Page 218 of Daddy's Pride

I slumped back down on the bar stool and really wished I’d taken the bartender up on another drink so I’d have something to calm my nerves right now. He was down at the other end of the bar at the moment, though, so I had nothing to distract me as I stared at my phone and waited for the scary girl’s reply.

When my eyeballs started to feel too dry from all the staring, I realized how dumb I was being. She probably either hadn’t seen the messages yet, or had already blocked my number. A totally valid response, of course.

Unless she really was going to try to report me as some kind of creep?

I broke out in a cold sweat, pretty sure I was overreacting but still totally unable to stop myself from imagining one doomsday scenario after another where my life got flushed down the toilet all because of my drunken roommate’s complete lack of boundaries.

I re-read the messages Tyler and I had sent, trying to put myself in Scary Girl’s shoes.

FRIDAY 11:23 PM

I’ve been a bad, bad boy. Will you come spank me if I promise to call you Mommy and suck on your tits?

FRIDAY 11:26 PM

Hi! Please ignore that. I am SO sorry. It wasn’t from me.

Okay, as apologies went, mine pretty much sucked, but I’d been panicking!

Maybe I should send another message and try to explain a little better?

Before I could decide if that was a good idea or another disaster in the making, she finally replied.

FRIDAY 11:31 PM

A bad, bad boy? Of course it wasn’t you. ;)

Okay. Um, she didn’t sound mad? That was good. But what did the winky face mean?

Did she not believe me?

FRIDAY 11:32 PM

But it really wasn’t me.

FRIDAY 11:33 PM

And that’s exactly what a boy who’s been bad would say, now isn’t it?

I gaped at my phone. Oh my God, she didn’t believe me.

FRIDAY 11:34 PM

No!

I mean, I wouldn’t know?

FRIDAY 11:34 PM

Is that a question?

FRIDAY 11:35 PM

No.

I just

Oh God. She had me so flustered that I hit send too soon. But also, I had no idea what I was trying to say. So maybe I should just admit that?

---