Page 39 of Always Been You

“Okay, but just know that I’m okay if you guys decide to start something.”

Zoey changes the topic, and we chat about a couple of the books that we have read recently. We all started reading romance books together and now recommend books to each other and talk about our favourites. After being at the bar for forty-five minutes, we order our food. I order for Matt, Josh, and me. Twenty minutes later, I hear Matt and Josh’s voices as they enter the bar. Looking over, I see them, along with Grayson, Caleb, Nick, Sam, and Luke. I get up and meet the guys at the end of the table. I hug Matt and he kisses my cheek. Caleb and Grayson do the same thing, followed by Josh, who wraps both arms around me and whispers in my ear, “I wish I could kiss you right now.”

“Me too,” I whisper back.

Josh pulls back, and I wave behind him to Nick, Sam, and Luke.

“I’ve ordered you two burgers,” I say, pointing at Matt and Josh, “but you guys still need to order.” I wave at our server, and she notices me right away, nodding. She probably knows she’ll get a good tip for having a big group.

We all move to take our seats. Josh sits beside me and Matt across from him, Caleb beside Josh and Grayson sits beside Matt, then Nick and Sam take spots beside Grayson and Luke beside Caleb.

“Girls, this is Nick, Sam, and Luke. Guys, these are my friends, Hannah, Eliza, and Zoey.”

They all smile and wave to the opposite sides of the table.

Our server arrives and the guys place their orders, getting a couple of pitchers of beer to share and food.

“So, Olivia, I saw your pre-game ritual with Josh here. Ihear that you guys did that in high school too,” Luke says, leaning over the table and trying to make eye contact with me.

I nod. “Yeah, we came up with it the summer before Matt and Josh’s freshman year. It started as something dumb, but when they started winning games, he insisted we keep it up. I was already at all the games, so I didn’t see the harm,” I say with a shrug.

“What was your pre-game ritual with Matt?” Zoey asks, a little mischievous glint in her eyes.

“We didn’t have one. Let’s see Matt’s freshman year, I think he was too obsessed with trying to impress, what was her name, the blonde,” I snap my fingers. “Oh, it was Kimberly De Marco, right? Then your sophomore year, it was the redhead who threw around Daddy’s money, Samantha, right? Junior year it was the girl from down the street, Rebecca Wilder, and then when she got a boyfriend, it was Cassidy Smith, and your senior year it was Taylor Price, Kennedy Notion, and Kate Kelly,” I say.

Josh puts his arm around the back of my chair and leans back, hiding a smirk behind his beer as he takes a sip.

I look at him. “Oh, don’t you act so smug there, mister.” I elbow him in the side, and he pulls away at the pain. “Don’t act like you were so perfect. I still remember your nickname from your junior and senior year,” he winces at that and takes another sip of his beer.

“That was years ago, Olivia,” he says weakly.

“I have got to hear this. What was his nickname, Liv?” Hannah asks, grabbing my hand, squeezing it excitedly.

“Oh, we don’t have to do this,” Josh says pleadingly. I look him in the eyes. “But you were so proud of it in high school.” I have a huge grin on my face, and I look over at the girls.

“For his last two years of high school, the girls called him ‘Monster Josh’ after he supposedly hooked up with a girl at a beginning of the year party.”

The girls’ jaws drop, and I can hear all the guys start laughing. I look over at Josh, whose face is now beet red, and I know it has nothing to do with the cold or the game. He takes another sip of his beer.

“So, let me get this straight. You were always chasing girls,” Hannah says, pointing at Matt, “and you were known for the size of your dick,” she points at Josh, and then the girls start laughing, full-on belly laughs. I join them and we all clutch our stomachs as we continue to laugh. As our laughing subsides, our server, along with another server, arrives with the first round of food.

“Burger with mushrooms,” she asks me. I point at Matt. “Bacon cheeseburgers, medium rare with fries,” she says next, and I point to Josh and I, “Thanks,” I say as she places the food down in front of us. “Can I get another Long Island when you get a second?”

“Of course, hun, I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks,”

I turn back to my food. The girls are already digging in. “Did you really order you and Josh the same thing?” Matt asks, causing everyone to look at me.

“Yeah, it looked good, plus I know Josh will eat whatever I feed him,” I say with a shrug.

“Will he,” Zoey says, chuckling and I kick her under the table.

“Yes, not everyone is as picky as I am. It makes it easy.” I glare at her, knowing she is thinking of dirty things.

“Olivia is probably the pickiest eater I have ever met,” Josh chuckles and I elbow him again.

“Hey, don’t pick on me when I have been cooking your dinners lately.”

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