"Then we went roller skating. Roller skating! What guy do you know that would take you roller skating on a first date?"
"Just went back to his apartment to watch movies," she shrugs, grinning slightly. "Not bad taste, either. And he has the cutest dog. And he only has one leg but it's so sweet how he found him-"
"So I take it there will be a second date," I muse, judging by her enthusiasm.
Maggie groans as she wipes down the counter, ridding it of crumbs or frosting. "Don't give me that look, Stephanie Carson. This does not mean I like him."
"Oh, I think it does," I giggle, uncrossing my arms and making room for her to walk over to the cash register. She seemed like such a natural handling it all herself, I'm almost sure she won't mind the favor when I ask her-
"It's not like it's anything serious," she mumbles, dropping in a packet of quarters. "But he is cute. That's as much as I'm admitting at this point."
"It's a start."
"And really nice. And kinda weird, but I dig that." She pauses and shrugs with a small smile. "But he's still a creep."
I laugh and bump my hip with hers. "That's good. At least one of us appreciates his stalking tendencies."
"It wasn't stalking; he was just-"
"No need to defend your boyfriend to me," I tease lightheartedly. I was pleased things were going well for her and that she had something else to do on her free time other than see my face.
We focus our energy the rest of our afternoon on attending to the people coming in and out of the bakery, grateful for when Brayden showed up for his shift around lunch and the rush hour. It was surprising how well we'd been doing lately, and it put me at ease knowing I had them to count on.
Once the busy afternoon had settled down, the three of us take a moment to chat. We swap eating our lunch, one of them taking their break while the other two watched the register until they finished.
"Hey, guys," I pipe up, figuring now was the best time to ask them. "I need a favor."
"What's up, buttercup?" Maggie asks, popping the p.
Brayden chuckles amusingly. "Gonna ask to paint us nude?"
I roll my eyes and sigh. "Actually, I was hoping to try and get this weekend off. I've been wanting to take a day or two to myself to spend with John, and we were going to road trip to Cali to visit my parents. I know with me having my own business now I really should stick around-"
"Are you kidding?! That boy gets to meet your parents!" She claps her hands together as she shoots me a mischievous grin. "If I recall, they have a beach house."
I groan and Bray rests an arm over my shoulders. "I guess I can pull a few extra hours."
I look up at him sincerely. "Really?"
"Same for me," Maggie nods enthusiastically. "Overtime is A-okay."
My lower lip juts out in appreciation, grateful to have such good, caring people in my life. They’ve really become my closest friends.
“Hey, you okay there? Someone’s a little misty eyed,” the girl teases with her usual cheeky smile, though my eyes were very much dry.
Rolling my eyes, I step back behind the counter. “Quiet before I put you on mixing duty.”
~
Once the work day is over, I gather up my things as I wait outside for John, admiring the beautiful orange evening sky. There was nothing else like it than in Arizona. It would feel so strange going back to California and not seeing it, even if it was just for a day or two.
It’s not long until the truck pulls up, his tall frame shrugging out of his side door to walk up to me. He had his ray bans and usual white baggy shirt, with ripped jeans and hiker boots. I can’t help but scoff and drool all at once. “Do you ever not look like a model?”
His lips twitch from afar. “The mornings maybe.”
“Not a chance. There’s not a moment you don’t look like something out of an Urban catalog.”
John chuckles and instantly drapes an arm around me, pulling my head into his chest since he was so damn tall. "Hey, darlin'."
"Hey," I hum and poke his stomach. He flinches away, confirming my theory that he was a bit squeamish.
"How did work go?" he asks. "Did you get a free day?"
Grinning widely, I pull away to look up at him, the excitement rising to my chest. "Better. I got the weekend."
His lips slant up and he combs through my hair. "That's awesome! So we get to drive up to Cali like you wanted after all?"
"If you still want to come with me, then yes," I mutter and nuzzle into his chest. He was the humblest and most genuine guy around and I was more than ecstatic for him to meet my family and see my hometown, but I wasn't sure if he felt the same. It was a bit of a big commitment to ask of someone and I didn't want him to feel nervous or pressured.
"Course I want to, darlin," he mumbles, kissing the top of my head. "Especially if it means we get to have a beach day."
I chuckle and was about to respond when his stomach growls, interrupting.
His cheeks flush hotly and he chuckles, "Sorry."
