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“I went to the University of Wisconsin,” he says, again with his smile that could charm the pants off me for sure. “And to answer all your previous questions, I majored in business, and I graduated with a B average, and pissed off my parents when I didn’t take a job using my degree, but now they’re okay with it all.”
“Not too bad, and I’ll admit, it’s not what I expected you to say.” He leans back against the counter, standing across from me, his t-shirt lifting a little, exposing his tanned, muscled stomach. If I ignore the fact that we were just fuck buddies, I could absolutely jump in bed with him again, but I can’t change the rules again to suit my needs.
I’m the one who cut it off, and it’s going to have to be me who makes the first move in this situation. He’s been very hands-off, doing a lot to show me he’s interested in more and he doesn’t seem like he’ll be the one to cross the line over to what we used to be.
“I know, it was written all over your face when I told you I went to college. It’s cool though.”
“Is it though? I mean, I was totally judging you based on the fact that you work maintenance at a vineyard. I just assumed you were…” I trail off, not wanting to admit I thought he was a little trashy. It’s super judgmental and shitty of me.
Had we gotten to know each other earlier, I would’ve known this wasn’t true, but also, I shouldn’t be so closed-minded and quick to assume.
“Did you grow up in the Midwest?” I now ask, trying to move away from the fact that I was absolutely a judgmental bitch. Lesson learned.
“Nah, grew up here. Yountville,” he says, and it hits me almost immediately.
“Wait, we went to high school together then?”
“Seriously? You sure?”
“Yeah, I grew up in Napa so we must have.”
“Been here your whole life then, huh?” he says, smiling, because I told him I was moving when I childishly ended things before. I’m such a fucking chicken shit. I should’ve just told him I didn’t want to do the whole fuck buddies thing anymore. I’m never going to live this down.
“Yes, smartass, and yes, I told you I was moving instead of telling you I wasn’t interested in…in…I don’t know, whatever it was we were calling that thing we were doing.”
“Casual sex?” he prompts.
“Yeah, that. That’s the nice way of putting it. But seriously, did we really go to high school together? It’s a small school, I think I would’ve remembered you.”
He pauses, and I take in his face, trying to figure out if I should know him. It was eleven years ago that I was in high school, but this town is small, and the high school is smaller.
“I think we may not have been there at the same time,” he now admits, a sheepishly quiet quality to his words, and it catches me off guard.
“Oh my god,” I mutter, slapping a hand over my face, as I realize what is happening right now. “How old are you?” This was clearly something we didn’t get into when we started sleeping together, but now it all seems so obvious.
“How old are you?” he hits back, but that cheeky grin is gone and is replaced with a look of wonder that probably mirrors mine.
Who is older?
Fuck my life, I’m certain it’s me, but the question is, by how much? It seriously could be super simple, like four years and it probably is because in order for him to have graduated from college, he has to be at least twenty-two. And with me being twenty-nine, that would be a max of seven years. I can deal with seven years. That’s certainly not an age gap and it doesn’t even place me in the category of a cougar. I’m not someone’s mom sleeping with her teenage son’s friend.
“You go first,” I say, rolling my hand to get him talking.
“I’m twenty-four,” he admits, and the sigh I let out is way too dramatic given the situation. “Wow, that was intense,” he now jokes. “I didn’t think the age thing was that big of an issue, but you really stressed yourself out about it in that short amount of time. And anyway, who cares. Look at Penny and Tommy. No one cares that he’s older than her.”
“Yeah, that’s because it’s the guy being older. There’s this weird stigma when it’s the woman,” I say. “I’m twenty-nine, so that explains why we missed each other in school. Five years.”
“That’s kinda a letdown. To think I could’ve been hooking up with you back when we were younger and more adventurous in the sack,” he says, and I immediately take offense to it.
“Whoa, hold up!” I shout, pointing a finger at him. “You were the one who would call at midnight and ask what I was doing. I had worked a full day and you wanted to hook up in the middle of the night. I’m plenty adventurous, I’ll have you know.”
I don’t dare mention that I’ve faked my orgasms, and that if anyone needs to be more adventurous, it’s him. Straight up vanilla sex and then he was out the door before the sheets even got cold.
He scoffs, and I’m starting to get offended. “You never expressed that you wanted more, because trust me, I’ve got fucking skills you know nothing about.”
Now it’s me who’s scoffing and trying to quell the laugh I want to let out. “Maybe someday I’ll get to see those skills.”
“I’ve got a bedroom,” he suggests, and I shake my head.
“Nope, it’s not going to happen that easily, buddy.”
“I’ve got plenty of time, Tessa.”
