Page 27

JACK

Hey, what are you doing tonight? Do you want to come over? We could order pizza.

A NDY’S MESSAGE COMES on the one night of the week that we all eat together. There’s a schedule, and tonight I’m cooking with Ethan. Mats and Swanny are the best cooks, and Bergy is useless. Ethan and I are somewhere in the middle.

I reply: I’d rather eat with you, but tonight is our house dinner and I’m cooking.

I’m telling you, sheet pan cooking is the way to go, Ethan says as I put my phone down.

Agree. It’s the easy way to make an entire dinner. We found a recipe for Mediterranean chicken and roasted vegetables, and it already smells delicious. I’m working on a salad and Ethan’s making couscous.

Proteins keep getting more expensive, though, I say.

Yeah. Do you think we should be going to Duluth every week to grocery shop? It’s okay to do a monthly Costco run for toilet paper and shit like that, but food too?

I’m enjoying hanging out with Ethan now. He’s been a lot easier to live with since Lloyd finally moved out. Andy was right—once we had a house meeting, it turned out that Lloyd was getting on everyone’s nerves.

We used to do that back home. Like take a cooler and stock up on a bunch of stuff. But we had a big freezer. When you live in a small town, you have to plan ahead. Then my phone vibrates again and I pull it out of my pocket.

No problem. It was just a last-minute idea.

She’s added a smiley emoji at the end so I know she’s not upset or anything.

Besides, Andy’s not like that—if she were upset, I’d know.

Still, I wish I could have gone over. It’s been a couple of weeks since we started dating, and we’ve managed to meet up every day, even if it’s just for coffee.

Tomorrow I’m leaving on a road trip, so I won’t see her for twenty-four hours.

Why do you keep sighing? Ethan asks.

Am I? Sorry. I guess it’s because Andy suggested coming over to her place for dinner, and I can’t go, I complain.

He snorts. Was it a booty call?

The timer dings. I put on oven mitts and carefully take the sheet pans out of the oven.

I don’t think so. Dinner means dinner to Andy.

Either the timer or the smell of dinner has brought the other guys to the kitchen already. Everyone serves themselves and takes their plate out to the dining room.

Who’s getting booty calls? asks Bergy with his mouth full.

Ethan motions to me with his elbow as he cuts his chicken. Sinc. His girlfriend invited him over tonight, but he turned her down for us.

Bergy fist bumps me. Way to be. Bros before—

Don’t finish that sentence if you want to live, I growl.

Bros before respected members of the opposite sex, Swanny finishes.

Was she upset that you turned her down? Bergy asks.

Naw, she’s chill. Besides, we have an honesty policy. I eat some of the zucchini, which tastes great.

That sounds dangerous, says Ethan. You can’t be honest about everything.

I swallow. Why not?

This is really good, Mats interrupts. We need to keep this recipe in the rotation.

Thanks, Ethan says. And to answer Sinc’s question, what if your girlfriend wore some fugly new clothes and asked for your opinion? You’re going to have to lie.

Like those new big-ass pants. Bergy curves out his hands to demonstrate. You can’t tell anything about a chick’s body in those. I hate them.

Or if she asks you, ‘Do I look fat in this?’ That has to be the world’s stupidest question. Unless you have a death wish, there’s only one answer, says Swanny.

I mean honesty about important stuff. My sisters taught me that positivity is the only way to react to a woman’s new clothes if I wanted to live.

So, if Andy was DTF, she’d ask you straight up? That’s pretty sweet, says Bergy.

I consider this. Maybe, at some point, but we’re definitely not there yet. We haven’t even had sex yet, and I can tell she’s not really into coming here with all the guys around. So, it would have to be at her place…

Shit, did I just pass up a golden opportunity?

Interesting. You can actually see the gears turning as Sinc thinks. And he’s realizing he did pass up his golden opportunity. Swanny waves his fork at me. I’m right, aren’t I?

I make a face. Possibly.

I would never pass up a booty call, says Bergy. Hey, did I tell you that Andy’s friend Dawn wants me to model for her?

Everyone starts mocking Bergy, but I’m worried about Andy. I hope I didn’t hurt her feelings by turning her down.

Mats leans over and quietly suggests, Why don’t you offer to bring over dessert tonight? It’s still pretty early.

That’s a great idea. I pull out my phone and message Andy. When she agrees, I inhale the rest of my dinner, rise from the table, and load my plate into the dishwasher. The best thing about cooking is that I don’t have to help clean up.

Gotta jet.

The guys give me knowing glances as they continue to tease Bergy.

