Page 25 of For the Plot
I almost choked on the sip I had just taken, setting the mug back down, “Yeah, I fell asleep on the couch watchingIs It Cake?instead.” I hoped he didn’t catch the lie, and read it as guilt for missing the game instead. I always watched the game if I was home from work and he was reporting.
“You know what, that is so valid. Cake is better than sports any day.” Will nodded his head appreciatively, and I grinned back, equal parts relieved and guilt-ridden. I hated lying to him, but I didn’t really have a choice with this one.
“Aight, I’m out of here, gotta get back to work." He reached out with his fist, and I tapped it with my own as he walked past, dropping his dishes in the sink. “You working tonight?”
“Yeah, I’ll be heading in soon to get some boring busy work done before we open actually.”
“Aight, see you tomorrow then.”
Nikki
TheSleepySirenwaspacked tonight. I’d been sitting at home doomscrolling in my room, and had the thought that I should get out of the house. Next thing I knew I was walking intoThe Sleepy Siren. Why had I decided to come here? And alone, too. No buffer of Will or Collins. No pretense of a roommate outing. Just me going to visit the guy who made me come last night at his place of work.
Part of me didn't even want to see him, didn’t think I could handle it yet. It wasn't like we'd even seen each other naked yet, but we had made each other come and I had no idea how to look him in the eye now. I was fully aware that this entire thing was my idea and my doing, and I was sure that I could get over it and act normal around him again. But maybe I needed a minute to reset and get used to this new normal between us.
Oh, god. The more I thought about being here and talking to James, the more I realized that this was a terrible idea, and I needed to leave immediately. But just when I had decided that and turned around to head back out the door, I heard a voice call out.
“Nikki?”
I froze, before turning slowly back around towards the bar, where James was staring at me with a pleasantly surprised look on his face. I gave him a small smile, waving my hand awkwardly at him as I made my way to the bar.
“Hey!” My voice came out all weird, so I cleared my throat. “What’s up?”
“What’s up?” James raised his brow, his lips twitching. He looked around the room with an exaggerated expression of confusion. “I think I’m at work, but I’m not totally sure?”
“Shut up.”
A grin spread across his face. “What are you doing here?”
I shrugged. “Eh, I was bored.” The truth was, I couldn't stop thinking about last night, and I’d wanted to see James again. But I had no idea why. Maybe being so vulnerable with someone in a way I never had been before just made me want to seekthat person out. I was sure it wasn’t anything more than that. It wasn't like I was in love with James all of a sudden.
Sure, I could look at him and admit that he was just straight-up an attractive person. I mean, there was a reason he was so popular, why he had no shortage of people wanting to hook up with him. But I still didn’t feel anything when I looked at him. But I also felt myself wanting to be around him. So, here I was.
James smiled brightly at me, opening his mouth “Well, I’m g—” He cut off when a customer yelled at him from down the bar. He rolled his eyes to me, holding up a finger. “Just a minute.”
I snickered at him as he walked away, watching as the annoyance fled his face, replaced with a friendly expression. I sat with my elbows on the bar, observing his interactions with the customers, more vying for his attention after the first guy.
It was mesmerizing to watch the ease with which he interacted with people. It never failed to astound me how easily neurotypical people seemed to be able to handle social situations. Especially when I always felt like I was two steps behind in the dark.
The next customer came up to him and was obviously flirting hardcore. I laughed to myself at first, always amused at how much people loved to hit on attractive bartenders. But then James leaned in as well, and he winked at them while he made their drink. I’d seen him flirt back with customers countless times before, but for some reason this time I felt… weird. I did not like it.
I looked away and pulled my phone out to distract myself. What was I even doing here? I rarely ever, if ever at all, came to visit James alone at work. What, one dry-humping session and suddenly I was following him around like a puppy? Jesus, I needed to get a hold of myself.
When James came back, I cleared my throat. “Hey, sorry. I’m actually gonna head out.” I swear it looked like James wasdisappointed for a second, but no, I was just imagining things. I held up my phone. “Noah texted, so I’m gonna go chat with her. But I’ll see you at home?” I hated lying to him, but I had no idea how else to get out of here without making it awkward.
He nodded and gave me a soft smile. “Night, Nikki."
I ignored the weird feeling in my stomach as I walked out of the bar.
16
Nikki
Coming Home - Part II - Skylar Grey
Delete.Delete.Delete.
I dropped my head and banged it repeatedly against my desk. It had been two days since I’d gone to visit James at work. Threedays since we humped ourselves into oblivion. I had hoped that even though we hadn’t done much, it had been enough to get me started on my writing. But I had spent the last three days sitting in front of my laptop, trying to get words down to no avail. All I had to show for myself was one paragraph, and I didn’t even know if iI was going to keep it.
