Page 51 of Comeback
“You should see the master bedroom. Waterbed, fireplace, and all the walls are one-way windows. What do you say, Hot Six?” He winks playfully.
“Waterbeds kind of freak me out. I get motion sickness easily. I think I’m gonna have to pass.”
Her response catches me off guard and somehow makes me like her even more. I bark out a laugh as Slade’s expression morphs from cocky to taken aback.
“Alright, I got you,” he says, holding up both hands defensively. She gives him a haughty smile in response. “Holland is a sexy motherfucker, but you can’t blame a guy for trying tosteal you away from him.” He scowls at me. “You young bucks get all the ladies.”
I roll my eyes. “We’re just…roommates.”
Sabrina looks at me, cocking one brow slightly.
It’s Slade’s turn to laugh now.
“You come find me if this one doesn’t get his head out of his ass.” After tossing out that parting barb, Slade moves on to harass someone else.
Jesus. I need to drink faster. I chug what’s left of my beer.
“Sorry. I started to say friend and then I panicked.” I offer her a sheepish smile.
“We’re friends-ish. Getting there anyway, I think.”
I nod. I don’t usually picture my friends naked, but minor detail.
“I need another drink. What about you?” I ask.
She glances down at the bottle and shakes it like she’s forgotten it was in her hand. “I’m good.”
I don’t move.
“You don’t have to watch over me.”
“Yeah, sure.” I scoff.
If it were possible to level me with the annoyed glare she’s giving me, she would.
“Slade just propositioned you right in front of me,” I remind her.
“I can handle myself.”
I still don’t budge, and she rolls her eyes.
“Yes, I would love another drink,” she says in an overly dramatic fashion.
“I know that was sarcasm, but I don’t care.”
Her laughter isn’t audible over all the other noise, but it spreads through my chest like wildfire anyway.
She walks with me back to the kitchen. In the short time I showed her the rooftop, the crowd inside has easily doubled. Igrab two beers for myself and Sabrina. Just outside of the busy kitchen where people are coming and going for drinks, we pause.
“So what now?” she asks, leaning against the wall.
“Well, there are a lot of options.”
“Like testing out Slade’s waterbed?” she asks, batting her lashes innocently. I truly can’t tell if she knows the effect she has on me and this is her idea of torture or if she’s unaware of what it does to me.
“I thought they gave you motion sickness?”
“They do,” she says. “Doesn’t mean I’m not curious now.”
