Page 23 of Not Dating Material

It’s okay, I like nicknames.

I wait a minute, and even though he hearts the comment, he doesn’t write back. So I take it that’s a giant fucking no on sharing with me. I try not to let it distract me as I get back to my work.

After I graduated college, I worked in an office for two years and spent time building up my freelance clients before I moved back to Kilborough. I’m used to working with people around, I’m used to ignoring distractions and focusing on whatever’s on my to-do list for the day, but Seven is a big distraction, and blocking him out is more challenging than I’m used to.

I think the main problem is that I’m so interested in him as a person. Madden told me Seven and Xander have been through some shit, were foster brothers together for a while, and that Seven’s the kind of guy who’ll do anything for anyone.

Will, my best friend, lived with me back home because his family were passive-aggressively homophobic, but other than him, I’ve never known anyone who had a horrible upbringing. It’s a morbid fascination, and I hate myself for it, but I can’t stop wondering about how Seven became Seven. How he and Xander grew into whatever massive thing there is between them.

My yearning to know them both deeper won’t switch off.

An hour later, my chat notification sounds.

Seven:

So when are you going to ask me out?

I blink at the message, smile growing steadily larger until I catch on to what he’s saying.

Me:

For the coaching?

Seven:

I figure we should start there, right? Do you normally ask out your dates, or do they do the planning?

Me:

Either works. I’m fine with both. Normally it’s a mutual setup type thing where we plan to meet up for lunch or dinner, but if you want to go with a proper, planned-out date, we can do that too.

Seven:

I’m not a big restaurant guy.

Me:

That’s okay! We can figure something else out.

Seven:

Well, what do you normally do on dates, though? We should probably look to make it as close to what you’re used to if we want to make it worthwhile.

That’s a good point, actually.

Me:

You’re not going to like it.

Seven:

Restaurants?

Me:

At least ninety percent of the time, yeah.

Seven:

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