Page 19 of Triple Play
“Been called worse.”
She grabs her glass. Starts to leave.
“Elise.”
She stops. Doesn’t turn around.
“I wasn’t trying to listen.” My voice comes out rougher than I want. “I was already awake. Heard it by accident.”
“Great. That makes it so much better.”
“If it helps, I left. Came down here.”
She turns then. Looks at me. Really looks.
“When did you come down?”
Right after I almost came to the sound of you.
“Few minutes ago,” I say.
She’s still looking at me. Those hazel eyes scanning my face like she’s trying to read something written there.
Then her gaze drops.
Lower.
To the obvious bulge in my sweatpants that I can’t hide and didn’t have time to take care of.
Her breath catches.
“You—” She stops. Swallows. “You’re—”
“Yeah.” No point denying it. “I am.”
The air between us changes. Gets heavier. Charged.
“Because you heard me.” Her voice is quieter now. Less embarrassed. More curious.
“Yeah.”
“Did you—” She gestures vaguely at my crotch. “While you were listening?”
I could lie. Should lie.
“Started to.”
Her pupils dilate. “But you didn’t finish.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not a complete asshole.”
“Just a partial one?”
“Something like that.”
