Page 4 of The Shared Game

Kevin was as stunned as I was. He thought he was controlling the conversation, that he was asking the questions. It turned out that Paisley had plans of her own.

“That’s….” Kevin blew out a sigh and shook his head.

“Hot.” I finished for him. All eyes at the table turned toward me.

I froze. I didn’t know why the word had slipped out, but it was out there now, hanging in the air between us and demanding someone address it.

Paisley shifted in her seat, her eyes searching mine. What was she looking for? I glanced around the room, hoping to stumble upon a hidden trapdoor situated directly under me, despite how futile that sounded, but she was looking for something else.

“I’m guessing you think you could rise to the task?” She pursed her lips. I swallowed hard and remained frozen.

What to say? Claim I would fuck her non-stop until we were both struggling to breathe? I wasn’t one to boast. Slink back and apologize? I wasn’t sorry for what I said, just that I’d said it without thinking.

“I could,” Kevin interjected, answering for me.

“Every man thinks that. Then he meets a woman with a high sex drive, and then he finds out how wrong he is.”

“Yeah? How so?” Kevin was riled up now, his pride insulted. I was simply glad to have been taken out of the equation to watch their back-and-forth.

“Two words. Multiple. Orgasms.”

“Ha!” Mindy offered her palm, and the two of them high-fived over her winning blow.

“They are two very persuasive words.” I found my voice again, shook my head at Kevin, and got ready to admit defeat.

“See. He knows. He must have been with a woman who actually likes sex.” Paisley flashed that smile again, and I was ready to propose.

“Not in a long time.” For the second time, I opened my mouth and immediately regretted it.

Paisley chuckled. Mindy gave me that sympathetic head tilt she always did when I complained about my lack of success with dating. That wasn’t how Kevin reacted, though. He was already shifting, his arm lifting from behind my chair as he sat forward like he was about to interrogate Paisley or me. I really hoped his attention would go to her.

“Aaron? He likes guys. Don’t you?” Nope. His searchlight found me.

I didn’t know what to say. Deny that I was into him, or deny I was into Paisley? To say I was into both of them felt not only greedy, but ambitious on a level I wasn’t.

“You’re embarrassing him. Stop it, Kevin.” Mindy jumped to my rescue.

I gave her a weak smile, played my move, and shrank back into my chair. Play passed to Kevin, and the spotlight moved away from me.

Paisley kept stealing coy glances at me, each one conjuring a new date, a new fictional scenario where we were together, or an entire relationship.

Kevin turned his attention back to the game, too. I wasn’t sure whether he’d accepted that Paisley had beaten him or was simply plotting his next move, but I was glad for the respite to try to get my head together.

I’d already put my foot in my mouth twice and needed Mindy to rescue me. Things weren’t going well, as far as first impressions went. Even if Kevin wasn’t showing an interest in her, I was pretty sure I’d blown it.

Nothing left to do but enjoy the night and resign all thoughts of her and me—and now possibly me and Kevin—to the realm of fantasy.

At least I was winning. Small potatoes, but I would take any win I could.

Three - Kevin

I leaned back into my chair and watched her bite her lip in the cutest way imaginable while she decided her next move. With her arms resting on the table, providing the perfect frame for those perfect breasts, I was happy to let her take all the time she needed.

If she was as voracious as she was claiming, she really was that perfect mixture of sexy and sweet. That ‘librarian in the streets, wildcat in the sheets’ vibe that drove me crazy. I subtly adjusted myself under the safety of the table while planning how to get her alone.

“Your move, Kevin.” Mindy peered at me from behind her glasses. She didn’t miss a thing. She knew exactly what was on my mind, and it wasn’t the game.

I smiled weakly, as if I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t, and checked my cards.