Page 75 of Fun Together
I follow her into the bedroom.
“I feel pathetic,”she speaks into the darkness.
“For asking me to stay with you?”
“I guess?” She plays with the edge of the sheet she’s tucked under her arms. “You just get used to sleeping with another person next to you. I’ve gotten used being alone, for the most part. I don’t mind my own company. Except at night, it’s like?—”
“Like you’re literally the only person on the entire planet.”
We’re both lying on our backs facing the ceiling, but I feel her move so she’s now on her side facing me. “Exactly,” she sighs.
Why does she have to smell so good? Every time she moves, I get a whiff of her warm vanilla fruity-sweet scent. Does her skin taste as good as it smells?
“You’re a good friend,” she says.
I’m a terrible friend. To her. To Andrew. If either of them knew what I was thinking right now, I’d be sent into horny exile.
She closes her eyes, and I close mine. The air conditioner hums, but I’m hot with confusion and frustration. Her breathing has slowed, and I assume she’s fallen asleep.
Until I hear her whisper, “Can I ask you for one more favor?”
I’m half terrified to hear what she could ask me right now. “Sure.”
“Would you . . .” She covers her face with her hands.
The anticipation is fucking killing me. Does she want me to go to the couch? To get her another blanket? To leave her apartment and never see her again? I have never felt this antsy and nervous around a woman. My thoughts don’t normally race like this because I don’t give them time enough to.
“Do you want to cuddle?”
I release a breath that turns into a laugh. “I always want to cuddle,” I joke, trying not to sound like I might spontaneously combust. If this is how I feel about cuddling her, imagine how it’d be to do other things?
Stop thinking about other things.
She rolls around so she’s facing her window now and I rest my arm across her waist, careful not to grip her any tighter than she might want. “Is this okay?” I ask.
“Yes,” she sighs, snuggling in close to me.
We both fall asleep almost immediately.
24
Faye
Every August,our company has an employee appreciation party where they ply us with free food and alcohol, and we all get to pretend to have a good time.
It’s always held in the largest conference room at the Marriott downtown, and I always spend the entire day dreading it. Andrew always came with me to these things because he’s good at events like this, at making polite small talk with people. Tonight, I’m dragging Rett along with me for moral support.
As we make our way down the hallway, I already hear a cover band playing “Brown Eyed Girl.” It’s only a matter of time before Craig, our comptroller, takes hold of the mic for his rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
“Is that a giant inflatable fish?” Rett asks as we approach the room’s entrance.
“You mean Guppie? That’s our company mascot.”
She gives it a little poke with her index finger. “Weird.”
“Come on, let's find the bar.” I don’t like to rely on drinking to make these events bearable, but a glass of wine certainly won’t hurt.
Tonight, especially. I know Eli will be here, and we haven’t talked much in the few days since game night. And when we did talk, it definitely wasn’t about our little cuddling session.
