Page 53 of Wild Ever After
Shoving my hands in my pockets, I nod. She’s stayed true to her word and runs events and articles by me. To be honest, the whole thing died down pretty quick for me. A few people in the Wildcats’ front office commented on the magazine, but otherwise, the people in my life don’t really care.
Last week, I went with her to a company picnic and those people were far more excited about all of it than anyone I’ve come into contact with have been.
Inside the house, she kicks off her shoes immediately and leans down to pick them up, giving me a view of her ass. The skirts and dresses she wears to work every day are driving me crazy.
“Well, goodnight,” she says, standing straight and starting for the stairs.
I watch her walk away and that familiar feeling of disappointment at the space between us tugs at me. It’s only midnight on a Friday night, and she’s running off to bed, where I know she’ll stay up for another two or three hours. Jade is a night owl. Actually, I think she only sleeps for about five hours every night.
“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” The question is out before I can think better of it. This situation is tricky. We have no real relationship. Even the friendship we’d been adamant about keeping by not sleeping together has turned into something more like an acquaintanceship. As if both of us knows that a real friendship is highly unlikely, given our history and the length of time we’re committed to this lie.
But I want to spend more time with her, even if it means going to bed with blue balls every night for the next eleven months.
“Umm…” She pauses three stairs up. “I was going to work a little more.”
I nod my understanding and resolve myself to a night flipping through the channels and trying to forget Jade is in my house, wearing her little skirts and looking so sexy.
“I could bring my laptop down here and hang out while I work, though.”
“Sure. If you want.”
“Okay.” There’s a hint of excitement in her smile before she jogs up the rest of the stairs.
While she’s grabbing her stuff, I pick out a movie. Even though she said she’s going to work, I settle on a comedy that I think she’ll like.
I hear her footsteps on the stairs as I’m grabbing a beer from the fridge. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Yeah. Will you get me a seltzer, if there are any left?”
“You got it,” I say, holding both drinks in one hand as I shut the fridge. When I turn, Jade is standing in the space between the living room and kitchen. My eyes do a slow scan of her, from her bare legs to her red hair piled up on top of her head. The tight skirt might have been safer because the little white shorts she has on make my mouth go dry. She has on a light pink tank top with Strawberry Shortcake on the front and she’s clutching her laptop to her stomach.
“Here you go.” I walk closer and hand her the seltzer. My voice is rough and tight, and I move past her to sit on the couch. I hit play and wonder if there’s some sort of shock therapy to help prevent lusting after someone you know you can’t have.
“What are you watching?” she asks, as she sits on the opposite end of the couch and pulls her legs up underneath her.
“Deadpool. Have you seen it?”
“Of course. IloveRyan Reynolds.”
Perfect. I’m lusting after her and she’s lusting after the dude on TV. Fuck my life.
* * *
About halfway through, Jade abandons her work to drool over Ryan Reynolds.
“He’s so funny,” she says, setting her laptop on the table in front of us.
“He’s all right,” I bite out.
She glances at me briefly, confusion knitting her brows together, but then refocuses on the TV.
Great. Now I’m acting like a jealous asshole.
I set my beer on the coffee table, my attention pulling to her laptop in the process.
“What are you working on?”
“Hmmm?” she asks, and then follows my stare to her computer. “Oh. Nothing, really.”
