Page 53 of Studious
“Thanks a lot,” I say sarcastically.
“It goes both ways. You may have ruined me, too. Time will tell. Maybe I’m just doing a good job at teaching you to be a man slut.”
“You know, that phrasing is offensive. Because it implies that sluts are women by default, and you have to call out the alternative. Like a female comedian.”
He nods. “I know. I even gave Charlie crap about it before. I’m not always consistent.”
“And also it implies that being a slut is a bad thing.”
“I don’t think being a slut is a bad thing,” Danny says. “I personally think it’s pretty fun.”
Fun. Judging by the way Danny’s looking at me, I think he wants to take my clothes off. I know I want to takehisclothes off, but I don’t know whether Danny would be willing to do more with me.
“Should we, um.” I gesture vaguely between us. But he gets it.
“Alden, if you were a guy I met in a club, I would’ve had you naked within hours.” I blink in surprise. “But you’re not. And I don’t do more than one night. You’re not the kind of guy for that sort of thing. You’re a guy some lucky man is going to want to come home to and have again and again and again.”
“So it’s for my own sake you won’t sleep with me.”
“Well, when you put it that way…” He scratches the back of his neck. “Actually, it might be for mine. I don’t know if I’d be able to stay away from you if we had sex. To be honest, I want to kiss you again already.”
“You can,” I say quickly. Then, “I’m sorry, I’m sounding too eager. I’m probably supposed to play hard to get.”
“You don’t need to play games. You can be honest with people, and it can work just fine.”
“Are you? Honest with people, I mean.”
“I try to be up front, yeah. Generally I tell them what I’m looking for: one good fuck. And that’s that. To be fair, I have had a few repeats, but they weren’t ever consecutive nights. Just, some guys are hot, what can I say? But then I get with them again and remember why I don’t do relationships.”
I nod and swallow hard, wondering if that’s really what he wants.
“Look, Alden. I know you’re ready. Let’s go find you the right guy.”
I can’t help thinking that the right guy is sitting here next to me. But he doesn’t feel the same way, and I don’t want to force him into something he doesn’t want to do. Even for demonstration purposes. “I know you said you don’t want to get your heart broken again. But do you ever think of looking for the right guy for you? Someday?” I ask.
He sighs. “I have to admit I’m getting a little tired of the constant chase. I don’t think I’m ready to settle down, but I do want something different. It just wasn’t working for me the last time I hooked up with a guy.”
I don’t want to know the answer, but I ask anyway. “When was that?”
He frowns and taps his finger against his lower lip. A plush lower lip I’ve now tasted. I’m trying to figure out my favorite part of our kiss, and the only conclusion I can come to is… all of it. I’d expected a quick kiss, not a make-out session that was as hot as the sun.
But me being bowled over doesn’t mean that he is. I’m surely not the first person he’s kissed like that. Maybe I’m not even the first person he’s kissed like thattoday.
He finally says, “Um. Hmm. Weird. It’s been a while, actually. Not since before you stayed over at my house.”
I stare at him. “I thought you hooked up every night—or at least a few times a week.”
He grins. “There are weeks like that, yeah. But I’m not a machine.”
“Are you spending too much time with me? Am I taking you away from getting some?”
“I don’t miss it,” he says. “If I needed to find someone, I would.” He gives me a friendly shove. “You’re fun to be around, and I enjoy spending time with you. I guess I let it get away from me.” He grins. “I’ll take you home.”
When he pulls up in front of my house, I pause before getting out. “Thanks for helping me.”
“It’s a pleasure.” He leans forward, then stops, as if he was going to kiss me but thought better of it. I wish hewouldkiss me. Instead, he puts his hand on mine. “Do you want to try going to a club next? Or is that going to be too big of a step for you?”
“I’ll try it.”
