Page 21 of Hooking the Captain
His throat moved as he swallowed. “I’ve actually never needed one before.”
“Really? Why?” I questioned.
He rubbed a hand over his face. “You’re the first.”
“The first?”
Coop picked at the label on his beer, not meeting my stare. “I’ve never dated before you. Hell, I’d never even kissed anyone until the other night in the Thirsty Cow parking lot.”
My eyes widened. Of all the reasons I thought he might give for asking me to sign an NDA, I never expected him to say that. “You’re serious?”
“I am.” He blew out a breath.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He looked me in the eyes. “What was I supposed to say? That I’m a twenty-eight-year-old virgin with zero dating experience? Like that wouldn’t have sent you running.”
“I would have been surprised, but I wouldn’t have run.” I reached for his hand. “I most definitely wouldn’t have ghosted you if you’d told me.”
“Okay, but how could I have been sure of that when we first met? Trusting people with my personal life doesn’t come easy for me because it could potentially impact my career.”
Trust wasn’t easy for me either and immediately my mind filled with memories I had tried desperately to forget.
“Ford, are you okay?” Coop rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t upset me.” My voice cracked as I thought about the worst night of my life …
The final bell rang,and I rushed to the parking lot, ready to start my weekend. When I reached my car, I saw Tim, my best friend of the last five years, leaning against the passenger side door.
“Can I get a ride home?” he asked.
“Of course.” I often gave him rides because he didn’t have a car and lived just a block over from me.
I pressed the unlock button on my key fob for the red BMW my parents had given me on my sixteenth birthday and we slid inside.
“So, what are your plans for the weekend?” he asked, buckling his seat belt.
“Not sure, why?”
He turned his head toward me and grinned mischievously. “What if I told you my parents were out of town, and I wanted you to come over for some fun?”
“What kind of fun?”
My heart raced at the thought of spending an entire weekend alone with him. Tim was the only person who knew I was bi, and ever since I’d confided in him, he’d flirted with me when no one else was around. Before that, I’d never known he was into guys, and I was excited about the possibility that we could be more than friends.
“I’m sure we can find some things to do without parental supervision.” He winked.
I cranked the engine and then reversed out of the parking spot. “All right. That sounds like fun.” We both laughed as I emphasized the word “fun”.
“Come over at eight, okay?”
“Yeah.” I drove out of the parking lot and headed to his house.
The drive was short and as I pulled in front of his place, he unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door. “See ya.”
“Later,” I replied, my heart hammering my chest with thoughts of what might happen when we were all alone in his house.
The restof the afternoon and evening passed in a blur, and then it was time for me to leave for Tim’s. I couldn’t stop the nerves from taking over during the short walk to his house.
