Page 30 of Two Guys, a Girl, and a Tripod

I glance down at the menu and see that the Spitfire is a sour beer and not remotely what I was asking about. I scrunch my eyebrows, teetering on whether I should be petty or accept the suggestion–a raspberry sour beer isn’t the worst choice and it’s probably refreshing in the summer heat.

“Sounds great,” I finally respond with a smile.

Alexis smirks as she walks away.

“Intriguing,” Brody says softly, his finger on the menu in the general area of the sour beer selection.

“I don’t mind a sour and if it gives her a win,” I shrug instead of finishing the sentence. “I’ve got the guy.” I wink and then immediately flush.

“You’ve got me,” he agrees, but his tone has more weight than the flirtatious vibe from before. He clears his throat and shifts the conversation. “So, you said you were traveling for work? I don’t think you told me what you do.”

“Marketing and production,” I answer robotically. It covers a lot and isn’ttechnicallya lie.

“Ah, but you said you made a sale or something?”

“Closed a deal,” I respond with an innocent smile. “I’m freelance, so I have to make connections and presentations myself. It’s hard work, but I love it.”That’snot a lie.

“That’s what matters, isn’t it?” He holds his beer up in a toast only to realize I don’t have my drink yet. His cheeks flush and I grin, one side of my mouth lifting as he turns to look for Alexis who just so happens to be on her way over.

“YourSpitfire,” Alexis says, setting a very pink beer down with a flourish.

“Can’t wait to try it,” I reply with a grin. She doesn’t seem like she’s going to walk away immediately, so I lift the drink to my lips and take a sip. I hum as I set it down. “Delicious.”

Alexis’ face turns a satisfying shade of pink, similar to my beer before she turns on her heel. I screw up my jaw and suck on the inside of my lower lip to keep from laughing, but Brody stares in awe nonetheless.

“I think I love you.” His lips part in shock, the color draining from his face, and he stammers to walk it back. “I just mean-” but I’m already laughing.

“At least wait until the second date to profess your love.”

Brody cracks a timid smile.

“Yeah, that’s usually my rule. Or at least until theendof the first date.”

“A good rule to have. I personally like to wait until date number three, just to give an air of mystery.”

“Oh, so you play hard to get, huh?”

You have no idea. Even though this is thefirstfirst date I’ve been on since Caleb, I stand by the rules from before. No fucking until I see a full STI test.

I’ve mentioned this to other men on KinkRink before, when still in the talking stage. I like to see their reactions because nine times out of ten, they throw a tantrum. Imagine. A grown man getting angry that I want to make sure it's safe to have sex. Absolutely insane. I don’t even have a chance to explain what I actually do for a living, which would probably be the final nail in the coffin.

I’m not sure why I let Brody get this far without mentioning either. Something–Natalie would say it’s my intuition–tells me he’ll react differently. Something tells me he won’t judge me for my job. I hope I'm right. I hope this won’t blow up in my face.

“I can’t betooeasy,” I throw back.

“Easy is boring.”

“So,” I take a sip of my beer, “three sisters? What was that like?”

“What, are you an only child?”

“Yup.” I nod, making the movement large and dramatic. “Only child with parents I rarely talk to anymore. So if you want a big family, it’s gotta come from your side.” Parents who rarely talk tomeis more accurate.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Brody’s expression falls and he reaches out to brush his fingertips on the back of my hand where it rests beside my glass. Sparks explode along my skin where he makes contact.

“It’s ok.” Is it? No. But can I change it? Also no. “But stop distracting. Three sisters. Go.”

“Well I like to think I have a better understanding of women, having been one of the middle kids, but that’s probably not true.”

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