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"Thanks," I reply, trying to match his tone. "Yours is... something else. I can’t tell. Am I supposed to be aroused by those shiny cheeks?"
He looks down, lips curving down in amusement. “Um. That’s up to you, I guess. But I thought semantics was what got you going, not old man cheeks.”
I smile, cheeks going red at the memory of what had to have been the world’s weirdest dirty talk. That was also the last time we were intimate.
This feels like the normal Jesse. Maybe it’s the atmosphere in here easing his mood. Maybe it’s the alcoholic beverages he could’ve already started working on. Or maybe he just needed some time after running into Sarah like that. Whatever it is, I’ll take it.
“Um, yeah, well. You could say I’m never going to think about a hot dog the same.”
He chuckles. “Yeah. Me neither.”
A couple of the guys from the team holler at me. “Andi!” Carter says, voice rising above the rest. “Come judge our sweaters. Maddox actually thinks that his is better than mine. We need an impartial judge.”
One perk, if you could call it that, of this slump with Jesse is I’ve had more time to get to know the guys from the team. Carter is a big movie and literature buff, surprisingly, and has spent a few nights hanging out with me watching old movies. Maddox is crazy about board games, and frustratingly good at chess, but he has been trying to teach me to get good enough that I’ll be able to surprise Jesse and kick his ass some day. Liam likes to write, and he even agreed to let me read and give some feedback on some of his work. Nolan is happy to have anyone to talk to when he’s in the kitchen and he is always looking for taste testers. I’ve even had fun playing casual games of hockey against Jake, although he destroys me when he tries.
All of it has been so nice, along with my budding friendship growing between Caroline and even Mia and the dozens of other little connections I’ve formed with various people in town.
If only this stupid thing with Jesse wasn’t hanging over it all like a black cloud.
Jesse snaps me back to the moment, nodding toward the guys and smiling a little. “Go have fun,” he says.
“See you later, though?” I ask.
He studies me, eyes twinkling in the warm light of the cabin. “Later. Yeah.”
I subtly brush my hand against his as I head off toward the guys. Caroline is with Jake, Carter, and Maddox. All three of them are laughing about their sweaters, and I’m asked to serve as judge. Caroline, as usual, is looking at Jake every time she laughs.
Somebody brings me a drink–spiced wine, which isn’t really my thing but I drink it anyway–and the party slowly washes away all my apprehension. I spend hours laughing, drinking, snacking on finger foods, talking with the guys, going over plans for the Frostival finale coming up with Caroline, and stealing glances of Jesse.
“I don’t know, man,” Maddox says. He looks genuinely torn up about this as he sucks his teeth and puts his hands on his hips. Behind him, the big Christmas tree in Jesse’s cabin twinkles with light and there’s holly and tinsel strung up everywhere. It even smells like Christmas in here.
“Come on,” Carter pushes. “Tell him, Andi.”
I raise my eyebrows, cup in one hand and no clue what they’re talking about. “Huh?”
Carter sighs. “He is afraid to let me borrow the golden thong for our first game back after the holidays.”
“The… golden thong? Is that like a figure of speech?”
“It’s this gold thong I got as a gag gift a few years back,” Maddox says. “I fell behind on laundry one season and it was all I had one night, so I rolled with it for game time.” He grins slowly, leaning close like he’s about to share a secret. “Best. Game. Of. My. Life. The thong is obviously good mojo. So now I wear it whenever we really need a win.”
“But it hasn’t been working as often,” Carter says. “It needs to be circulated.”
Now my eyebrows might be inside my hairline. “Circulated?” I ask, almost afraid to learn more.
“He needs to let me try it,” Carter insists. “Maybe he used up all the luck for himself, but there could be some left for me.”
“Or maybe you’ll ruin it,” Maddox counters.
“Or maybe men shouldn’t share golden thongs?” I suggest.
They both give me an offended look.
“I’m just saying it’s not the most sanitary thing I’ve ever heard of.”
“I would wash it, Andi,” Carter says. “I’m not a monster.”
“Yeah, he would wash it,” Maddox agrees, even though he doesn’t seem to want to give it up.
