Page 16 of Play With Me

Suddenly, the door swung open again—I nearly karate-chopped her in the neck, but she pushed her way in, squeezing right between Has and me. Now my nuts were rubbing up against someone. Lou tilted her head back to grin up at me. God, she was so much more everything in person. Small. Beautiful. Electric.

“Hi,” she whispered, still smiling.

“Hi,” I whispered back, grinning just as wide.

“Did I get my hair in your mouth just now?” she asked.

“No.”

“Good. Somehow it’s in mine.” She scraped her hair back from her face.

“I’ll put some hair in your mouth…” Hasan interjected. Lou’s smile got impossibly wider as she shuffled around in the coats to face him, pushing her ass right into my dick.

Mind yerself, lad. Yer bein’ tested by the Lord.

“Promises, promises, Hassi,” she said. She wound her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his chest. “Don’t turn me on in the presence of White Bread.”

“Are we the two slices on your sandwich now, Louisa? What am I, pumpernickel?” She made a disgusted face at Has, and he laughed, petting her head affectionately.

“You could never be pumpernickel. I love you too much to throw you in the trash,” she answered.

“But I’m White Bread, huh?” I huffed.

Jaysus, that’s brutal.

Has chuckled. “You’ve leveled up, man. She was calling you Store Brand Mayonnaise behind your back for weeks.”

The corner of my mouth threatened to break rank. “Rude. Both of you.”

“To be fair, that was before I felt all this… bread,” she said, gesturing to my body over her shoulder, eyes twinkling.

“Mmmm,” I hummed. “What comes next if I level up?” I let my smile go this time. “I’d like to know what I’m aiming for… Day-Old Baguette?”

“Sure feels like it,” she replied, already laughing. I couldn’t hold it in either and turned my face into my shoulder to stay quiet. I wanted to put my hands on her hips and pull her to me. Push my hard cock between her ass cheeks like a goddamned hot dog. Her hair smelled so good. My fingers twitched. I knew this would happen.

“Are you two serious right now?” Has whisper-yelled at us. “We’re about to get our asses handed to us by some third graders because all three of us are in the same hiding spot like goddamned amateurs, and you guys are in here popping boners li—” The door swung open to interrupt his reprimand, and a hail of Nerf bullets rained down on all three of us.

I wiped shaving cream off my face with a towel and let the noise drain out of me. There was a version of myself that squeezed into closets, laughed easily, forgot to brace. This afternoon had been fun, but I’d spent the rest of the day alone, avoiding Louisa. I was getting in my head.

I caught my reflection in the hotel mirror as I fastened the cuff links my father left me. The rest of my dark navy suit was draped over the chair. The last time I’d worn it was to his funeral. I slipped the jacket over my shoulders and tugged each cuff down, letting the fabric settle across my back. I’d paired it with a black shirt and no tie this time, but I still felt the weight of his casket on my shoulder. I could almost smell the incense, and something tightened behind my ribs.

I pushed wet hair off my forehead and to the side with my palm and remembered my mother’s red-rimmed eyes that day, letting her fingers brush my hair aside to stay busy. I wondered if she ever saw him when she looked at me.

I love you, my boy. Proud I am to see the man yer turnin’ out to be. No small feat, outdoing yer old Da, eh?

I took a steadying breath to force myself back to the present and let it out slowly.

I checked my watch; I was meeting Has and Lou at her apartment first and didn’t want to risk showing up late. I made sure I had my room key, slipped my wallet and phone into my pockets, and closed the hotel door behind me.

Lou invited me to crash at her place this weekend, but I figured they would appreciate having time alone after six weeks apart. I knew if I’d been in Hasan’s situation, I’d have plans. I could eat a cookie even if it wasn’t my favorite kind. But I couldn’t have my favorite cookie and not fuck her whenever I got the chance.

That’s what got me and yer mam into so much shite back home, son.

After finally seeing her face-to-face, I was even more confident about the decision to keep my distance. I was absolutely positive that I’d met Lou before, and if I had, I’d almost certainly hit on her. Maybe she turned me down. That tracked with her anti-relationship stance. I probably took one look at her and asked her to marry me.

“I’m not the type.”

The taxi ride was short enough that, in retrospect, I should’ve just walked. The building at the address Has had given me was a hell of a lot nicer than I expected. I opened our text thread to double-check it and rubbed my hand across the stubble on my jaw. I was nervous about spending a few hours around Louisa. It was good that Has would be nearby to keep me in check. Still, I didn’t want to show up too early. I needed a cigarette, but a drink would have to do.