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Bad sex. That's not hot. That's good. "Take your tits out." Fuck. It's a great suggestion—they really are perfect—and a very inviting mental image.
"Dare!" She flushes red.
"It's not a joke."
She nods, taking in the suggestion, studying the demonstration device as she pumps it again and again.
I can't look away. I can't channel thoughts of baseball or Mr. Dickson or my brother crying on the couch.
I can't do anything but picture Val working me with this sort of fascination.
Then she looks up at me with those big brown eyes and I nearly come on the spot.
"Thanks." She drops her hand. "That was great."
"You're ready for the date?"
"Well, there is one more thing."
"Oh?" I can't find a single conscious thought.
"Kissing," she says.
Okay, I can handle kissing. With a pillow between my crotch and hers.
"And, well…" She looks to her room. "Not just kissing."
What do you want to know, baby? I can practice anything.
"I… I haven't unzipped anything in a long time."
"Okay."
"You sure? I don't want to ask too much."
No. I'm not sure. But we're way past too much. We're way past red alert. I might as well go all in. "Let's do it."
She nods. "You should probably put pants on first."
I should do a lot more than that, but pants are a good start.
Chapter Twenty-Four
VAL
Val: Are you sure about this?
Archie: Absolutely.
Val: I still think he's not interested.
Archie: You spent the day with him?
Val: Sightseeing.
Sightseeing and requesting erotic demonstrations, but still. There's a big difference between teaching technique with a vegetable and teaching technique with one-on-one training.
Archie: And he never once looked at you like he wants you?
Val: There's a difference between physical desire and emotional attraction.
Archie: You like him.
He's my best friend, yes, but I don't know where that ends and everything else begins.
Val: If I decide I don't want more than friendship, you'll drop it?
Archie: I promise.
Val: Okay. I'll see you in two hours.
Archie: Good luck.
I don't mention my off-script suggestion of practice. Not that I agreed to follow Archie's script. No. But he's doing me a big favor, playing along, pretending he's really interested—
And I—
Well, I haven't got a clue what this means for tomorrow. But, hey, I have tonight figured out. Sorta. Mostly. Kinda.
Dare's knock interrupts my thoughts. "You ready?"
I lock my cell, slide it into my dresser drawer, stand. "Come in."
Dare pulls the door open and steps inside. He takes in the space with new eyes, as if he's seeing it for the first time or in a whole other context.
Maybe an I'm going to fuck you here, how do I want to do it context.
Or maybe that's completely ridiculous.
No. It's absolutely ridiculous. But what other explanation is there for the mix of curiosity and need in his eyes?
"We need a strategy." He pulls the door closed behind him and takes a step toward me. "For your date."
"Oh?"
"Yeah." Another step. "Can you handle it on your own?"
"You saw me last night."
"You were terrible."
"I was," I say.
"How do you feel about a little backup?" He holds up his cell. "You can call me. I'll listen. Text flirty suggestions."
"Won't that be obvious?"
"Not if you're subtle about it."
"Do you really think I'm capable?"
He laughs. "How about this? I'll be close. You call me if you need help. Sneak to the bathroom or grab the next round or something."
"No. I like the flirty texts. Just… not nonstop."
He nods sure. "Are you going back to the bar?"
I shake my head. "A gin bar."
"Will I have somewhere to hide?"
"It's a busy area. You can hang outside."
"Watch from the window like a stalker?" he asks.
"You did it for my first date."
He smiles at the memory. "Shit. That went terribly."
"Maybe we should try something else?"
"No. I learned from my mistakes." He takes another step. "Unless you'd rather go solo?"
I shake my head. "I like having you close."
His eyes fix on mine.
"I feel safer."
"You don't feel safe with him?"
"I don't feel safe with anyone else." That is true. Really, really true. "But I want to get there."
He nods. "I want that too."
See. He wants me to feel safe with other men. He wants me to be with other men. Archie is wrong. Dare is happy to teach me lip-biting techniques, but he doesn't want more than that.
"Did you have anything in mind?" He motions to the bed may I?
"Let's stay up at first."
He nods sure. "It's easier lying down."
"What's easier?"
"Zippers."
"Are they?"
"Yeah." He nods. "But you don't have to know them inside out. You can tell him to take his pants off."
"Isn't that bossy?"
"Bossy is hot."
"What if he's dominant?"
"Could you handle that?"
"No," I admit. But then it doesn't matter. There's no chance I'm sleeping with Archie.
He moves closer. "Are you sure you're ready to do this, Val?".
No. Not at all. "I want to."
"Okay." He curls his arm around my waist. "Then you have to be ready to play defense."
