Page 6 of Like It's 1999

I’ve had a lot of sex, a lot of it good, some of it pretty terrible. Most of it… fine. But it’s like his Tab A wasmadefor my Slot B. And now we have to just go back to being casual friends. Who have to help plan a wedding together.

Well, shit.

STEVE

When I wake up on the first morning of 1989, Deb yelling at Pam is the first sound I hear. The first thing Iseeis Alice’s beautiful face. Brushing a wayward wisp of her bangs out of the way, I lean in to kiss her cheek, but she scoots away before I can make contact.

“Nope!” Sitting up, she shakes her head firmly. Then—I guess to make sure I get the message—she makes a cross with her fingers and holds it up between us.

“Jeez, I’m not a vampire.”

“You may as well be.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Don’t make me regret having sex with you, Steve.”

Steve. Not farm boy.Hands to my chest like I’ve been shot, I way overact as I quoteSt. Elmo’s Fire, “‘You break my heart. Then again, you break everyone’s heart.’”

She blows out a breath. “Listen, I’m sorry to be so harsh so early in the morning. But we have to nip this in the bud. There’s no way we’ll get through planning Kate’s wedding if we’re… entangled. I have a one-time rule, and it’s there for a reason.”

“One time? As in sex? I think we broke that already.”

“One big event, one night of sex, whatever.” She flips a hand in the air. “It’s the only way to keep things simple.”

“Huh.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Uh… I guess I do the same thing. I just never thought about it like that.”

“Oh, good. I really didn’t want things to be all awkward.”

More yelling from the other side of the bedroom door has me pointing at it. “What do you want to tell them? They’re going to know I slept in here.”

She purses her lips for a half a moment before shrugging. “I think we just should tell them the truth. We had sex. We’re not dating. We won’t ever be.”

Even though part of me wants to make a Lloyd Dobler argument for friends with potential, she seems pretty clear about what she wants. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“I said okay.”

She wipes a hand across her brow. “Whew. I was worried you’d be mad.”

“I’m not used to getting the brush-off so quickly or so thoroughly, but I agree. We should keep things… simple.”

She shivers, making me want to warm her up again. Before I can reach for her, she’s out of bed and half dressed. I can’t stop myself from asking, “But… the sex was okay, right?”

Thankfully, she sends a satisfied grin my way. “The sex was very okay. Totally very okay.” She pulls her sweater over her head. “Let’s leave it at that so we’re not disappointed in each other.”

Damn, sheisthe female version of me. “‘When you don’t have anything, you don’t have anything to lose’?”

A whole array of emotions pass over her face as she considers the quote. “Exactly.Sixteen Candlesfor the win.”

Moments later, we’re in the kitchen facing the rest of the crew. True to her word, Alice dispenses with their curiosity in short order.

“Yes, Steve and I slept together last night.” She wags a finger at Deb and Pam. “It was either that or wake you up to ask for another blanket. The former was easier to accomplish.”

“Way to make me feel like a man whore,” I sputter.

She rolls her eyes. “It was also a lot more fun. Better?”

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