Page 86 of The Baby Bargain
Only—
I can't go into this expecting anything but sex.
"Ariel isn't like that," I say.
Wes's eyes go wide. "You're into her."
"Isn't that your point?"
"Yeah, but I didn't think it would stick." He pushes off the wall. Moves closer. "You had a look."
"What look."
"When I said Ariel." His light eyes fill with an equal mix of enthusiasm and victory. "Like that."
"Maybe I watchedThe Little Mermaidwhen I was going through puberty?"
"Maybe you're making up fantasies of the cute math geek." He jumps—actually jumps—and claps his hands together. "Fuck, you are."
I shrug like I don't care.
His smile gets wider. "Griffin is gonna shit himself."
"You two talk about me?"
"Fuck yeah. Usually shit about how you're hopeless and miserable."
"You sound like him."
"No." Wes's laugh is knowing. "He says a lot worse shit."
I can imagine. "We're just friends."
"That always means you're not just friends."
"If that's what you want to believe."
He nodshell yeah, it's what I want to believe."You want to fuck her."
"Look at her."
He laughs so hard he doubles over. He clutches his stomach, stomps his feet, reaches for something steady. "Oh my God."
"Glad to amuse you."
"Oh my fucking God." He stifles a laugh. "You think—" Wes breaks into another giggle fit. So much that he drops to his ass. Kicks the ground with his feet. "That works—" A giggle breaks up his sentence. "Coming from you?"
"Yeah…"
He shakes his head. Struggles through an inhale. "You don't look at girls."
"I'm twenty-nine."
"You don't look at women." His laugh steadies. He stands. Looks at me like I'm ridiculous. "You rejected three chicks yesterday."
"Maybe I'm picky."
"One of them was wearing enough eyeliner to open a Sephora." He jumps to his feet.
