My heart walloped in my chest before it clogged my throat.
“Yeah. Mistaken identity,” I whispered staring into the guy’s eyes before I rolled into Shane’s chest and wrapped my arms up around his neck. Sure I was playing into a whole lie of being with Shane, but if it kept him from finding out exactly who I was when I wasn’t with him, then I’d gladly pay for the repercussions later.
The douchebag took a step back. Noticing I wasn’t going to give him the opportunity to fuck up what I had or didn’t have with Shane.
“My bad, from across the restaurant she looked like someone I met before.” He turned and shuffled back to his table where the short pudgy guy waited for details.
Milliseconds weren’t wasted before Shane used the opportunity to pull me toward him and drop his mouth against my ear.
“What was that about? Not that I’m complaining,” he whispered. The warmth of his breath across my ear caused shivers to roll down my spine and settle between my legs. His hands slipped down and rested on the rise of my ass. God, he felt so good, our curves met so perfectly, each filled flawlessly by the shape of our bodies. I couldn’t say it didn’t feel good, right, or perfect. But, I had to be realistic. I pushed my nose against the bend of his neck and inhaled.
“You want me to say you were right? Okay, so I underestimated the room,” I said, intentionally brushing my lips against his skin as I spoke. “Just promise me you’ll never leave me alone next time we have lunch.” I tightened my embrace before I pulled back and took in his expression. Goose bumps rose across his exposed skin as a smile broached his lips.
“What? Why are you smiling?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he mumbled.
“Come on, what’s up?” I playfully banged my fists against his hard thick chest as I stepped back out of our embrace.
“Just happy that you agreed to go to lunch with me again,” he mumbled as he cocked his head and smiled.
Vulnerability drenched his boyish charm, soaking restlessly through his speckled hazel eyes. I wrestled every nerve in my body into submission, hoping the vibe my body was putting off wasn’t showing him the real desire that was stirring between my thighs.
Do whatever it takes to keep cool, Rose; keep it together, for fuck’s sake.
I went to say something, opened my mouth to clear up the emotions swirling frantically around us, but thanks to the big guy upstairs, I was interrupted by Philomena bringing Shane his plate full of oysters and me my salad. Shane smiled as the waitress set his cluster of aphrodisiacs down on the table. We both sat down across from one another, hoping that the space between would defuse the energy, but when our eyes met and he winked at me . . . The only thought running through my head . . . I better avoid eating any oysters. Whether it was a reality or a myth, at this point, I think adding anymore lead to his pencil would only have me volunteering to be his paper.
DOING MY LAUNDRY with Shane on Thursdays had become the moments I looked forward to most lately. Every other day of the week had become nothing more than an irritating pebble in the shoe I called my life. Thank God for Sybil; we got back to our normal and she forgave me for being an asshole. She was the one person who wouldn’t allow me to push her away. We may have lashed out at one another, because that’s what you do with the person you’re closest to and she is my person. Sybil cautioned me about spending too much time with Shane, that I was setting myself up for a big hurt. But, being with Shane, just hanging out with him and doing laundry had been the most satisfying part of my entire life.
It was pretty sad that my happiest of moments were measured by the amount of dirty clothes I brought to a laundromat to be washed and dried. It was the simplest way Shane and I could remain friends in this awkward type of friendship. We’d fostered this kind of connection where neither of us really knew what to call it. I wasn’t fucking him for money or anything else and he wasn’t paying my way.