Page 26 of Sexploration

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m lost...” He takes a couple of steps inside, his head tilting as he studies me. “Well, I’ll be damned. Hello again, beautiful.”

Parker chokes on her quick inhale of breath, eyes wide as her head whips in my direction.

“Hi.” I give him a lame wave, an uneasy giggle erupting out of me. “It’s Josie... and this is my friend—”

“Parker,” she finishes for me, gliding toward him. “And you are?”

“Elias, nice to meet you.”

“I’m sorry...” she drawls. “How do you two know each other?”

“We met the other night at the bar,” I answer reluctantly, coming up next to her.

“Wait...” The excitement in her tone causes my stomach to drop, her eyes sliding over to me. I know exactly what’s coming. “Is this hot bartender guy?”

Yep. I’m going to kill her. It will be a slow and painful death too.

“Hot barowner,” he retorts, his lips curving into a smile.

“Single, hot bar owner?” she presses.

Elias chuckles as I moan with embarrassment. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, would you look at that...” She wiggles her eyebrows at me, smirking as her attention returns to him. “It must be kismet.”

“I’m sorry. Ignore her. She forgot to take her medication today.” I position myself between them, feeling my face turning twenty different shades of red. “Did you say you’re lost?”

“Yeah... I’m looking for the auditorium? My kid signed me up to help set up for the play tonight.”

“It’s just around—”

“Josie will be happy to show you the way,” Parker chimes in from behind me.

I throw her a murderous glare over my shoulder before turning back to him with a smile on my face. “I can walk you there. It’s no problem.”

We walk out of the room together. The awkward silence filling the hallway is painful. Nothing like having your best friend openly try to pimp you out to make things uncomfortable.

“So... your friend is about as subtle as a two-by-four to the head,” Elias says.

“God... I know,” I groan, grimacing. “She means well, though.”

“Does that mean things didn’t work out with that guy the other night?” His eyebrows lift as my stunned gaze meets his. “I couldn’t help noticing you two left together.”

“It wasn’t like that,” I answer, stuttering over my words. “I mean...we live together. Not together. It’s just temporary. He’s my—”

“You don’t need to explain anything to me.” One of those dimple popping smiles spans across his handsome face as we come to a stop outside the auditorium doors. “Tell you what, I’d love to take you out sometime. If you’re interested, give me a call.”

He takes his wallet out of his back pocket and pulls out a business card. I take it from him, guilt twisting in my gut.

It’s not like August and I are dating. That’s not even something that’s a real possibility for us. There are too many obstacles, too many reasons things would never work between us. Someone like Elias would be simple, easy. But I can’t shake this feeling like I’m exactly where I belong.

AUGUST

The loud hum of Josie’s Civic alerts me to her arrival, and excitement courses through my veins. The last few weeks have been like a dream come true. I’ve been harboring feelings for the woman for half of my life, never believing there was a chance in hell that we would ever be together. And now, she’s in my bed every night, letting me worship her incredible body.

I take a bottle of wine out of the fridge and grab two glasses, pouring us both a little celebratory drink. It’s the end of the school year, the beginning of summer, and I plan to monopolize as much of her time as possible over the next three months.

There’s a lot we need to figure out. Like telling Milo. I’ve been on the verge of telling him for days. It feels wrong keeping this from him. But this is something I need to tell him face to face. And I’m still not sure where Josie stands... if she feels the same way about me.

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