Well they might go away faster if you stopped being so...you.
That did it. I was crazy about this guy. He could've told me to stop licking my lips, or tossing my hair, or wearing revealing clothes, or simply to stop being so hot. But he went after my personality. How was a girl supposed to resist that?
Too pleased not to turn playful, I set my phone on video mode and clicked record when I saw my own face reflected on the screen.
“Would you rather I be Eva instead?” I asked the phone aloud. Giving the best impersonation of my cousin as I could manage, I mimicked, “Good morning, Mason. Looking good today. What say we skip classes and have some...fun.” Then I toyed with the collar of my blouse and let the camera see me undo one button before I focused it on my face again and winked.
A minute after sending that bad boy off, he returned with: Need more cleavage please.
The ‘please’ part made me throw my head back and shout out a laugh. I typed, Perv, and almost as soon as I hit send, a text came back to me.
See, your laugh is exactly what's keeping me away, woman. I just want to kiss those lips and hoard that sound all to myself.
My breath caught in my throat. Suddenly the amount he’d told me he charged his customers seemed like a mere pittance. If he talked like that when he was on the clock, no wonder why he had such a lucrative business going. Damn it.
My throat was a little constricted and it was hard for me to draw in air because I felt so full of emotion. It took me a moment to realize he’d just admitted he’d seen me laugh.
Face zipping up, I glanced around, shocked to learn he was nearby.
Are you stalking me?
I'm sitting on the bench by the eagle statue. I thought you saw me.
When I looked, he lifted his hand. Rolling my eyes, I typed him a new message. Mason, you goober, just come sit by me already.
From where I sat, I saw him shake his head. Not yet. I need to get to class anyway.
As he gathered his bag and stood, I sniffed. I’d eaten lunch with him enough to know he didn’t have class for another half hour. But if he wanted to keep dodging me…
Before you go, just one thing. I know I tease you A LOT about your “urges,” but I am glad you told me about them so I understand. Thank you for that.
He was almost to the entrance of the main building when he paused and dug his phone out of his pocket. I watched his back and the way his dark head bent as he read what I’d written. When he was finished, he looked back at me.
I returned the stare, waiting. But he rotated away and entered the college. A disappointed hiss of air leaked from my lungs. God, I was so pathetic, crushing on a freaking gigolo and then flirting with him mercilessly.
I mean, how much more forbidden could a guy get? I could tell myself a million times over that I just wanted to be his friend, but that would be a lie…a million times over.
Thirty seconds later, my phone dinged, and it was scary how happy that made me.
Are we getting serious now?
I sighed and idly fiddled with my nose ring, because I still hadn’t gotten used to it being there, and typed back: Apparently.
I really needed to get over this guy and move on. But then he wrote: In that case, thanks for staying my friend even though I want to jump your bones.
Amusement and tenderness fizzled inside me. I think a part of my personality was beginning to rub off on him. He could be sweet, charming, flirty, and kind of crude all in the same breath.
A man after my own heart.
The feeling is mutual, you know, I felt compelled to tell him. Girls get urges too.
He'd be out of a job of they didn't.
A second later, my phone buzzed. You probably shouldn't have told me that. Now I'm going to have to stay away longer.
With a frown, I responded: Hey I can control MY urges, thank you very much.
With you, I'm not so sure I can control mine. You're getting hard to resist.
I couldn’t help it; I had to tease: Don't say hard. You just sent my mind straight to dirty girl land.
Now who's the perv?
I'll accept that award. Want to hear my thank-you speech?
No time. I really do need to go. Flirt with you later.
Buzzkill.
He honestly must’ve had somewhere to be, because he never did reply. Our conversation left me in a strange mix of moods for the rest of the day. Whenever I’d remember something he had typed, I’d grin and feel lighthearted. A few times, I even pulled out my phone to reread some of his messages. I just want to kiss those lips and hoard that sound all to myself was my all-time favorite.
I wanted to hoard him all to myself too. It wasn’t fair that a bunch of strangers who knew nothing about him got to be with him in ways I never would. And...then I was reminded all over again why we could only flirt through texts, and my emotions would plummet. I wanted him to plop down on the bench across from me at our lunch table and steal some of my food.
I wanted Mason back.