Page 8 of Friendshipped
He wags his eyebrows like a typical high school boy, probably imagining a far more exciting night than the one I’m actually about to have. No one needs to know I’m going to settle in for a romcom in a room full of women on a Friday night. The things I do to be near Lexi sometimes border on mortifying.
The volume in the room behind me ramps up with greetings, hugs and then bits of chatter about Jayme and Shane as everyone is brought up to speed about the breakup he executed by text and his extracurricular relationship.
“Men!” Laura exclaims, obviously forgetting I’m standing in the doorway. “Can’t live with ‘em, can’t shoot ‘em.”
Shannon fires an apologetic gaze in my direction.
Laura is bold and outspoken, usually the life of the party, and always pushing her friends outside their comfort zones. She dated my friend Rob for years. They broke up when he left for college and things have been strained between them ever since he came back.
Shannon and Laura are the dynamic duo, rarely seen apart from one another. Shannon’s far more reserved than Laura. But, she’s not shy. She’s usually holding back while she watches people.
Shannon’s probably the solitary reason Laura didn’t skip school the first day of hunting season even though she had her camo outfit laid out and planned to meet a group of guys in the woods at four in the morning. Shannon also talked Laura out of skinny dipping in the reservoir to celebrate graduation, and she convinced Laura it would be in poor taste and possibly over-the-top to drive her dad’s tractor to prom.
I grab the pizza and pop from Decker, kick the door shut with my foot and set the food next to the paper plates and cups on Lexi’s coffee table while she cues upLegally Blonde.
“I can’t believe you’re watching this with us,” Jayme says with her eyes squinted and her mouth pursed as she studies me.
“Why not?” I ask.
“Shhh,” Lexi teases. “He’ll find out he’s not one of the girls.”
All four of them laugh—at my expense.
I put my hand to my chest as if I’m deeply offended. “I’m not one of the girls?”
“I think the biceps give you away,” Laura says with a smirk.
“Don’t say things like that to him,” Lexi warns in a playful tone. “It only goes to his head. He loves his guns.”
I flex and kiss each bicep for effect.
“What’s not to love?” I ask.
“See what I mean,” Lexi says with a slight eye roll. “He’s awful once you get him started.”
I wish the look I imagine her giving me were real. I thought I saw appreciation flit across Lexi’s face when I flexed. I shake my head to reorient my thoughts. We’re here for Jayme.
A weary expression momentarily crosses Jayme’s face when she takes a piece of pizza and slaps it on her plate. I catch Lexi’s eye and she winks at me. My whole stomach feels the impact of her seemingly innocent gesture. I give every part of myself a quick pep talk to remember Lexi’s adorable, but she’s my friend. I tell myself that’s a good thing—friendship with Lexi. Some days it’s harder to believe than others.
Lexi turns off the lights and comes back to the couch to sit between me and Jayme. She’s oblivious to the way her nearness makes my heart race. Laura glances over from her chair. I feel like she can read me like a book. I clear my throat and grab a slice of pizza.
For some reason my attraction to Lexi ramped up again tonight. It’s always present, just under the surface. I tamp it down and convince myself to enjoy our friendship—which I do.
Maybe seeing how fiercely Lexi stood by Jayme in her time of need stoked the flames tonight. Or it could be the way she danced with abandon on her couch a little while ago. She’s simultaneously adorable and sexy, and that’s a lethal combo, especially when she’s completely off limits.
I scoot myself toward the armrest to make a gap so I’m not sitting right next to Lexi. Then I settle in with my slice of pepperoni. It’s probably wise to put a little distance between me and my best friend when my thoughts start to sneak out of the friend zone.
Shannon and Jayme talk quietly at the other side of the room until Lexi picks up her paper plate, crosses her legs, presses play and says, “Now let’s see what happens to guys who don’t appreciate a woman for what she’s worth.”
4
Lexi
Trevor stays through the movie and then he helps clean up the mess, taking the pizza box out to our outside trash cans as he leaves.
Yes, I stared through the darkened living room as his biceps flexed when he shifted positions on the sofa, wishing I could reach out and indulge myself by wrapping my hand around them just once, or that I could curl up in his strong arms while we watched the movie.
And I stole glances at him while he ate pizza. I’m not weird. Okay. I’m a little weird. I have a thing for Trevor’s mouth. He has these lips that beg to be kissed. And he’s my best friend—as in, no, Lexi, you may not kiss those soft, full, manly lips.
