Chapter 16
Rush
Two drinks turn into four … then five. I can hold my alcohol, but I like the way everything takes on a tingly, happy haze. Especially Hunter. The worry that was blanketing his forehead is gone, and he’s back to himself again. All black, neatly parted hair, and square jaw, and confident thoughts. He’s the kind of guy who belongs in the world. He might not feel that way right now, but it won’t take him long. Not someone like him. The world was made for men like him.
And my legs will spread for men like him pretty fucking easily, especially five beers in.
He’s looser too. I can tell in his easy smiles and eyes as sparkly as my brain.
It doesn’t happen a lot outside of my Bertha roommates, but I’m comfortable with him. He doesn’t make me do mental gymnastics to follow what he’s saying or question me pointlessly and waste both our time by making me justify what I want to talk about and why.
I’m a reasonably extroverted person, but some people make conversations hard. For no good reason. It’s nice to find someone I can talk to and have it be easy.
Our stools have snuck closer to each other too, each drink helping shrink that distance between us until my knee is resting against his thigh, and neither of us is making a big deal out of it.
I pretend not to notice, and I really hope he’s pretending too.
“We never did manage that arm wrestle,” he says.
I struggle to remember back past beer number four. The teasing and challenge seem unimportant now. I throw a smirk back his way. “You want to measure dicks again?”
“Technically, I don’t think we did to begin with.”
“Bet mine is bigger.”
Hunter chokes on his laugh. It’s a sound I’m coming to enjoy because it means he likes what I’ve said but doesn’t want to like it. “Are we still talking about a hypothetical test of masculinity?”
“Definitely not. I’m talking about actual dicks.”
Hunter swipes his tongue over his bottom lip, eyes creasing in the corners. “I’ve seen your candy cane and can confirm you are definitely bigger than me.”
My jaw drops. “You said you didn’t see anything.”
“I said I wasn’t focused on it.” His eyes shine with mischief. “I lied.”
“Wow. Woooow. And here I was, thinking our relationship was built on mutual trust and revenge.”
“Technically, we haven’t gotten any revenge yet. Might as well throw the trust out of the window too.”
I cross my arms and huff. “That’s because you said our kiss wasn’t hot enough. It was perfectly hot, thank you very much. In fact … maybe since you’re an epic liar, I don’t believe you. I demand to watch it instead.”
Hunter glances around the bar. “Right here?”
“Yes.”
“Now?”
“Obviously now because otherwise I run the risk of forgetting, and the more I think about it, the more I really, really want to see it.”
He laughs, and I like that it’s lighter than usual. “I don’t want everyone witnessing that.”
“Why? Think it’ll cause a spontaneous orgy?”
“Anyone ever told you your voice has no volume control?”
“Frequently at work. I ignore them.”
“Shocking.” He drags his lip between his teeth. “I’ll show you. But not here.”