45
1025 Words
His voice is quiet when he speaks, quiet yet intense, and his eyes are intense, too.
My throat constricts. I’ll never understand him, or this thing between us. It’s obvious he wants me, just as obvious that he doesn’t want to want me. His ambivalence is a big, fat slap in the face, and suddenly I feel shipwrecked.
What am I doing? This is foolish. I’m a fool.
I don’t want to be a fool.
“Is there anything else I need to do?” I ask AINE, my eyes lowered. I can’t look at anyone right now. I’m feeling a little too raw.
She says, “Nothing. It’s a perfect fit. You can have this sample for a discount if you’d like, or I can order a new one that hasn’t been worn.”
“This one is fine,” I whisper. As I’m practically broke, I’m grateful for a discount. I’ll have to put it on my credit card and pay it off over the next several months. Hopefully by the wedding date. I hustle into the dressing room and change.
After a few minutes, there’s a hesitant knock on my door. “Lo? You okay?”
I’m finished changing, so I open the door, avoiding Kat’s eyes. “I’m fine. I just need to get back to work.”
I try to brush past her, but she blocks my way, standing in front of me with crossed arms. “Yeah. I call bullshit. It’s A.J., isn’t it? Spill.”
I close my eyes, drag my hands through my hair, and sigh. “It’s A.J.”
“I didn’t know he was coming, I promise. And I haven’t said anything to Nico, either, so you don’t have to worry about that. He thinks you two still hate each other.” She pauses. “Although if you keep staring at each other the way you do, he’s bound to figure it out.”
“That’s just it. There’s nothing to figure out. He might as well hate me for all the good it’s doing me.”
“Meaning?”
“Look . . . it doesn’t matter. There’s nothing going on between us, and he’s made it clear there never will be—”
“Why? What did he say?”
I fiddle with the buttons on my shirt. “Let’s just say he made no bones about the fact that he’d rather lose a limb than sleep with me.”
She snorts. “And you believed him?”
“No, I didn’t! Which is even worse! He’s either the biggest liar in the world or he’s totally screwed up in his head! What am I supposed to do with that?”
She says softly, “I don’t know. What do you want to do with that?”
I put my face into my hands, and groan. “I don’t do complicated. You know this about me, Kat. I hate complicated.”
“So make it simple, then.”
I lift my head and stare at her. “You mind telling me how?”
“Just lay it on the line, straight out. ‘I dig you. Do you dig me, yes or no? If yes, get naked right now. If no, go f**k yourself.’ End of story.”
“Tch. If only life were so easy.”
She grins. “I know I’m oversimplifying.”
“Gee, you think?”
“But the basic premise still stands. If you want to put yourself out of your misery, just talk to him. Tell him what you want.” She c***s her head. “But first you have to know what you want. Do you?”
The vivid image of a naked, sweating A.J. pounding into me as I grip his ass and cry out in ecstasy floods my brain.
Kat’s grin returns, even wider. “Oh, yeah. You do.”
I sigh. “We’ve all been spending too much time with Grace.”
“Well, she might be an incurable horndog, but at least she’s clear on her priorities.”
From a few dressing rooms down, Grace says, “You geniuses know I can hear you, right?”
Together, Kat and I say, “Shut up!”
Then Kenji appears in the doorway behind Kat. He’s still wearing nothing but his boots and Spidey underwear. And the one false eyelash. Pointing at me with a look of incredulity, he says, “A.J. and . . . you?”
“Oh, no!” I moan. He heard everything!
“You cannot repeat a word,” Kat snaps, wagging her finger at him.
Kenji throws up his hands. “Of course I can’t, because I can’t believe a word of what I’m hearing! It’s a figment of my imagination! I’m obviously on drugs! We’re talking about a man who eats virgins for lunch and a woman who makes nuns look slutty! There is no universe in existence where these two paths cross!”
“Why does everyone think I’m such a prude?” I shout.
Grace calls out, “Have you ever taken it up the ass?”
“Dude! Gross! No!”
Kenji asks, “Have you ever had s*x with another girl?”
“I’m not gay!”
Kat says, “You don’t have to be gay, you could have just experimented when you were younger or something, like the rest of us.”
I gasp. “You’ve had s*x with another girl?”
Chuckling, Grace says, “Case closed.”
I clench my hands in my hair. I hate everyone!
AINE appears in the dressing room with us, looking all sorts of nervous. “Excuse me, but there’s a gentleman here to see you?”
I frown. “A gentleman? Who?”
“A policeman. He says his name is Officer Cox?”
All the blood drains from my face. Kat and I share a horrified look.
Kenji says, “I watched a movie with an Officer Cox in it just last night.” He smirks. “That boy had a huge talent.”
From the far dressing room comes Grace’s delighted laugh.
- Writer
