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Drinking already huh? Feel like pouring me a glass?
A laugh escaped me, and I stared at the screen. Was he inviting himself over to day drink with me? Itwasalmost four. I decided that the weekend had officially started, and I deserved a little more credit than that.
Just finished the bottle. Wine goes quick around here!
The empty evidence sat on the corner of the counter, judging me for working through it so quickly. When he didn’t text back right away, I propped my feet back up and watched the last fifteen minutes of the episode. When my phone vibrated on the coffee table, I bit my bottom lip and tapped my glass. This time it was a phone call instead of a text.
I cleared my throat before I answered. “Hello?”
“Hey. What are you doing?”
“Still sipping my wine.” A goofy grin spread across my face. “What are you doing?”
“Walking,” he said and then muttered, “Oh, shit.” Sounds of car horns erupted from the other end of the line.
“Are you walking or playing in traffic?”
“I just ran across Wooster,” he explained, like it was something he did every day. A bell chimed in the distance, and I pressed the phone harder against my ear to try and hear more of the background noise.
The line went silent for a full minute before I asked, “Bryson, what are you doing?”
I heard a cooler door shut. “Getting beer. You invited me over, remember?”
I glanced around the apartment and wondered if I should tidy things up or at least light a candle. Then I glanced down at my sweatpants and old T-shirt and decided to change into something that showed a little more skin. I leaped up from the couch and ran into my room.
“Can you get some Black Cherry Mike’s Hard for Katie and me?” I slipped off my clothes and found a black tank top and my favorite joggers. I tugged on my cleavage just a little bit and replaced my sports bra with a regular bra for some extra curve.
“You won’t drink Natty?”
“Not since I was seventeen.” I laughed and took one last look in the mirror before returning to the living room. I turned on my wax warmer and slipped a fresh cranberry-orange cube into the warming plate.
Bryson thanked the cashier in the background, and the bell from earlier chimed again.
My eyes narrowed. “Are you walking here?”
“It’s nice outside,” he said. “I’ll be there in ten.”
“It’s like fifty-five outside,” I argued.
“So, nice for shitty Ohio. I’ll see you soon.”
Just as we ended our conversation, I heard a set of keys from the hall and Katie rushed into our apartment. She was a frazzled mess, with a giant Bowling Green tote in one arm, her car keys in the opposite hand, and a bookbag that looked like it weighed eighty pounds.
“Thank thefuckit is Friday,” she exclaimed and made a beeline to her bedroom. She emerged back to the living room in a blue V-neck tee and leggings. “Did you finish off the Moscato? Bitch, I could’ve picked up a bottle on my way home!”
I laughed and handed her my glass. “Drink up. We are hosting my Fun Dip in about ten minutes, and he is bringing us Mike’s.”
Her eyes widened, and she gulped half the glass in one breath. “Which one?” she teased and snapped immediately back into her natural self, leaving Frazzled Katie for Monday morning.
“Funny,” I deadpanned and headed to our storage shelf underneath the coffee table. My old GameCube from middle school was our hosting go-to when we weren’t throwing parties. It had the needed classics like Mario Kart and Mario Party, games where everyone could play and drink.
“So, Bryson, huh?” Katie gestured to the Mario Kart disc I held in my hand. “If it were Jaxon coming over, you wouldn’t be worried about how you’re going to entertain him.” She lifted her eyebrows as she sipped.
I knew that she was teasing, so I laughed and shook my head to ignore the accuracy of her statement. I probably wouldn’t have even changed if it were Jaxon coming over. The last time he was in this apartment, I was practically naked, and he requested I put some shorts on. Part of her comment stung just a little bit because we hadn’t had a real conversation in almost a week.
“Don’t mention Jaxon,” I said quickly. “I don’t know if Jaxon has said anything to Bryson, and things are already weird between us.”
“Can itbeweird if you haven’t seen each othersincethe morning run-in?” Katie walked her empty glass to the sink. “Where is this Fun Dip with the Mike’s?”
