Page 98 of Hooking Up
Chapter Fifteen
Iris
It feels way, way too good cuddling up on Walker's couch with a plateful of spicy curry and a classic science fiction film.
He teases me about stealing his chicken curry. I tease him about his messy eating. And lick chutney off his lips. And collapse into his arms for the rest of the movie.
I want to sleep here. In his bed. With my body pressed against his.
And that's a no go.
A hard pass.
An obvious trip to feelings-ville.
I ask him to take me home, and he obliges, but I still fall asleep wishing his arms were around me.
I still wake up lonely.
* * *
I takea long sip and let out a soft moan.
Almost perfect.
Just a little more simple syrup.
There.
Ahh.
That's exactly it.
I press my lips together to stifle my moan. It's Sunday. In Brentwood, that means families everywhere. As in no moaning like you're trying out for a phone sex hotline.
Oh, baby, yes, just like that…
It's disturbing how well my thoughts of sugary cold brew line up with dirty talk. Maybe that's my new part-time job. Sipping coffee and moaning is already a huge part of my routine…
Okay. That's true. But the thought of strangers filling me in on their fantasies? Not so appealing. Not unless they're Walker.
Only he isn't a stranger anymore.
He's a…
A something.
I nearly skip back to my seat. The magic powers of caffeine and sugar combine to bring me to life. My thoughts get sharp. My attention fixes on the task at hand: tackling this chapter on making sense of outliers.
Data. Stats. Studies. I can do this shit.
After a round of highlights, I go through the chapter again. This time, I make my own study guide. A bullet point for every important piece of information. A short summary for every section. A little bit of extra flavor for the chapter summary.
I go to suck iced coffee from my straw, but my drink is empty.
It's already late afternoon. More caffeine is a bad idea.
I get in line anyway. The guy in front of me is tall. Tan. Broad. He looks up from his cell phone and smiles at me.
