“What if what?” She leaned in closer, dropping her voice to make sure it wasn’t a conversation anyone walking past could overhear.
“What if I can’t, like, go down on him? Like, I mean, what if he’s too big?” Her eyes rose to mine.
“You think he might be too big, or you know?” she asked with curiosity.
“Umm…”
“You know,” she guessed. “Okay… just go slow. Take your time. Don’t rush, and worst case, use your hand. Stroke him while you’re licking or have the tip in your mouth. And be careful of your teeth,” she advised, and I found myself relaxing. “Honestly, if you don’t want to go down on him, it’s okay. Don’t do anything you’re not absolutely okay with, alright?”
“Right.” I nodded, and she hugged me.
“If you have any questions, no matter when or what time, I’m here.”
“I know,” I whispered. “Thank you. And, umm, I don’t mean to put you in a weird place but?—“
“I won’t say a thing. Not to anyone,” she promised, and I believed her. “Promise.”
“Pinkies?” She winked, bringing her pinky between us, and I did the same. Hooking it, we kissed our thumb before our hands dropped.
“I should get going. I have my last shift at the resort.”
“Last shift? Wait, does that mean you’re going to get that spot off Main Street? For the bakery?”
“No.” She shook her head. “It’s just time.”
“Wow. All of a sudden? Did something happen?” She looked at me for a moment and shook her head. I couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or lying. That was the problem with my sister. She might have been the wild, outrageous one, but she played her cards close to the chest.
“Nothing like that. It’s just time.”
“We should celebrate.”
“Maybe next weekend. This weekend, you have serious plans! And as payment for keeping your secrets, you’re going to have to tell me all the dirty deets.”
“Shut up.” I laughed. “I’m not even sure if I’ll go.”
“Liar,” Olive gently called me out. “I love you, babe, but remember, doing things is always better than not doing things. And Bash, well… he looks like he’d be fun to do! So, have fun, just… just protect your heart. Okay?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged like it was no big deal. We hugged, and she rounded her car and left. I watched her car disappear while standing outside my little SUV.
Antsy nerves rushed through me.
I didn’t want to go home.
If I went home, I felt like I was going to be climbing the walls, overthinking if I headed there. But I couldn’t exactly show up at the brewery for karaoke night, either. A small little bookstore had just opened at the end of Main Street I hadn’t had a chance to check out yet. I decided that even though all I wanted to do was go home and put my feet up, I’d head there instead.
Walking around town in the middle of summer should have been stifling. Luckily for me, there was a cool breeze coming from the lake. So many different things were in my head, all of them about Bash and what we were going to do. The uncertainty made me anxious. What if I couldn’t get into what he liked? What if he changed his mind? I reached for the front door and was surprised when it opened. I looked up.
“Bash,” I whispered. His hand was already on my hip. Our eyes connected, and like usual, it felt like the world around us started to disappear.
“Rave.” His gaze dropped to my mouth and then my chest. I knew the moment he noticed the little love bite I wasn’t sure he’d left on purpose or by accident. With the way his nose flared and his eyes darkened, I had a feeling it had been on purpose. My thighs pressed together for relief. Overwhelming need washed over me.
“It’s nice to see you.” Bash smiled at me, and I felt like I was going to melt into a puddle of goo. It was genuine and real.
“You, too,” I whispered, unable to look at anyone else, not that there were too many people around. There we were, staring at one another while blocking the entrance to the bookstore.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I got out of work a little early and hadn’t had time to check out Pine and Prose.”