Page 25 of Steve's Barmaid
“See you in an hour!” Then I turrned and left before he could respond. When I snuck a look over my shoulder, he was still standing there, hand pressed to his cheek, lost in thought.
CHAPTER TWELVE
BILLIE
The next hour flew by in a whirlwind. I got ready as quickly as I could. On the way out, I looked at myself in my mirror and deemed my appearance suitable for an orkin date before rushing to the kitchens. I wanted to pack up food before anyone got there for the last meal and peppered me with questions. Anything that looked portable I grabbed and shoved into a basket, then dashed out to meet Steve. As I walked, I realized I still had a solid few minutes until sunset, so I slowed my pace and took a couple deep breaths. I didn’t want to show up harried and panicked.
Yes, I was nervous. I’d spent the last several week getting to know Steve and consciously trying to keep my flirting in check. I didn’t want to be the hit-it-and-quit-it girl anymore. I considered the other relationships I’d had—if it was even worth calling them that. They were long-term, no-strings hookups, always on the down-low. The guys I slept with always wanted meto be their secret sidepiece. They were there for my tits and ass, but I wasn’t for taking home to mom.
Starting things with an actual date was a huge step. And the more I learned about Steve, the more I wanted to learn. His childhood hadn’t been unhappy, but even though he didn’t say it in the group, I could tell he resented that he was still treated like the kid brother. No one was ready to let Steve become a man. Or… orc? Steve loved to talk and I was ready to listen. We would very likely have a lovely time. Why was I so in my head about this date? Was I making the same mistake by keeping this—whatever we were—secret with Steve?
TWO YEARS EARLIER…
My phone buzzed in my back pocket. I knew who it was before I even pulled it out.
Eric: Wanna get out of here?
I didn’t have to give up my prime real estate on the balcony, red solo cup in hand, to know Eric would be watching me from across the lawn. Subtlety was not his strong suit.Do I want to leave with Eric?I sighed. Everyone was at the point of being sloppy drunk, and I was still sober. I wasn’t having any fun, so I might as well have a little bit of fun with Eric.
Billie: Sure.
Eric: Okay, I am going to head to my car, but wait a few minutes?
I rolled my eyes. He didn’t want anyone to know we were hooking up. We all hung out in the same friend group and hesaid it would “make things weird.” I knew what it meant. It’s what all the guys meant. They wanted me for my body, for my curves, but they didn’t want anyone to know that they wanted me. Billie, here with a great rack and ready for a good time. I watched Eric leave and headed over to Dre.
“Hey, I’m gonna head out,” I said to my best friend of fifteen years.
“You sure?” She looked up at me from her boyfriend Nathan’s lap. I knew an engagement ring was coming soon.
“Yeah, even though I’m twenty-four, Mom still gets pissed when I come home late. Rants about being on the road with drunk drivers.”
“Okay, well, text me when you get home.”
“Will do,” I said, knowing I wouldn’t.
I headed out to the front to find Eric leaning against my beat-up Honda Element. She was old and hand-me-down, but I loved her. And the seats in the back folded completely flat. I unlocked it and hopped into the driver’s seat while Eric got into the passenger side.
“Where to?” I asked, knowing the answer.
“Oak Tree?”
“Yeah,” I said and turned the car on, heading for the bowling alley.
We lived in such a small bedroom community that there weren’t really any “bad” parts of town, but the bowling alley was a dive, and no one paid attention to cars parked there overnight. I pulled into the back of the lot and we both folded down the backseats without speaking. After a quick and fairly unsatisfying fuck in the backseat of my car, I dropped Eric off at his car. As I went to drive away, he called to me.
“Hey, where are you going to tell Dre you went?” he asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
I rolled my eyes. He was asking me if I was still okay with keeping it a secret. He didn’t want Dre to know he was treating me as a side chick because she’d kick his ass on my behalf. As Eric studied me in concern, all the faces of the prior dudes who’d treated me like this popped up in my head. Suddenly, I felt gross.
“You know what. Fuck you. I’m done being just an easy lay for you. No. I won’t tell Dre. But only because I am embarrassed that I let you treat me like less than a person for this long. You can use your own damn hand from now on.”
With that, I sped off home, leaving Eric with his jaw hanging open like a dumbass fish.
I pulled myself back to the present. I hadn’t thought about Eric in years. He was the last man I let use for my body. Was I setting myself up for the same treatment by wanting to keep Steve a secret?
No. Steve wasn’t like that. He already told me he was drawn to me. He wanted me for all of me.
I hoped.
