Page 38 of Something New

"Yes."

"And you have a thing for his dad?"

"Yes. We're getting to know each other. We're taking it really slow."

"What's that mean? Does he have another girlfriend or something?"

"No. Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because you said you were taking it slow like it wasn't your idea. Why would he want to take it so slow with you? Is he Amish?"

"No."

"No kissing?"

"No."

A shocked expression covered his face.

"He's got a kid," I said. "He has to be careful."

"So, it is him who wants to take it slow and not you?"

"I guess so."

"You shouldn't put up with that. You've got Deadpan asking about you at parties, Shy."

"We're both fine with taking it slow. We've had moments. We've been getting to know each other for the last month, and we've definitely had tense moments. Uh—" I started to say something but then I stopped myself, getting out only a grunt.

"What?" he asked, knowing I was about to say something.

"Nothing. I was going to say that I kissed him in my sleep a month ago, but I think it was probably a dream."

"You might've kissed him? Were you trippin'?"

"No, I was sleeping. I was dreaming that I kissed him, and I think I might have done it in real life. It felt real."

"If it was real it would have happened again since then."

"No, because the next time I saw him, I had to go and mess it up. It was the weekend we went to the party in that warehouse. I slept in my car that morning, and my family freaked out. I saw John-Michael the next day, and I was feeling all guilty so I confessed, and now we're not kissing."

"You confessed to what? We didn't do anything that weekend. What would you be confessing to?"

"To going out."

"To going out? Is he a control freak or something?"

"No, but his last wife died in a car accident."

"How old is this guy?" he asked.

"He's only like four years older than me."

"How long has he been stringing you along? For the last month? Is that why you fell off the face of the earth?"

"I didn't, but yes. We hang out a few times a week, and I've still got school and everything."

"And how long are you going to take part in this one-sided relationship?"

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