Even on nights where we stream until 2 a.m., Jackson will still get up to head to the gym at six thirty on the dot.
“Yeah, but you’re currently wearing your shirt inside out, so I’d rather come down and make sure you don’t accidentally drop a dumbbell on your foot.”
I pull at the collar of my shirt and swear before tugging it off and putting it back on again.
“I’ll be fine. I just need to blow off a little steam.”
“Thought last night would’ve settled that.”
Last night is why I’m in this fucking spiral.
Jackson crosses his arms when I don’t say anything. “I’m serious, Aleks. I’ll meet you down there and spot you.”
He’s not going to let this go. Protective grump.
“Fine, whatever.” I get in the elevator and punch the button for the tenth floor, watching Jackson dart into his room as the doors close. I lean against the side wall, sipping on my pre-workout as I watch the numbers slowly count down. If I’m lucky, the gym will be empty. It’s highly unlikely given that it is Sunday morning, but a guy can hope.
When I step out of the elevator, I’m immediately greeted by that classic gym smell. I let it roll over me, getting me in the headspace.
Swiping a towel from the entry, I make my way into the workout area and onto an empty treadmill to warm up. Sliding on my headphones, I blast my workout playlist, hardcore EDM filling my ears.
Two hours later, I’m finishing up my arm circuit with Jackson, adrenaline and endorphins rushing through me. I feel a million times better. Until I catch the flash of a brunette walking into the gym and stop mid-rep. It’s not Stevie. But for the split second that I thought it was her, hope sparked in my chest.
I’m so fucked.
NINE
* * *
STEVIE
I pull into the parking lot by Glass & Grass with a sigh. I tossed and turned all night for no goddamned reason, causing me to miss my first alarm. Which meant I had no time to make coffee before yoga. Ok, realistically, I could have made a coffee, but I decided my time was better spent putting on mascara and doing my brows.
I eye myself in the rearview mirror.
While I feel like death, at least I don’t look it.
I swipe a fresh coat of lip gloss on before shoving the tube in my purse and getting out of my car. There is a cool breeze today, and I take a second to embrace it before making my way to the restaurant.
I adore this place. The interior is decked out in neon yellow motivational signs, hanging glass sculptures, and copious numbers of plants. The food is great, the drinks are strong for the price you pay, and they make my favorite coffee in the entire world: a maple bourbon latte. It is pure heaven. I hate sugary drinks, and ninety percent of the time when you order a flavored coffee, it tastes like someone spilled half the syrup bottle in it. But not this one. Nope, it has a slightly sweet taste with a smoky undertone. Perfection.
Deanna is parked at one of the half booth tables, obviously having taken the plush booth side for herself. Her full concentration is on the phone in front of her, her thick braids curtaining her face.
“Is the world falling apart?” I ask Dee as I slide onto the white seat across from her. She glances up and blows me a kiss.
“You have no idea. Hang on, let me show you.” Her pink acrylics fly across the screen before she slides her phone across the table.
FIST FIGHT AT VSAs: STREAMERS BATTLE IT OUT OVER A WOMAN
My stomach drops.
“Oh no. Oh please, no.” I snatch the phone up and scroll through the article, speed reading as fast as I can.
All I can think about is that my mother is going to be embarrassed and furious. She is going to force me to start attending women’s luncheons and join more charity committees to repair the family’s image. Then, she’ll set me up on a bunch of dates with boring business heirs to get me to settle down. Or worse, she’ll have me marry Chase to save face.
It’s not until I’ve read it three times and zoomed in on every photo that the nausea begins to dissipate.
“I hate you.” I shove her phone back across the table and cross my arms. “You knew I’d think that was about me.”
Deanna snorts. “Because I wish it was.”
“Oh yeah? What do you wish it said? Waitress Receives Finger Treatment from Famous Streamer at Awards Ceremony?”
“I mean, I was thinking of something a little punchier like, Bad Boy Streamer Bangs One Out at VSAs.”
“That just makes it sound like he got himself off.”
We pause our conversation as the waitress swings past to grab our orders. Deanna gets a mimosa and blueberry crumble baked oatmeal while I order my maple bourbon coffee and a poached egg avocado toast. I’m trying to find a way to tell her I jerked him off under the table without her making a huge fuss about it, but there is no scenario in my head where that doesn’t happen. I wait until the waitress has brought our drinks so that there is no risk of someone overhearing.
I take a sip of the mapley goodness, humming in delight as the warmth spreads throughout me. There is nothing quite like that first sip of coffee.
“So, are you going to give me all the details, or am I going to have to pull them out of you?” Deanna slurps loudly on her mimosa.
“Maybe I don’t kiss and tell.”
She gives me a short laugh. “Bullshit. First off, there is no way you kissed unless he took off his mask, and sorry, babe, I love you, but even I know you aren’t special enough for that to be the case.”
“Ouch,” I bring my hand to my chest and give her a fake pained expression.
“Second,” she points a finger at me, “I spent all of Freshman year listening to you provide excessively detailed recaps of your sexual adventures, so don’t try to bullshit me now.”
“Fine, fine,” I concede. She stares at me and raises a single eyebrow, waiting. “He fingered me in the closet after I kneed that Decker dude in the balls for trying to corner me, and then I went back to the event floor and jerked him off under the table.” The words tumble out of my mouth like my tongue is on fire.
Deanna proceeds to choke on her mimosa.
“You did what?”
“I kneed Daniel Decker in the balls.”
“You know that is not what I was referring to.”
I give her an awkward smile before taking another sip of coffee. Maybe I should’ve gotten some Baileys in this…
“I got down on my knees, crawled under the table, gave him a hand job, and swallowed him clean.”
She blinks a few times before letting out a snort.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting that.” She tilts her head. “Also, why a hand job? That’s so…high school.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m sorry. Next time I’ll make sure the event has tables high enough so that they can accommodate dick sucking.”
“Was it big? Wait, no, rewind. The closet. Was he good?”
“That man can make a girl come with his fingers like Mozart can play the piano. Flawlessly.” I can’t stop the smile from spreading out on my face. “You know how you hear people talk about seeing stars? It was like that. Totally mind-blowing.”