Page 22 of Six Wishes

CHAPTER11

Old geezer

Chloe

I gasp in shock at hearing Van’s words. His friend is standing behind him, doing everything in his power not to laugh.

“Van,” I try to keep my voice as calm as possible. “This is not funny. Also, you making fun of me like this right after we had sex is a total turn off, I have to say. I know you haven’t offered seconds, but now I’m thinking I wouldn’t come back for them anyway.”

He seems to be shocked by my comment if the surprised look on his face is anything to go by. I almost crack a smile when Zach chuckles from the peanut gallery, “I like her.”

“Chloe,” Van’s voice goes low and deep now, sending tiny little shockwaves to my brain as it remembers all the words he spoke to me while we were in the midst of our passionate tryst only minutes ago. “If you think this is a joke, you need to think again.”

“What?” I am completely taken aback.

“I haven’t had a girlfriend in a very long time…” He gives me an intense look, but I have to cut him off because, seriously.

“Yeah, okay, Van. You’re what, thirty-some years old and you haven’t…” Now it’s his turn to cut me off.

“For one, I am only thirty-two, and you make me sound like I’m some old geezer.” I almost start laughing but force myself to maintain my most serious face. “For two, I didn’t say that I haven’t had sex in a long time. Just that I haven’t been steady with anyone in a very long time.”

“Dude,” Zach leans forward and whispers loudly. “I think the term going steady went out back in the sixties or worse. That’s not going to make you look any younger.”

I really start giggling when I see the look of contempt Van throws his friend’s way. However, Zach doesn’t seem to be affected by it. He puts his hands up in mock defense and shrugs, “Just sayin’…”

Van’s eyes come back to my face, and he almost looks offended by what Zach said a minute ago.

“Anyway,” he continues, “What I’m trying to say is that I really felt a connection with you the other day at Mud Duck’s. And that’s why I showed up at the gym today. And that’s why I wanted you to come home with me after the game. And that’s why…”

I slap a hand over his mouth to make him shut up. If he’s about to say what I think he is, he needs to stop. Bad enough that Zach most likely saw me in a most intimate moment when he barged into Van’s house earlier. But I don’t need him to actually hear the words that led to it too.

I jump a little when I feel Van’s teeth nipping at the soft pad of my hand, then he licks at the spot, like he’s trying to make it better.

I pull my hand back and wipe it on the back of my shorts. “Eww, Van, why did you lick my hand?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he says it but doesn’t sound apologetic at all. Quite the opposite in fact. “Was that inappropriate? Because I thought it’d be okay given how I licked your pu…” My hand slaps on his mouth again, this time harder.

“What is wrong with you?” I whisper yell at him. “There are people here,” I point with my chin toward where Zach is standing, not even trying to pretend like he’s not listening to every single exchange that goes on between me and Van.

“Zach’s not people,” Van mumbles from behind my hand.

“I’m not,” Zach leans forward to say.

“He’s heard worse,” Van continues in a muttered tone since my hand is still covering his mouth.

Zach leans forward again. “I have.”

“Oh my God, this is like we’re the three stooges,” I exclaim in frustration and finally remove my hand from Van’s mouth.

“So, are you my girlfriend now?” he gives me a wide grin. My stupid face can’t help it and grins back at him. But before I commit to it, I ask a couple more questions.

“How come you didn’t feel this connection,” I do imaginary quotation marks with my fingers when I say the last word and almost roll my eyes, “when you met me the first time? When you were hitting on Alison, might I add.”

“Oh, dude,” Zach stage whispers from behind Van, “she got you with that one. I can’t believe you did that, hit on your girlfriend’s friend. That’s low.”

“I wasn’t hitting on her for real,” Van jumps to defend himself. “I knew she was with Wyatt, and I actually want an in to mend fences with him. Thought she’d help me out.”

“Wyatt Knight?” Zach’s eyebrows go up in surprise, and now they’re having a side conversation that’s got nothing to do with me.

---