Page 49 of Four Letter Feelings

Jayden sighed and picked up both the bag of gifts and the cooler and walked into the house.

“Why are you smiling so much, Jer?” He grinned, eying his friend, silently challenging him to dare telling the truth in front of his younger brother.

“Don’t forget his gift!” his mom called.

“Oh, yeah!” Blake reached behind the door and appeared with a bag of his own. “Mom got a little something for your folks, and for you. It’s probably socks or some shit, but…” He was clearly embarrassed, though Jeremy was touched at the gesture. “There’s something from me in there as well,” he added.

“Aww! We’re exchanging gifts now. Maybe I need to buy that blonde dye after all! It feels like just yesterday we had our cute meet!”

“By the looks of it you had a meet cute with someone else…”

He rolled his eyes at Jeremy’s lack of knowledge when it came to all things popular, and clearly wasn’t going to let it drop.

“That obvious, eh? I may or may not have gotten laid last night.”

Blake’s eyebrows shot up in mock-surprise.

“And again, this morning.”

Blake’s jaw dropped open.

“No kidding. Color me shocked.”

Jeremy just grinned.

“Not kissing and telling?”

“Best I’ve ever had and that’s all I’m saying. Well, that and I’m probably going to be her booty call again in the future.”

“You’re… going to be… her booty call?” Blake repeated, clearly sure that he’d misheard or Jeremy had misspoken.

“Yeah.” Jeremy nodded enthusiastically. “Right? I know. Usually it’s me calling the booty, but she’s going to call my booty, and I’m absolutely going to go be her booty call, too!”

Blake chuckled. “I don’t even know what to say to that, man.”

Jeremy grinned again. “I gotta jet. The motherland is calling, and the mother. She thought I was gonna bail on my trip, can you believe that?”

He looked at Blake expectantly, waiting for him to agree that she was over-reacting.

“Weeeell, you did kinda up sticks and move to Europe for a year …”

“Shut up. Bring it in, man. I’ll see you in the new year.”

He hugged his friend, thanked him for the gifts and made his way to the car. Before setting off for the airport he checked his phone.

Jess the Magic Mermaid: Is there nothing I can do to make you give me this recipe?

Jess the Magic Mermaid: Someone ate all the cinnamon rolls.

Jess the Magic Mermaid: Spoiler alert: it was me.

Jess the Magic Mermaid: I think I’m gonna die, now. Are you happy, Jeremy? You’re responsible for my demise. Who the fuck eats eight cinnamon rolls in one day? When they do my autopsy, they’re going to discover cream cheese frosting flowing in my veins.

Jess the Magic Mermaid: I’m going to the gym. Tomorrow. If I survive. UGH. I feel sick.

Jeremy shook his head and laughed, changing her name on his phone to ‘Jess’ because it was starting to bug him.

Jeremy: My anaconda don’t want none unless you got buns, hun.

Jess: I had buns. They’re gone now. Now I just have tummy ache.

Jess: Also, lies. Your anaconda always wants some.

Blake: Dude, you just gonna sit on my parent’s drive grinning like an idiot all day?

Jeremy glanced towards the house and saw Blake and Jayden watching him from the window. He flipped them off, started the car and set off towards the airport. He knew that Jessica whatever-her-last-name-is wasn’t interested in commitment, neither was he, but there was no reason they couldn’t have a little fun when he got back from seeing his parents.

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