Page 86 of Play Me
Gianna: She wants to fuck him. He’s not into it. Look at their body language.
I lift my sights to the two of them standing next to Gray. Meadow’s hand is casually placed on Jasper’s shoulder, but he’s leaning slightly away from her. If that means anything, then Gianna is right.Wonder what she would have to say about my body language with Gray?
He catches my attention and mouths, “Are you good?”
I grin and nod.
The sky is an art piece as the sun dips just above the brick buildings lining Sugar Street. Vivid oranges and pinks, with flashes of electric purple, paint a spectacular background for the Sugar County Fair. Lights flash from food trucks offering grease-soaked and sprinkle-covered snacks. Children’s joyous shouts ring out as they risk their lives on various rides, especially the one that tips them upside down. Chimes ring somewhere in the distance as someone wins a cheap prize that took twenty bucks to win—and it’s wonderful. Blissful, even. Things hit different in this small town.
Even the people.
Me: Sometimes I wish I was as bold as you.
Gianna: *pops collar* Thank you for that compliment.
Audrey: You don’t have to be bold, Astrid. Just be you. That’s enough.
Gianna: *gags self with spoon*
Audrey:
Gianna:
Me: I’ll keep you posted on the events of the evening.
Gianna: Feel free to send pics. Nudes (not of you), preferably.
I snort and darken my screen.
“Here you go,” Hartley says, holding a funnel cake in his hand. “Beer and funnel cake go together like beans and cornbread.”
“Really?”
“Nope. Not even a little bit.” He laughs. “But the line for lemon shakeups was outrageous, so you get what you get.”
“You’ll hear no complaints from me,” I say, taking it. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, of course.”
I rip a corner off the confection, getting powdered sugar all over my fingers, and pop it into my mouth. The dough is sweet and slightly crispy. I haven’t had one of these in forever.
Hartley sits beside me, watching his brother and friends trade stories. He folds his hands on the table. “I’m glad you came by with Gray today. It was nice meeting someone from his life.”
I take another bite. “Does that not happen often?”
“Nah, Gray keeps his work life and home life separate. Always has. But once Mom and Dad died, he definitely pulled away.”
My throat tightens right along with my stomach. I set the funnel cake on the table and dust my hands off to the side. I knew they had passed, but I didn’t expect anyone to bring it up, and I surely wasn’t going to poke around about it.
“How long have they been gone?” I ask carefully, unsure how alike he is to his brother.Will he flip-flop from hot to cold? Clam up? Or speak freely?I have no clue.
“It’ll be eight years this fall.” He exhales, and the heaviness of the topic is written in the lines around his mouth and eyes. “I worry a lot about Gray, and I try to keep in contact with him as much as he’ll let me. But, if you haven’t recognized, he’s a pain in the ass.”
I grin at Hartley. “I have recognized that, believe it or not.”
He chuckles. “He’s happy with you around.”
I flinch, pulling away from him to get a better look at his face. Surely, he’s joking. “I think he’s just happy to be home.”
