Page 36 of Holidating
His eyes open with exaggerated stubbornness. “Whoops, I guess I nodded off.”
Yeah, he was totally faking it. “We’re going up to bed,” I say with a sleazy wink. “Don’t hurry to follow us.”
Stevie reaches for the remote control and clicks off the TV. “Actually, I should head to bed too. It’s important to get enough sleep.”
Abbi gives me a pointed look that asks,Can you believe this bullshit?
We all get up. Abbi carries our glasses to the kitchen, and Stevie checks the fireplace to be sure it’s sealed up tightly. I turn out the lights. Then we all walk upstairs in a line. “Sleep tight,” Stevie says outside of the bunk room. Then he gives me a grin and goes inside.
Okay, so now this is back to being awkward as fuck. Abbi and I find ourselves in close quarters a moment later, whispering to each other. And we both know Steve is right on the other side of the wall.
“He’s so smug!” she whispers. “I don’t like to lose a bet.”
“Easy, killer.” I put my hands on her shoulders and chuckle. “It was never a fair fight. This doesn’t reflect badly on your girlfriend skills. It’s all on me.”
“Pfft,” she says. “It’s not you, it’s me. Girls love hearing that.”
I crack up, because Abbi is hilarious. And while I’m distracted, she darts away to claim the bathroom before either Stevie or I can get to it.
When I go out into the hall, he’s standing outside the bathroom door, arms crossed, waiting. “Your so-called girlfriend is hogging the bathroom.”
“Mygirlfriend,” I say with exaggeration, and no small amount of loyalty, “can take her time.”
Stevie just smiles. “She’s the best, Weston. I can see why you’re actually tempted.”
I open my mouth and then close it again. Because Iamtempted. But I can’t discuss this with my brother, because I have a ruse to maintain.
So I leave him there and head downstairs to use my dad’s bathroom instead.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m wearing my brand new Westie pajama pants, and lying carefully on my side of the bed, as Abbi slides in beside me. The bed wiggles a little as she arranges herself at as polite a distance as she can manage in this small space.
I'm wide awake, and overly conscious of how close we are together. What would Abbi do if I rolled over and kissed her?
She’d kiss me back, that’s what. I know this on a gut level. But I’m still not going to do it. I invited her here as friends. And I promised her that I would be a gentleman. And it’s not fair to change the rules just because I’m attracted to her.
The silence seems really loud. I can tell Abbi is lying there, much like I am, too aware of the confined space to be restful.
“Thank you for the kickass pants,” I say. “They’re pretty awesome.”And so are you, I want to add.
“Thank you for the fuzzy, yet slightly egotistical sweatshirt,” she whispers.
I chuckle into the darkness. “They all have player numbers on the back, you realize. I didn’t invent that.”
“Of course you chose your own number, though,” she says in a teasing whisper.
“Well, sure,” I argue. “If you’re going to have some guy’s name on your back, why not mine?”
“I’m surprised it wasn’t sold out already,” she says with a giggle.
“They went fast,” I insist. “That’s what I’m telling myself anyway.”
“Uh-huh. I’m going to wear it tomorrow in front of Stevie. This isn’t over. I don't accept defeat easily.”
“Yeah, I’m getting that.” I’m realizing that it only took a couple of minutes for the awkwardness to blow over. Abbiisthe best. She makes everything fun.
“He's right on the other side of this wall, right?” she whispers.
“Yup.”
