Birdie dishes out some advice for those interested and the class begins to depart. I notice Joey hanging back and talking to Marlon. I only catch a small piece of it because Proctor has hijacked my attention and is babbling on about his expertise in set design.
What I do hear Marlon say has me stiffening and ready to pounce. To step in and sidetrack their conversation so it can’t continue.
“You want to go grab a bite to eat? There’s a great pizza place around the corner,” he suggests, the baggy jeans he wears nearly falling down past his butt. I could give a rats’ ass that he wears Calvin Klein shorts.
Proctor says something but I ignore him. Thankfully Birdie has joined our conversation.
I strain to hear Joey’s response. But when I do, it makes me smile inwardly.
“Oh, thanks Marlon, but I can’t. I already have plans for dinner tonight. And I want to practice these lines and work on pulling from my emotions,” she says with air quotes. “But maybe some other time.”
Marlon grins broadly and I want to smack it off his face. He’s a good guy and all, but not for her.
I don’t know why I feel so proprietary over Joey. We’re just friends and nothing has happened between us. Only for the sheer fact that I’m a chicken shit and haven’t put any moves on her.
The thing is, I really like spending time with her and feel like we have a friendship developing that I don’t want to fuck up with sex.
Scratch that. Idowant sex. I’ve been abstinent for months and spending so much time with Joey has me walking around with a semi every time she’s near.
And I feel like she can see my guilt every day when we’re in class – like she knows I’ve jerked off in the dark of night to visions of her naked. Which I’ve done.
Every. Single. Night.
Yet I haven’t put the moves on her.
I honestly can’t read her and I don’t want to embarrass myself if she doesn’t feel the same way toward me.
I’ve already been burned by Alyssa and I’m a fucking mess.
Deciding I’m not adding any value to the discussion between Birdie and Proctor, I step up next to Joey and Marlon.
“Nice work today, you two. You both did great. And it’ll get easier the more you practice this. It’s just like anything. The more you work at it, the more fluent you are.”
Marlon nods and waves his goodbyes to us both, leaving Joey and me standing there. A smidge of awkwardness between us.
I bite the bullet. “You’ve got dinner plans tonight?”
I don’t mean to embarrass her, because I don’t want to assume anything. But if tonight is anything like the last week, we’ve had dinner together every night since she got locked out of her apartment. I’ve really enjoyed it and I thought she did too.
Maybe I’ve just been reading into our easy connection and building on something that’s not really there.
Joey blushes and shrugs. “Oh, I uh…well, yeah. I figured we’d have dinner again tonight so you can help me with these lines. I need to draw from that emotional well you mentioned in class. But I didn’t want to tell Marlon that.”
Nodding, I laugh. “Sounds like you really do listen to what I’m trying to teach here.”
Another shrug. “When it’s an interesting subject and a good instructor, it makes it fun…plus, Birdie’s really entertaining.”
I give her a doubletake and see her smirk. “Birdie, huh? I see how it is. There’s always on problem student in every class…”
She shoves me playfully in the arm and I feel the heat searing down to my fingers.
Yeah, I’ve got to do something about this and soon.
Maybe tonight.
And I know just the thing that will help me make my move.
It may be a wussy way to go about it, but at least I’ll be able to save face if it all goes south.
