Page 31 of Maybe You

I make a face at him, and he laughs again.

“What about you?” he asks. “What were you like?”

I snort out a laugh and meet his gaze.

“Really outgoing.” I grin at him. “One of those little smartass shitheads that drove all the teachers insane.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “You’re fucking with me.”

I waggle my brows at him, and his suspicious expression makes me laugh again.

“I’m not. I actually was the annoying, exhausting kid.”

He studies me for the longest time before he says, “Huh.”

It’s my turn to send a questioning look his way.

“You know what? I can totally see it.”

“Yeah?” I ask, lips twitching.

“Hell, yeah. You’re a smartass now, too.”

“I’m really not.”

“I beg to differ,” he scoffs. “You’re sarcastic as fuck.”

“I’m not,” I argue.

He just sends me a skeptical look.

“You bring it out in me.”

“It’s a service I’m providing. I’m very good at it.” He sends me one of his smug grins and gets back to work.

It’s going to be weird doing this alone next week.

And no. That’s not a thought I’m going to entertain. It’s only been a week. Five days. Not even a full week, so it’s not going to be weird. Things will just go back to normal.

We finish work, pack away the cleaning supplies, and head outside.

I still haven’t asked him to sleep with me, and I’m sort of preparing myself for chickening out because maybe it was a stupid plan anyway, and maybe a complete stranger would be easier. What I’m saying is, I’m copping out because I’ve tried nothing and am all out of options.

I lock the door and turn around to find him eyeing me with a look on his face that I can’t decipher.

I wait for him to say something.

He looks some more.

“Do you want to grab a drink?” he asks once he’s made up his mind about whatever it is that makes him look at me with that weird expression on his face. “I’ve paid my dues. I think it deserves a drink.”

I’m so surprised about being presented with this one last opportunity to proposition Sutton that I take way too long to answer, which results in him sending me an amused smirk.

“I’ll be on my best behavior, I swear.”

Fuck’s sake!

Instead of saying something like, ‘No, no. Feel free to make all the double entendres and sexual remarks you like,’ I go with a counterproductive, “That’s fine.” In my head it sounds like I’m saying it’s fine to hit on me. Fine and even welcome. It comes out as, ‘Oh, thank God, sex is off the table.’

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