True Bliss (Bliss #2)(28)
Author: B.J. Harvey

Knowing he’s sleeping in the room next to mine doesn’t help. He’s so close, but we’re so not at that point. Tonight was only our second ‘first’ kiss. I wonder what would have happened had he deepened the kiss? Or better yet, what if he’d taken it a step further? It definitely wouldn’t have been Disney worthy, maybe one of those parody  p**n s if I were lucky. Something like “Ariel’s Big Scepter” or “Snow White and her Seventh Coming”.

Moving his soft lips along my jaw…down my neck…gently nipping the skin as he trails his tongue along until he places a soft kiss on the hollow at the base of my throat, then dragging his mouth along my collar bone…

Would I have let him continue?

Letting his hand brush against my breast…his other arm wrapping around me…pulling me closer against him…

I look over at my alarm clock and see that I’ve been lost in my musings for hours, knowing that I have a date with Zander tomorrow.

A DATE with the G.O.G. Holy crap.

Where is Mac when I need her?

Oh shit.

Mac.

And Zander.

Together.

Maybe the date isn’t a good idea. Maybe it’s too close for comfort. Do I want Mac’s seconds?

After finally breathing through my freak-out, my eyes grow heavy, and I soon drift off to sleep to dream about him and our date. Our perfect date. The date that he says I deserve.

I wake early Sunday morning, and despite desperately wanting a sleep in, I’m unable to go back to sleep. Not brave enough to venture out of my room just yet, I grab my laptop and log into the internet dating site. I’ve barely been on this week. It started with me avoiding nightdancer. I was more embarrassed about my drunken behavior than anything else, but also the feelings he brought to the surface reminding me of Zander’s rejection. I messaged him during the week and pretty much brushed him off, saying I was busy, but now I see there is a new message from him.

Nightdancer23: Hi. I’m sorry if I said anything to offend you or step over the line. I know our convo got a little out of hand last week, but I like talking to you. I hope everything is okay.

Aww, he really is one of the nice ones, just like Zander.

Fireinthesky24: Hey. Sorry for being MIA. I’ve been dealing with some stuff in my head. I like taking to you too. It’s hard to get to know people over the net, though. Don’t you think?

I waste about half an hour reading the Hollywood celebrity gossip sites before I check back in to Chicago Singles. I’m happy to see a reply from my favorite dancer.

Nightdancer23: It’s hard to get to know people over the internet, but the more you talk, the more you get a feel for someone, especially when they have a bad night and get drunk on tequila and play question and answer games ? Any more disaster dates?

Fireinthesky24: No more crazy internet dates, thank god. I’m actually trying the normal kind of dating, the real life kind. Today, in fact.

Nightdancer23: Nice! Who’s the lucky guy?

Fireinthesky24: He’s a friend of my best friend. Funnily enough, he’s staying here for a few weeks while his apartment is being repaired.

Nightdancer23: That’s great! Are you worried about things getting awkward if it doesn’t work out?

I don’t sense any jealousy coming from nightdancer, but then again, he seems to be trying to find out what I think of him. After chatting to me for near on a month now, there should be some jealousy if he were interested in taking things further with me, right? Right?

Fireinthesky24: He’s a friend first, so I don’t think it would be awkward. He treated me to his family tradition of pancakes for dinner last night to make me feel better.

Nightdancer23: That’s sweet. I’ve got to go meet a friend, but good luck for your date. I hope you have a great day.

Checking the clock, I realize that it’s been over an hour of chatting and surfing the net, and I haven’t achieved anything. Not knowing what Zander has planned today also doesn’t help with my nerves, or what to wear. I haven’t heard him get up yet, or go into the bathroom.

I have butterflies in my stomach. I’m actually going out with the G.O.G for a date. And he asked me! This calls for a Mac phone call.

“Kate, what the hell are you doing awake at this hour on your day off?”

“Sorry, hon, did I wake you?” I ask.

“Of course not. This little super heroine has been using me as a punching bag since 7 a.m., so Daniel has gone to the gym, and I’m being a lazy ass in bed reading. Is everything okay?”

“No, I’m kind of freaking out, and I don’t want to freak you out, but I need to tell you something…” I bite my lip, not knowing how this convo is going to go.

“Hon, you can tell me anything. You know that. C’mon, spill it.”

I take a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “Zander asked me out. And kissed me, after asking me out,” I say quickly.

She lets out a huge sigh of relief down the phone, “Oh, thank god. That boy finally grew a pair and did something. Do you know how long he’s wanted to make a move?”

“What? You already know about this?” I ask, stunned. Here, I was expecting a weird conversation, and I find Mac has been encouraging him. “You didn’t think a little heads up would’ve been good?”

“So you could do what? Avoid him again, and continue to avoid telling me whatever the hell has gone on between the two of you?” she states.

“No. I mean….um…you’re not mad or anything?” I ask, still not quite believing this. It’s like I’m stuck in an episode of the Twilight Zone.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. He’s your ex sex-friend or whatever,” I try to explain but fail miserably. Then she bursts out laughing. What the f**k?

“You said it. He was. Not now, never again. I have a superhero. His penis and everything else are all that I need. Zander is a great guy who will treat you like gold. For the record, he’s liked you for a little while I think, so this isn’t news to me. He was texting me just yesterday asking advice.”

Well that sheds a new light on things.

“And what did you tell him?” I ask curiously.

“I told him to spend time with you. That’s it. He also said that you’d been avoiding him?”

She’s on to me now, I can tell.

“Okay, here’s the thing. You remember that night a few months ago when you drunk booty-called Daniel and left Zander and me at the bar?”

“Yeah…” she says slowly, urging me to continue.

“Well, Zander saved me from a guy who wouldn’t understand no, and long story short, I jumped him, asked him to stay the night, but he turned me down.”

“Sheesh, that explains a lot.” Mac’s rendered silent for a while. This is a first.

“Yeah, and well, it was a shock him turning up on our doorstep, let alone you offering your room to him. So it has taken a little getting used to.“