It takes me only twenty minutes to shower, dry my hair, change clothes, pick up dessert, and rush over to Andy’s residence. I take the stairs two at a time and barrel down the hallway.

I halt outside her door, smooth out my hair, and check my breath. Then the door opens.

Andy looks up in surprise. She’s wearing a red sweater that’s unbuttoned enough to reveal a glimpse of those gorgeous breasts. Her hair is down and her lips are stained red too. She looks spectacular.

Jack? You’re here already? Did you knock?

Just about to, I reply.

Okay, come on in. I’ll be back in a second, I have to talk to Sunny. Sunny is another RA in Humphrey. I step inside as she squeezes around me to leave.

Wait, I grab her around the waist and pull her into me. You look beautiful.

She puts her hands on my chest and I kiss her curving lips, darting my tongue out for a taste of her honeyed mouth. Andy kisses me back, then pushes me away. She puts her finger on my lips.

Mark my spot. I’ll be right back. She disappears down the hall.

I liked Andy’s room from the moment I first took refuge in here.

It feels cozy and safe. I hang up my coat and put the cake I picked up on her desk.

Then I look around. No journal in sight this time.

Not that I’d read it again, but if it accidentally fell open at the latest entry—I’d sure like to know how she feels about me. Andy keeps her feelings tamped down.

I feel a little nervous and decide to take a piss.

Andy’s bathroom is warm and full of girl scents.

I finish up, then wash my hands and dry them on a damp towel.

I pick up a bottle of Andy’s body oil and pop it open to take a sniff—instantly I’m transported to the warm, soft place between her breasts. Also, instantly, my dick gets hard.

I really hope we’re on the same page tonight. Maybe the guys are getting my hopes up for nothing. Of course, it’s fine if we don’t have sex—but if we do, I really want it to be good for her. It’s not like Andy will dump me if our first time sucks… but I’d like to impress her.

I straighten her bath towel. Suddenly, everything clicks.

Andy just took a shower too—the bathroom is still humid.

She trades off responsibilities with Sunny if either one of them needs a night off.

She’s wearing a low-cut sweater with her hair down—things she knows I really like.

If Andy had a sex prep checklist, she’s checked off every item.

I sit on her desk chair and spin around with a huge grin. And then something else hits me—I already know Andy’s kinks. She wrote that she likes to be submissive and out-of-control. I’ve never done shit like that, but the idea is very appealing—especially with Andy.

Fuck. It’s suddenly very hot in here. I pull off my sweater. My T-shirt comes half-off too, and as I’m pulling it back down, I realize that Andy’s back. She’s staring at my exposed abs, and her lips are parted. She runs her pink tongue over her lower lip.

So, I peel off the T-shirt instead.

Oh, wow, she whispers.

I can see the rapid rise and fall of her chest and the soft pink of her tongue as she licks her lips.

Your turn, I say.

She blinks. My turn?

To take off your top, I urge.

She nods slowly and unbuttons her sweater to reveal a lacy red bra that lifts her luscious breasts and barely conceals her nipples. Then Andy goes further and pulls down her black pants too. She stands in front of me in only the skimpy bra and a red thong—looking fucking incredible.

Beautiful, I breathe. Now, turn around.

She rotates slowly, moving fluidly the way she dances. I get my first glimpse of her rounded ass, split neatly by the red thread of the thong. Even her back is sexy, especially the dip where it curves into her ass. Andy tosses her head back so her hair trails down her back.

I groan. She knows exactly what I like, and I can’t wait another second.

I yank the rest of my clothes off. Then I stand behind her and lift her hair to kiss the back of her neck.

The second she feels my lips on her skin, she presses her ass into me and my hard cock wedges between her plump ass cheeks. It’s fucking paradise.

We stand like this for a long moment as I kiss along her spine. Then I pick her up and carry her over to the bed. When I lay her down, she smiles up at me.

Was the dessert just a ruse to get into my bedroom? she asks with half-closed eyes.

I chuckle. Nope. There is dessert. But I have better things to eat first.

I lie down beside her and run one finger along the slope of her breast to where the red lace of the bra begins.

Her warm flesh seems to rise to my touch.

I press my palm over her breast, feeling the nub of her nipple.

Then I curve my fingers to cup the soft weight of her breast. I lean over and kiss her again, probing her mouth with my tongue.

Andy runs her soft hands over my shoulders and back. Then she touches my pec and stops.

Her eyes widen. You have a big bruise here.

From hockey. I don’t even notice them anymore, I reassure her.

But she sweetly kisses the dark mark and makes it feel better.