Page 52 of Looks Real Good Now
“It’s another counter and the task might be numbing enough that it gets Goldilocks to calm down,” she said, her voice low enough that only I could hear her.
“You just don’t want to wash up,” I teased, rolling my hips into her just to watch her try to suppress a moan.
“That too,” she thrust the empty mixing bowl into my hands and walked out of the kitchen. I strategically placed it near my crotch as I walked to the sink and started washing up.
“Dad is going to prep the turkey. We thought that would be nice, as you missed coming home for Thanksgiving. I’m going to get started on the veg before Stassie and Rob come down,” Mom said, now standing next to me. It wasn’t all that different to the way that Christmas had been when we were younger.
“Yeah, sure, I’ll get out of your way. Although I imagine Len will be back to take the cookies out of the oven soon.”
“Things going well with her?” Dad asked. I got the feelingthis week, within my minimal interactions with him, that part of him believed that it was her fault I no longer played. How he had reached that conclusion, I didn’t know, but he was treating everything around me as a reason instead of just accepting the fact that I was done, and nothing anyone could say was changing my mind on that one.
“Yeah, we’re fine.”
Better than fine. Official and everything. It was the best Christmas present I could have hoped for.
Aaron was standing outside the bathroom he shared with Lenny when I went back upstairs.
“She in there?” I asked. He nodded.
“She’s probably been awake for hours, but she chose the moment I needed to pee to go have a shower.”
“She has cookies in the oven so she will probably be quick, if that’s any consolation.”
“Was that a two-person job?” There was a teasing tone to his question.
“I just smashed some pecans, so no, it definitely wasn’t, but she seemed to want me there,” I replied.
“Ally always wants you there. The problem was always that she was scared you would stop being there, so she got ahead of it.” His eyes widened in surprise. Almost as if he hadn’t quite meant to reveal that much.
It had, stupidly, never occurred to me that Aaron wouldknow the whole story, but clearly, he did. The only person closer to Lenny than me back then was her brother, but even if I had thought to ask, he would have kept the vault locked no matter how much I pleaded for answers.
“You know the whole story?”
Aaron looked down at his parents’ bedroom door. It was still closed.
“Yeah, I know why she left. And I know how mildly annoying she found it when she started dating Kai, who was basically your number one fan. I also know that she was kind of irritated that you moved to Detroit and the only thing that softened that blow was the fact that she was happy that you and Teddy got to play together again. You have probably guessed that I also know that while she did make your birthday cake, you didn’t go thank her for it in person six weeks ago, and decided it was a smart choice to fake date each other the day you both flew back for the holidays. And I think this whole thing was fake for all of two days and is now an actual relationship, and if that is the case, then I am happy for you both.”
None of what he knew was surprising.
“It’s not. Fake that is. Don’t suppose you’re going to tell me any more?” It was worth a shot asking. He had managed to tell me things without telling me the thing he knew I wanted to know most.
Aaron laughed as the bathroom door unlocked and opened to a billow of vanilla-scented steam.
“You know I’m not,” he said as Lenny walked out in a towel.
“All yours, A-A-Ron.”
Aaron slipped into the bathroom and closed the door withone final nod in my direction. Lenny looked at me.
“Put the sex eyes away. I have to take those cookies out of the oven, so we quite literally do not have time.” She walked to her room.
“Really? Not even for one tiny, quick little orgasm?” I asked as I closed the bedroom door behind me and backed her up against the nearest wall.
She gasped as her back met the wall and then rolled her darkening eyes. “Yours or mine?”
I smiled.
“Always yours,” I said as I pulled the towel from her body.
