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I shoveled one more forkful of egg into my mouth and rested the tray on the bed. My cellphone was ringing but I couldn’t see it. Likely it had fallen behind the drawers when I tossed it and rushed to the bathroom. I scrabbled off the bed and felt for the phone on the carpet as I answered Quinn. “I’ve only kissed girls, so—no. Definite anomaly.”
Ah ha! I lurched upright, triumphant, cellphone in hand. But before I could take the call, Quinn grabbed a fistful of my shirt and tugged me forward, between his legs.
I dropped the phone as Quinn’s hand reached up behind my neck and drew me down. “Quinn? What on earth—”
He fell backward on the bed, bringing me with him. A roller-coaster thrill zipped through my body as I lost my balance and came crashing against his chest. Both Quinn’s arms slipped around me, holding me firmly in place.
Quinn’s deep green eyes stared intently at me. He brushed the tip of his nose against mine, tilted his head upwards, and kissed me.
The first sweep of his lips moved warm and softly. I gasped in surprise. Quinn’s mouth sealed over mine, and his tongue twisted and pushed. He was an expert. I liked how he took control, led the entire dance of our tongues. All I did was follow along and enjoy the ride.
Quinn pulled back, resting his head against my mattress and grinned wickedly. “Still an anomaly, Liam?”
He was warm and comfortable to lie on, so I didn’t bother moving. I linked my fingers and rested against his chest. “Technically, since kissing a guy is a deviation from who I normally kiss, the answer is yes.”
Quinn roared out with laughter. “God, you’re impossible.” He slapped me on the ass and rolled me over. We nearly knocked over the breakfast tray, but Quinn steadied it and climbed off me. “I’ve got to get to my self-defense class. You can think about things, and we can chat over dinner tonight if you want.”
I propped myself up on my elbows. “How do I join one of these classes?”
“Shannon and I are starting a beginner’s course. Seven o’clock Wednesdays at the Rainbow Rec Center.” He stepped back slowly toward the door. His face glowed, as if the idea of me learning self-defense pleased him. Perhaps he thought it would free up his weekend evenings, but that seemed fair enough to me. “You can come along then if you like.”
I pushed myself into a sitting position. My lips still tingled and tasted of Quinn. I ran a tongue over my bottom lip as I watched him slink further toward the door. “Good call with that kiss, Quinn.”
He paused, squinting at me like he wasn’t quite sure what to say. He scratched his ear. “You don’t need time to think about it? Fret? Go and pretend it never happened?”
I pushed myself off the bed. The warm carpet under my toes rubbed the soles of my feet nicely. I slid over to the jeans that lay in a heap in the corner of the room. “Pretend it never happened? Why would I do that?” I pulled on the jeans and found the phone I’d dropped on the bed. “Now I have some investigating to do. I think I’ll call Hannah and ask her out after all.”
Quinn opened his mouth to say something, but shut it immediately. His eyes lost their glimmer, dulling into a dark green. He stormed out of my room, murmuring as he went.
I rang Hannah and left a message. “Hannah, hi. Look, about us dating . . . I’m not yet sure that’s a great idea. Can we have a trial date and see how things go?”
A minute later, the front door clicked shut, and Quinn was gone.
“A trial date, Liam?” Hannah said as I slumped into my chair on Monday morning and opened my laptop.
I looked over at her tapping a red pen to her chin. “I realize it’s not the most romantic of propositions. But I feel we are both practical rather than sentimental at heart.”
She bit the top of her pen and processed my words. In a soft voice, she replied, “Lotte warned me this will likely never go anywhere. If you didn’t jump at the first offer, you never will, she said. I’m beginning to think she’s right.”
I opened my drawer, rummaged through pens and paper clips to the snacks I kept at the back. Pulling out one of the chocolate mints I knew she loved, I sent her a smile and handed one over. A peace offering of sorts.
She laughed as she picked it up and started unwrapping. “What’s this?”
“That’s me trying to say that I understand if you don’t want to go on a date.”
Holding the mint to her lips, she paused. “The thing is, Lotte rules her life with her heart and so far it’s brought nothing but drama and heartache.” She nibbled at the edge of the mint. “Pragmatism works for me. Let’s do dinner, make out some, and see what happens. How does Friday work for you?”
