and grunt while he worked out. I was going to find myself permanently in bed with the lights off and the door closed.
“Alright, suit yourself.”
26
Thomas
I carried the food upstairs and let myself in. Lily was sitting on the floor in front of the sofa with her books spread out over the coffee table. Her hair was piled up on her head and she looked frustrated. The studying was getting more intense and I could feel her stress level rising. I was a little concerned I had something to do with that increased stress level. I had decided tonight was the night to address the elephant in the room. We had to clear the air and our Tuesday dinner seemed like a good time to do that.
“You look like you need a break,” I said.
She looked up at me like she was surprised to see me. “Oh shit.”
“Oh shit?” I questioned.
“What time is it?”
“Almost six,” I replied.
“Oh shit!” she exclaimed and jumped up. “I didn’t realize how late it was! I didn’t order pizza.”
“It’s fine,” I assured her. “I’ve got plenty of Thai and I picked up a bunch of half-price Halloween candy.”
She laughed and held up a bag of mini candy bars. “Me too.”
“How’s the studying going?” I asked casually as I dished up our meals.
She got up from the floor and stretched. “Good. We have a test this Friday. I have to do well. I cannot let my GPA slip. I’ve made a promise to myself I would finish in the top ten. I knew it was going to be hard, but damn, this is intense.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” I offered. “I can quiz you. I don’t know much about marketing, trust me, my team at work will tell you that. But I can communicate.”
She laughed. “Not quite the same communications, but thank you. I’m sure I have it, but I just want to make sure I got it down.”
“If you need any help, just say the word. What can I do?”
“You can distract me,” she said. “I don’t want to think about press releases and statistics.”
“Then we’ll eat,” I said. “How about we go out on the balcony and get some fresh air?”
“That sounds amazing,” she said. “I’m going to grab my sweater.”
I set up our food, and instead of the usual beer, I opened up one of the many bottles of wine I had collected over the years. I wasn’t a big wine drinker, but it seemed like every Christmas I was gifted bottles of the stuff.
“Oh, the good stuff,” she cooed as she took her seat at the table she had bought for the balcony. She’d picked it up for next to nothing and used a couple cans of spray paint to make it look new.
“You look like you need to unwind,” I said.
She took a drink of the wine and nodded. “This ought to do it.”
We started our dinner, and once again, I felt that weird unease between us. I didn’t want to be the distraction. “So, uh, I know we kind of talked about it, but I think I still need to clear the air.”
“Talked about what?” she asked.
“Lily, come on,” I urged. “The kiss. It happened. You’ve been avoiding me. I don’t want there to be tension.”
“I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “I take full responsibility for that kiss. I shouldn’t have done it. I blurred the lines. I was hoping we could just pretend it didn’t happen.”
“Do we have to pretend it didn’t happen?” I asked.
“Wouldn’t that be easier?”
I thought about it for a second. “No. I don’t think it would be. I don’t think there was anything wrong with the kiss. It’s not something that needs to be ignored. I think we should consider what it meant.”
She shook her head. “Thomas, we don’t need to do that.”
“Okay, but what if I want to?”
“You want to?” she repeated with disbelief.
“You didn’t just kiss me,” I said. “I kissed you. I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while. I’m not sorry about the kiss. I’m bummed there wasn’t more to the kissing.”
“Really?”
I smirked. “Why is that so hard to believe?”
“I don’t know. Because we’re friends and roommates.”
“Does that exclude any kind of a romantic relationship?” I questioned.
She shrugged. “I suppose it doesn’t, but wouldn’t that be weird?”
“I don’t think it would.”
I could see her mulling it over before she smiled. “We did match up in your dating app.”
I nodded with a smile. “Yes, we did.”
“Do you want to give it a go and see if it works?”
“Me and you?” I clarified. I didn’t want to get my hopes up if it wasn’t going to happen.
“Yeah. Let’s go on a real date and see if this is a thing. If not, well, I guess we’ll know your app sucks.”
I laughed and held up my wine glass. We toasted to seal the arrangement. “I’ll plan a date for us,” I said. “What’s your schedule tomorrow?”
“I have a late class but then I don’t have anything until late on Thursday,” she said. “If you’re up for a late night.”
I nodded. I would stay up all night if that was what it took. “Tomorrow night then,” I said. “I’ll pick you up at your place.”
She giggled and took another drink. “You’re so corny.”
“That’s why we matched.”
While we ate our dinner and enjoyed our view from the top, I was thinking about the date. I wanted it to be somewhere special. Something different. I didn’t want to do the run of the mill dinner and a movie. That was one of the best parts about knowing her. I knew she wouldn’t be impressed with something so basic. I got an idea and was certain it would be perfect.
* * *
Thursday evening, I got home before she did. I hid the bouquet of flowers I picke
d up for her in my room. The one downside to dating someone you lived with was the fact there wasn’t that initial excitement of knocking on the door of your date. The mystery was gone. But I was going to do what I could to make sure a little mystery remained.
“I’ll be in my room,” I told her once she got home. “I’ll pick you up at your door in thirty minutes. Is that enough time?”
“What should I be dressing for?” she asked with a grin.
“Casual. Comfortable. Nothing fancy.”
“You’re speaking my language,” she said and rushed to her room.
I changed into a pair of nice jeans and a polo. I went into the kitchen and waited. She emerged from her room a few minutes later. It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen her a hundred times, but she’d never looked prettier. She had on a pale pink sweater that hung just below her butt with skinny jeans and knee-high boots.
“You look amazing,” I said.
“Are you just saying that because we are on a date?” she teased.
“No. I’m saying it because you look amazing. Pink is definitely your color.”
Her smile widened. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind. Are those flowers for me?”
“Yes, they are. Are you ready to go?”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked.
“Not yet.”
I took her to a casual Italian restaurant for dinner first. Yes, it was a little cliché but it was a date.
“This is a cute place,” she said as we ate our pasta.
“I like it,” I said. “It’s usually very quiet. It looks like my secret is out of the bag. Now everyone in the city knows about it.”
“You can’t hide good food for long.” She laughed. “I bet they have a bunch of Yelp reviews.”
“Is that something you handle, or will handle?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Maybe. It’s kind of one of the little fingers of the job of a marketing manager.”
“Do you know what kind of business you want to work for?” I questioned.
“I’m not picky,” she said. “I think I’d prefer a company that handles a variety of campaigns. I wouldn’t want to get bored doing the same thing day in and day out.”
Match Me Up Page 16