Page 31 of Hunt for the Roses
After a few seconds, we turn our heads to the sound of the door opening from my porch, and a female voice. “Dane? Are you coming inside?” Tara is standing halfway out my front door, looking directly at me and Aria on Aria’s porch. I stand up and nod my head, which thankfully makes Tara go back inside with no further explanation needed.
Aria stands up with a palm on her forehead and gasps. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you had company.” Aria’s blushing, seemingly thinking she’s interrupted my hookup for the night, when she’s forgetting I was the one that came to see her. Aria starts to fold the plaid blanket and lay it on the bench, but her movements are rushed and quivery.
“Aria, it’s okay. I came to check on you,” I assure her.
Her cheeks are still a bright shade of pink, and she turns to look at me as she shakes her head with a smile. “You didn’t have to, but thank you. I’ll see you soon?” Aria’s hand is already gripping the handle of her front door, waiting for me to end her embarrassment, so I decide to have mercy on her and not push farther.
“Sure,” I say.
“Great, good night,” she says as she throws one last smile at me, and takes refuge in her home.
I stand alone on Aria’s porch, staring for a few seconds in silence, just processing the last few minutes. When I reluctantly come to terms with the fact that some days are going to be tougher than others, I turn to go down the steps of Aria’s porch to walk over to my own house.
As soon as I walk through my front door and shut it, Tara is walking up to me in the foyer. My mind is a little distracted from sexual thoughts at the moment, but as soon as Tara starts kissing my neck, I cup the side of her face to bring her lips to mine and readily fall into the moment with her.
Thursday, June 23, 2022
It’s Thursday after work, and I haven’t seen or heard from Aria since Saturday night on her porch. So I shoot her a text message to check in and make sure she’s alright.
Me: Hey, what are you up to?
Ari: About to head out to the pier for a stroll.
That’s interesting.
Me: By yourself?
Ari: I’m a big girl, I think I can handle it. ;)
Me: Cute, Ari. What I meant was, why are you going by yourself?
Ari: I like to look out over the pier sometimes. Watch the sunset.
Me: But maybe it would be less boring with someone? Just a thought.
Ari: [eye roll emoji] Dane, would you like to come?
Me: Omg, I can’t believe you read my mind. It’s crazy.
Ari: I don’t know how we’re friends. See ya in a bit.
Me: [thumbs up emoji]
I throw on shorts and a shirt, and since I don’t really have time to address the mop on my head, I put on a black backwards snapback. I walk out my front door and over to Aria’s to knock. When she opens the door, she’s wearing high-rise mom jeans, and a red square neck crop tank top. Her long dark hair is down in beach waves, but slicked back with a thick pastel yellow floral headband. Since her hair is completely out of her face and she hardly has any makeup on, I’m able to see her almond, light brown eyes, button nose, and her plump lips.
Has she always been this naturally pretty?
Before I can answer my own question, I’m snapped out of my thoughts at the sound of Aria’s voice. “Hey,” she says as she stuffs her phone in her back pocket and steps out onto the porch with me.
Once she locks the door, we both head down the stairs at the same time and walk toward the boardwalk. My hands are in the pockets of my shorts as we walk side by side. “So not to be needy, but there better be more incentive than just a stroll along the pier. We do live here, and it’s nothing new for me.”
“Of course there is. Disco Doughnuts,” Aria assures as she looks up at me with a smile.
I look away from her. “Ah-ha. So you’ve used the pier excuse to indulge. I see.”
She holds her arms out to drive her point home. “It’s called balance. After I eat a doughnut or two, I walk off the calories. Makes perfect sense.”
I narrow my eyes down at her as I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s exactly how that works.”
