Page 46 of Talk Nerdy To Me
Chapter 16
BRITT
I can hear Base playing in his room when I get home Monday afternoon. Tempting as it is to go in there, I decide to sit down in the living room, bringing my email up on the TV so I can watch the links Harley sent me.
When he pauses and starts, I know it’s likely he’s scribbling notes or words, and I find myself smiling for no obvious reason. Maybe it’s because the house doesn’t have that eerie silence anymore when I get home.
I’m not investigating each sound to pinpoint what it is. I don’t hear phantom footsteps when I’m in the shower anymore.
I, unfortunately, fell asleep on the way back from the club Saturday, and spent most of the day yesterday at the library while trying to complete my paper with Brin’s unhelpful help. She wanted to know what I was doing at the library when Base Masters ‘was shirtless in my house.’
I’m not sure why everyone keeps bringing that up. I’ve explained the rejection, and the fact he has no sexual interest in me.
The music stops again, as I finish up one of the videos and move onto the next. But I barely swallow back what is surely a painful screech, when Base is suddenly landing on the couch beside me, having leapt over the back.
“You’re not at work,” he tells me distractedly.
He’s shirtless once again. Maybe shirts irritate his skin. If so, I’m sure I could find him some without abrasive material. I could make a list of quality material, as a matter of fact.
He props his feet up on the coffee table and stretches out his arm on the back of the couch behind my head.
“Harley became willfully uncompromising and told me to work from home, even though she refuses to explain why,” I tell him absently, my eyes dipping to his chest as though gravity compels them.
They run down the line in the center of his abs, only getting distracted by the actual abs for a brief second, before dipping to his waistband where there are definitely muscles toned to a “V” shape.
I stop there instead of looking at his lap, and snap my eyes to the screen, wondering when I’ll once again be in control of all my cognitive functions.
This is really getting ridiculous. I’ve given up trying to rationalize my inability to stop being attracted to him.
He nudges me with his shoulder.
“I figure I’ll be ready to start rehearsing with them in a couple of weeks. You cool with me sticking around that much longer?” he asks as he messages someone on his phone.
I’m not even going to try and figure out why there’s a distinct pang of disappointment in my chest. If I can’t have him, then he might as well be gone so I can stop fantasizing.
I apparently like the frustration, because I really don’t want him to leave.
“Stay as long as you need,” I state quietly, my eyes staring at the screen I have paused.
“What’re you watching?” he asks, putting his phone away. “Wait. I see men in tights. Is this LARPing caught on film?”
“It’s segments of the trials. These are from Land of Lore. Land of Lost Lore has more creatures, more status, and a lot more world building.”
His eyes flick to my ears as his grin grows. “Those elf ears should be on when watching, though, right?”
Frowning, I shake my head. “Why? I’m not role playing right now?”
His smile slips, and he mutters something about role-playing and being a saint that I don’t catch the full context of.
“Is your name Base because Tagland is shortened to Tag?” I ask him. “Like a ‘tag base’ play on words?”
His eyebrows raise, and he peers over at me as he shakes his head slowly. “Nah. My mom likes to call me her anchor, and after a while she started calling me her base because I was her ‘new foundation’. Then soon, she just called me Base as sort of a term of endearment. I was three when it stuck, and by fifteen, when I hurried to make sure the teacher called out Base Masters instead of my real name, I was thankful it stuck.”
I’m smiling before I can stop myself. “What’s your real name?”
“It’s something very few people know,” he says, as though he’s letting me know this is a secret.
“Okay…”
