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My sobs fall away as my laughter takes over. I love that he can cheer me up so easily. No one has ever been able to do so like he can. “Thank you, Rye.”
He squeezes me into him. “Cometh, milady. Let’s go see if you can change my mind about this festival.”
RILEY
FROM FEBRUARY THROUGH OCTOBER, the town of Ashland is taken over by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. They boast three theaters, rotating eleven plays throughout each season. While they also offer non-Shakespeare works, my mom would never consider attending anything that wasn’t written by the festival’s namesake himself. I’ve never been much of a fan, but Devyn apparently shares the same passion for good ol’ William.
We’re seeing Antony and Cleopatra tonight in the outdoor Elizabethan theater. Our seats are in the balcony so we have a perfect view of the pink and purple sky as the sun sets behind the mountains. I’m honestly not paying much consideration to the actors; I’m much more interested in the woman beside me. Every once in a while, Devyn looks over and catches me staring at her. She simply smiles and returns her eyes to the stage. I don’t think she has any clue that I’m studying her so closely. She watches with rapt attention for hours as Mark Antony repeatedly neglects his soldierly duties after being beguiled by the Queen of Egypt. Blah, blah, blah, battles are waged. Blah, blah, blah, they both die in the end. Typical tragedy.
The full gamut of emotions runs over her face as she sits there, enraptured by the story. I’m seeing another side of her tonight. She’s normally just one of the guys—albeit, in a hot chick’s body, but still one of the guys. She’s totally into sports, hanging out, drinking beer, eating pizza, shooting pool…you know, normal dude stuff. Right now, I’m seeing the cultured, sophisticated, feminine person that lies beneath the surface. Trust me, my dick is aware of her womanly parts at all times, especially when she’s wearing a dress like she is tonight, but I’ve never seen her in this light before today. I’m itching to find out more about this Devyn.
I realize the play is over as Devyn stands. “Riley, are you coming?”
I get out of my seat and take the hand she is offering. We filter out of the theater and begin walking around the town square. She hasn’t pulled her hand away yet and I’m not complaining.
“Care to commemorate your visit to our festival?”
Devyn stops mid-stride as the street vendor asks his question. “I’m sorry, were you talking to us?”
The robust man in full costume holds up his camera. “Milady, I’d be honored to take a picture of such a lovely couple.” He gestures to the wooden kiosk that holds several mementos available for purchase. “Perhaps you’d like to take home a framed photo? We also offer magnets and key chains if you’d like something smaller.”
She blushes. “Oh, right. Um…we aren’t a couple. We’re just friends.”
The vendor looks at our joined hands. “My apologies for the error, milady. Perhaps a photo between friends, then?”
She follows his gaze and pulls out of my grip. “Oh, uh…no, thank you.”
I awkwardly put my hands in my pockets as we start walking again. “You feel like walking for a while before we head back to the hotel?”
“Sure.” She holds out her hand and smiles. “Screw it. Who said friends can’t hold hands?”
I smirk as I take my hand out of my pocket and link our fingers together. “Not me.”
She squeezes my fingers. “Me neither.”
As we stroll through a large park I ask, “So, what did you think of the play?”
Her face lights up. “Oh, I loved it! I think they did such a good job! I’ve never seen that partic
ular one before. It was beautiful…I think Cleopatra is definitely one of Shakespeare’s more complex characters. You feel empathy for her one minute, but then hate her in the next. Ya know? What did you think? Was the festival better than you remembered?”
I pull her arm and jerk her into my body. “No offense to my mom, but the company was definitely better this time around.”
She tucks her chin. We’re so close that I can feel the rapid beat of her heart. Her breath catches when her tits brush against my chest. I’m not positive, but I think I see her nipples poking out. Fuck me, but my dick just became rock hard thinking about it. We stand facing each other, chest to chest, just breathing without a word. Oh fuck it, I think before taking one step closer so she can feel the evidence of how she affects me.
Devyn gasps and tilts her face up. “Riley, what are—”
I put my index finger on her lips to silence her protest. “Shhh. I just need to see something.”
I lean down slowly towards her mouth. I don’t know why I’m about to cross this line after two years of a strictly platonic—okay, mostly platonic—relationship, but I can’t seem to stop myself. She holds herself completely still waiting for me to make my move. I need to know if she’s feeling what I’m feeling. I don’t even know how to articulate exactly what I’m feeling right now, but it’s definitely something.
She turns her face away right before our lips touch. “It’s starting to rain.”
I pull back and shake my head to clear the fog. “Huh?”
She looks up towards the sky and wipes a raindrop off her forehead. “The storm is rolling in. We’d better start walking back before it gets too bad.”
“Right,” I say.
