Page 28 of For the Plot (The Stone Siblings #1)

James

Same Boat - Lizzy McAlpine

Over the next two weeks, if I wasn't working and we had the apartment to ourselves, we were fucking. Anywhere and everywhere.

One day, Nikki blew me in the shower and made me come so hard I nearly slipped and brought us both down, out laughter bouncing off the shower walls.

I fucked her from behind over the back of the couch while the movie we were watching played on in the background, forgotten.

I ate her out on top of the dining table after she asked me what I wanted for dinner one night and I responded, you .

We made sure to disinfect it thoroughly afterwards.

But it was starting to become more than just sex, at least for me.

I fully gave up on denying it to myself any longer.

I was in love with Nikki. Fully, madly, deeply in love with her.

I tried not to let myself get my hopes up too much that she could feel the same, but sometimes I swore she looked at me differently. Like more than a friend.

Like the other day, when we’d had a rare night of SoCal rain.

All four of us had been in our own rooms, and I looked out the window to see the rain coming down.

I hoped the guys were already asleep, and I snuck to Nikki’s room after texting to see if she was awake.

When she opened her door, I held a finger up to my lips, grabbing her hand and dragging her out of the apartment.

She followed behind me, confused but giggling all the same.

I led her out onto the street until we were standing in the rain, immediately soaked to the bone.

She asked me what I was doing, but before she could finish the sentence, I’d grabbed her by the face, pulling her in for a deep kiss. She reached up and grabbed my wrists, melting into the warmth of my mouth on hers. I'd bitten her lip, pulling away to rest my forehead against hers.

“Another box to check off your list,” I whispered.

I saw a look in her eyes that night I’d never seen before. Maybe it was all in my head. Maybe I was delusional for thinking she would ever love me back. But I had to try. And I had an idea.

What are you doing tonight?

I assume you’re looking for an answer other than you?

I’ve created a horny monster

Please, you can’t take credit for what I’ve always been

I concede *cry laughing emoji*

For real, though, why?

I had an idea

I think we should go on a date

A fake date, for research purposes

I have been on dates before you know

Yes, but have any of them been good?

Damn, rude

But unfortunately, also accurate

So?

I don’t know…

Do you think this is a good idea?

I promise I’ll be on my best behavior

*gif of someone making the sign of the cross on their chest*

Ok, I’m in

But you're paying

For the accuracy of the research of course

*gif of Westley from The Princess Bride saying “as you wish”*

Smiling down at my phone, I tried not to let my excitement get the best of me. This was a fake date. I had to remember that. The next step was using this fake date to get her to see what it could be like for real, if she wanted it.

I had planning to do.

Nikki

I was only slightly panicking. I had no idea why James had asked me to go on a date—a fake date—with him. And I didn’t know how I felt about it. I just kept hearing Noah’s words, be careful , repeating in my head.

The thing is, a part of me really wanted to go on a date with him. Just to see what it was like. I’d gotten to experience the sexual side of him, but part of me was curious to see the romantic side as well.

But maybe I already had been seeing that side of him, and just hadn’t noticed.

The night he pulled me outside to kiss me in the rain flashed in my head, the weird feeling I’d gotten in my chest as he looked at me.

But just because he remembered something I’d said, and then actually done something about it didn’t mean that he actually liked me.

In all the years I’d known James, he’d never been in a relationship.

I didn’t know if he even wanted that for himself, or if he was content as he was.

Besides, I could barely take care of myself, barely get through what I was supposed to do when it came to work. I didn't have the capacity to be in a relationship. To give that person the time, and energy they deserved from a partner.

I forced myself to finish getting dressed, and to stop thinking so deeply about it, and reading too much into everything. James knew I needed help getting past this mental block, needed help getting inspired to write again, and he was just trying to help. That was all.

I looked at my watch, realizing I needed to get out the door if I didn’t want to be late. James had texted me to meet him at the Cheesecake Factory. It was one of my favorite restaurants, which he knew, but it wasn't some super fancy place that would make this fake date feel all too real.

He’d said he had a few errands to run beforehand, which was why he was having me meet him there, and I was grateful for that. Him driving me there would have made it feel too much like a real date, and I needed to make it clear to my brain that this was just for practice.

When I got to the restaurant, James was waiting outside for me, holding a paper orchid. How did he know that was my favorite flower?

He handed it out to me, my fingers tingling as they brushed his. “I figured a bouquet would be too much.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “And this way, it won’t die on you.”

It was beautiful. I smiled at him and slid the flower into my purse.

"Thanks." He opened the door, letting me walk past him. He went to check with the host to see if our reservation was ready, and I chewed my lip, looking around. I’d never come here on a date before, but I’d of course seen people on dates around me when I went with friends or family, and I’d always thought it was a romantic, if cheesy, place to go on a date.

But who didn’t love a little cheese sometimes?

He came back with the host who led us to our table.

We settled in, and I picked up the menu, pretending to browse like I didn’t order the same thing every time.

I just needed a minute to get my bearings.

I had no idea what to talk about. Which was stupid!

We were friends and roommates, and lately, fuck buddies.

In our four years of living together, I had never felt awkward or like I didn’t know what to say around him.

I knew this date was supposed to be fake, but something felt different.

“So, come here often?” His voice floated over from the other side of the menu covering his face.

I snorted. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“Breaking the tension, as I do best.” He gave a little self satisfied bow and I laughed again.

“You are such a fucking dork.” I shook my head at him, but the huge grin on my face softened the severity of my words.

“Yeah, but I got you laughing, didn’t I?” He winked at me, picking up his own menu to browse.

I relaxed into my seat, realizing he was right, and I was much more relaxed now. I was noticing more and more how often he did that for me.

“Alright, I’ll play along,” I replied. “So, Josh , what do you do for work?”

“It’s James, actually.” He grinned, catching on to my game.

“Ah, yes, James, sorry!”

“No worries. I’m a bartender—the assistant manager at a bar, actually.”

“That must be fun.”

“It can be,” he hedged, nodding his head side to side. “But I just got a promotion to manager so my boss can step back and spend more time with her wife and their photography side hustle.”

“Oh, that’s incredible, congratulations!”

“Thank you!” His smile was genuine and infectious. “And you? What do you do for work?”

“Oh, you know, I do website copywriting.”

James raised a brow and broke character to ask, “Do you usually lie about your job on first dates?”

I shrugged, contemplating my answer. “I haven’t been on that many dates, but honestly? With men, most of the time yes. When it's a woman, it’s not so bad, but have you met men? Can you imagine what they would say to me if I said I write romance?”

James cringed, leaning back in his seat again. “Oof, yeah, OK, forget I asked.”

We settled back into our "first date" roles, the conversation flowing from there. It was weird how not-weird it was. Everything was always just so easy with James. Familiar, and comfortable. I never imagined it being like this between us in a romantic way, and I had to keep reminding myself that this was a fake date. That I didn’t want it to be a real date.

By the time dinner was done and we were eating our dessert, it was getting harder to remember that. After paying the bill, James leaned in close, a mischievous look in his eye.

“So, Nikki. You wanna come back to my place?”

I tapped my lips, pretending to think about it. “Well, I’ve never gone home with someone on a first date before, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.”