Page 76 of Neighbors With Benefits

Yeah, that was probably the worst first impression I could have made.

After getting dressed for work, I peered out my window at the house next door. There was a motorcycle parked to the side, but that was it. Bash’s car was gone. He must have left for work.

Great. Now I was so uncomfortable around them that I was afraid to go outside and bump into them.

Relieved that such a run-in wouldn’t happen, and upset at myself for being relieved, I got in my car and drove to work.

Halfway there, I called Cat. “Hey, you got a second?”

“I’m at that conference downtown,” she replied. I could hear the buzz of a crowd behind her. “Can it wait until later? I’m with my boss and a bunch of coworkers.”

Itcouldn’twait until later, but there was no way I could tell Cat about everything that had happened while she was with people from work. If I told her I’d slept with Bash and then gotten caught by the third hot neighbor, Cat wouldn’t have enough self-restraint to avoid screaming and shouting until her voice was hoarse.

“I’ll tell you about it when you’re back tomorrow. Have fun!” I hung up before she could sense that anything was wrong.

When I got to work, I had a pair of texts waiting for me.

One from each of my neighbor lovers.

Bash: Sorry I had to say goodbye so quickly. Shit just hit the fan at work. But I want to reiterate how amazing last night was. I hope it’s not just a one-time thing. Let’s sit down and talk about it later :-)

Ugh. He was so goddamnnice. Nothing but green flags. In another context, I’d be giddy with sex endorphins.

I switched over to the other text:

Aiden: I’m at the gate for my return flight! I know Monday isn’t one of our usual nights, but I really want to see you. Can I make you dinner at my place tonight? I found a new eggplant parmesan recipe I want to try.

Oh for fuck’s sake. Eggplant parmesan was one of the meals Bash and I tried making while he was gone. This was like a cruel joke. Mind racing, I tried to think of an excuse.

Me: I want to see you too! But I’m hoping to have some alone time with you.

Aiden: Oh, don’t worry! Bash has to go into work tonight. I heard Dante came home early, but he usually keeps to himself. He’ll probably go out tonight.

Me: Okay, sure! I’ll see you tonight.

All day I thought about what I was going to say to Aiden. Ultimately, I had to tell him the truth. Even though we weren’t exclusive, and even though he’d reiterated that I could sleep with whoever I wanted, this was Bash. His best friend. Aiden deserved the truth as soon as possible.

I didn’t bother putting on my sexy panties. Aiden wasn’t going to want to have sex with me after learning the truth. Even if everything ended up okay, he would probably need some time to process everything.

As I walked next door, I felt like an inmate heading to the electric chair. Or a French aristocrat facing the guillotine. Whatever grim metaphor I chose, it felt like this was the end.

“Jazz!” Aiden said, hugging me warmly after opening the door. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too,” I replied. The hug went on and on; he didn’t want to let go. It felt good to be in his arms again, like everything was going to be okay. Maybe he didn’t need to know. If we kept this secret…

No. Absolutely not. He deserved to hear about it without delay.

“Dinner will be another few minutes,” Aiden said, hurrying back to the stove. “The eggplant parm is still baking, but I’m sautéing white asparagus as a side.”

“It smells great. I didn’t know there was such a thing as white asparagus.”

“It’s a delicacy in Europe. You have to try it. Sorry about Dante; he’s blasting music in his room right now. Have you two met yet?”

“We, uh, bumped into each other this morning,” I replied.

“He can be blunt sometimes, but he’s a good guy once you get to know him,” Aiden explained.

“Listen,” I said. “I was going to wait until we were seated at dinner, but I don’t think I can wait that long. I have to tell you something.”

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