Page 75 of Play Fake
“Jealous?”
The accusation hits the bullseye, and her eyes snap to mine.
“Yes, Waylon. Writhing around naked and drunk with jersey chasers is my dream. How did you guess? Will you please let me go now? I told you I’m on my way out.”
“I’ll let you go when you show me the little brown package.”
I see her doing the math. The little cogs turning about whether she should just give in or if she should try to fight past me. The truth is, I’d let her go. I’d give her anything she wanted, and this is all a bluff. But it’s one I’m hoping I’ll win with.
“Fine!” She whirls around and slams her purse on the bathroom counter, rooting around for a second before she pulls the brown paper package out of her purse and shoves it into my chest.
I take a step into the room with her. Turning it over in my hands. It’s wrapped, just like the present she wrapped for my mom. It’s hard to believe it isn’t what I think it is.
I look up at her, eyebrow raised, questioning whether I’m allowed to open it.
“You might as well open it now, since you’re determined to embarrass me.” She crosses her arms over her chest and stares at the shower.
I pull back the paper carefully, trying not to rip it, and pull the soft cotton T-shirt out of the paper. I shake it out, and nearly bust when I see what it is. I can feel her eyes on me, but when I look up, her eyes dart away again.
“So did you buy it for me, or for you to wear to sleep in?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer.
“Either way,” I shrug, “We both know what you’ll be thinking about.”
There’s a quick intake of breath, a little noise that sends a pool of want through my body, swirling low and warming me even faster than the shots have.
“You’re an ass, Waylon,” she mutters.
“Hey now, it’s my birthday. Be nice.”
She huffs her disapproval.
“So why didn’t you want me to see it if you bought it for me?”
“Because I thought it would be funny. A joke between friends and then I don’t know. It didn’t seem funny anymore. I realized what it would seem like, and I didn’t want to make it weird between us.”
“And you thought avoiding me at my birthday party would be less weird?”
She rolls her eyes up to the ceiling.
“Obviously it didn’t work out well. I just… really need to get going, okay?” She pauses, her eyes back on me, wandering over me for a minute. “Happy birthday for real. I hope you have a fun rest of the night. Make sure you hydrate though if the guys are going to keep plying you with shots, okay?”
Her hand squeezes my forearm in an almost tender way, like she actually cares.
“Will do.” I nod, trying to resign myself to letting her go. Letting her walk out the door, and probably down to him. But as she goes to pick up her purse and let go of me, I can’t do it. I wrap my hand around her wrist, halting her progress.
Her eyes go back to mine, searching.
“Don’t leave with him.”
“Who?”
She doesn’t realize I’ve seen them together already.
“Ben.”
Her brow furrows and releases. She starts to say something but stops and then anger flashes across her face.
