Page 97 of Stay with Me

I didn’t answer, because Jax had come out of the liquor room, carrying several bottles. His eyes narrowed on us as he strolled past, but there was a small grin on his full lips. He winked at me.

My tummy fluttered, because my tummy was dumb.

“You know, he really is a great guy,” she said, not like I didn’t already realize that. “Like the kind that really has your back. Last year, Reece ...” She said his name with a pause that caused my eyebrow to rise. “He was in an officer-involved shooting. Totally legit, but you know, I think shooting someone kind of messes with your head. Jax was totally there for him.”

Now both of my brows were in my hairline. Damn. I didn’t know what to say to that.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the office. “So you two are together.”

“No. I mean, I don’t know.” I squeezed my eyes shut and took a breath. “I guess we are. Kind of.”

“Kind of?” Her brows shot up over her black rims. “Either you’re together, like one-on-one with rules.”

“Rules?”

“Yeah, like you’re only seeing each other.”

Oh. There was the fourth duh of the day. “We haven’t discussed that.”

“Then you’re fuck buddies?” she asked, eyes narrowing.

My cheeks heated. “I don’t think we’re that, either.” Or were we? I mean, it wasn’t like anything was labeled or discussed oranything.

“Okay.” Roxy patted my arm, and I blinked away thoughts of fuck buddies. “I can so tell that being fuck buddies would not be cool with you. So that leaves, you guys are together, as in dating, as in seeing how it goes?”

“That sounds about right. We’re going out tomorrow, to Apollo’s.”

She clapped. “Oh, that’s a damn good place. Great steaks.”

“That’s what I hear,” I murmured.

“Fuck buddies don’t take each other to Apollo’s.” Her lips slipped down at the corners. “They take each other to places like Mona’s. Trust me, I know.”

I noticed that frown, but she went on. “Apollo’s is for those dating who are serious. Like as in, the guy knows what kind of coffee you like in the morning and how you like it. Apollo’s is impressive. And did I mention the steaks were great?”

Suddenly, I wanted to talk to Teresa. I wanted to tell her what was going on because I had a feeling I really didn’t know what was going on. But it was late and Teresa was at the beach with Jase. I looked down at Roxy and bit my bottom lip. I didn’t know ... oh hell, fuck it. “I’ve never had a boyfriend.”

Roxy blinked slowly and then took a step back. She raised a finger, walked over to the door and closed it, then turned to me. “Not a single boyfriend?”

I shook my head.

“Have you ever had a fuck buddy?”

I shook my head again.

She leaned against the door. “So I’m assuming that the cherry convo we had before hit close to home?”

“Uh. Yeah.” I sat on the edge of the desk, crossing my ankles. “Cherry is intact.”

“Wow,” she murmured.

I frowned. “What?”

“I don’t know. Virgin twenty-one-year-olds are kind of like Big Foot.”

My shoulders slumped. “Gee. Thanks.”

“You know what I mean.” She slid her glasses up to the top of her head. “You hear about Big Foot, but no one has really seen Big Foot in person. Same with twenty-one-year-old virgins.”

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