Page 51 of Unbound
Jesus Christ.
"Haven't tried the burgundy yet," Jesse continued, a tiny smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "Saving those."
"For what?"
Jesse's smile widened fractionally. "Haven't decided yet, a special occasion probably."
We stared at each other across the table, constitutional law forgotten. The library hummed around us—keyboards clicking, pages turning—but all I could hear was my own heartbeat.
Jesse Miller was flirting with me.
About underwear.
In the library.
And he knew exactly what he was doing.
"You're killing me," I said.
"Good," Jesse replied, and went back to his notes like he hadn't just destroyed my entire world.
I tried to focus onLawrence v. Texas. Really tried.
But all I could think about was Jesse standing in his apartment, trying on different pairs. Making choices. Choosing grey for today. Saving burgundy for something undefined.
Learning to want things.
I grabbed a scrap of paper and wrote carefully:
Burgundy would be worth the wait.
I slid it across the table.
Jesse read it. Blushed properly this time, that full-face colour I'd come to recognize. Looked at me with wide eyes that were half-scandalized, half-delighted.
Then he carefully folded the note and tucked it into his textbook.
"We should get back to work," he said primly.
"Absolutely."
Neither of us got anything done for the rest of the session.
When we packed up to leave, Jesse's shirt rode up again as he reached for his bag.
This time, I was certain it wasn't an accident.
He caught me looking and smiled.
I was so completely fucked.
"You're being responsible," Elijah observed Thursday evening, looking up from his psychology textbook as I walked into the living room. "I'm impressed and concerned."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you've been spending three nights a week in the library with Jesse Miller for two weeks, and you haven't once tried to seduce him with your considerable charm. You're actually helping him learn constitutional law instead of using it as elaborate foreplay."
Phoenix looked up from where they were painting their nails electric blue. "Wait, you're really not trying to seduce him? What's the point then?"