"Have you eaten today?" I ask with a light laugh. It was the middle of the day and he usually was just coming out of lunch after practice with the band.
"Uhh...no," he admits, and I pull away with a small gasp. "Wait, at all?"
"I'm sorry! I got up late so I skipped breakfast and the rehearsals went really well and we sorta kept going...I had some crackers though!"
I tut him and lace my hand with his before walking with him to his truck. "John, you need to eat. I'm making dinner, and don't you argue with me."
He sighs dramatically before tugging on my hand. “Fine. Long as I get to lick the spoon.”
You can lick anything you want, I think smugly, blushing to myself as he opens the door and I hop in.
I get started on dinner as soon as we get back to his place, using the ingredients I could find to my advantage. He had enough for a cold pasta salad and some grilled chicken. And I was a good enough of a cook to make a sauce to add some zest to both.
John walks over to the refrigerator, pulling out a beer. “Need help with anything?”
“Just sit there and look pretty,” I muse as I pour some extra water in the pan with the sauce, a mixture of lime, pepper, basil, and a few other things.
“You’re too easy on me,” he mumbles and twists the cap off and takes a sip.
I smile lightly before mixing the contents in the pan and scooping a sample up in the spoon. I dip my finger in and taste it, licking my lips contently. “Mmm, perfect.”
“Can I try?” John asks, shooting me an innocent boyish look. I laugh before walking over and holding out the spoon. Instead, he licks the sauce off my coated finger, hums, then smirks. "Do I get to lick other parts of you?"
My body warms and I pull away before he could distract me from finishing dinner. “You don’t get to lick anything until you eat,” I argue, returning to the stove.
“You’re such a mom,” he laughs and stands to follow me, arms looping around my waist. “I can go a day without eating, darlin’. I’m a starving man for something else.”
I feel my cheeks burning up and I huff. “You can’t if you expect to have enough energy for something else.”
“Can I eat off of you?”
“John!”
He giggles into my neck before settling there, allowing me to continue with the task at hand. However, it wasn’t easy when I could feel his nose nuzzling my skin. “That smells really good.”
My mouth twists up. “I’m not sure if you’re talking about the food or not.”
He chuckles softly and props his chin up on my shoulder. “I am. I have a question though.”
Everyone needs a lil jephanie in their lives right?
Sorry it took so long!
~C
I sigh to myself and smile as I open up the curtain, letting the light into my studio. On a beautiful day off like this, I really should be out doing something, but I can't bring myself to. Instead, I pull up a chair in front of my easel and canvas, lay my drink on the floor, and make the first brush stroke. I let the music wadding in from the other room soothe me as it bounces off the walls. The upbeat, uplifting rock songs make me bounce my leg and bob my head along. There was nothing quite like getting in the zone.
As I look out the window, I imagine a subject sitting at the windowsill, the person's features all too clear. I'd memorized the structure of his strong jaw, his beauty mark lingering near his left side. I could see the permanent smirk and thin lips on his face, but he didn't need his mouth to smile at me; Those soulful green eyes were all it took.
Before I know it, his profile had taken up half of the white space and I chuckle. I really need to stop daydreaming when I was painting, it was getting creepy.
Just as I start fussing around with my brush and balancing it under my nose, my phone rings and I reach down, grinning at the name on my screen as I answer. "Well, look who it is, up before noon."
He groans. "I'm sorry, Miss Up-Before-Daylight. I was calling to greet my sweet, non judgmental of my lifestyle girlfriend. Is she available?"
I giggle. "This is she."
"What's up, sweetheart?"
Sighing, I perch the phone between my ear and shoulder and continue painting. "Well, currently, I am looking out the window while pretending to have a paintbrush as a mustache."
His cute laugh booms through the speaker. "Bored, darlin'?"
"Just a little."
"You could be looking at me instead," he says in a suggestive tone.
I bite my lip, looking between the window and back at the canvas guiltily. "I kind of am."
I hear the amusement in his voice. "Are you outside my window again?"
"No!" I scoff. "Use your context clues, John. Paintbrush? Besides, I clearly said my window."
He chuckles. "And I clearly want you outside my window. Or am I going to have to come over and make you drop that paintbrush?"
"In your dreams." I hadn't gotten the chance to wind down and paint in days, so I was taking advantage of not having to go into the bakery today.
John whines on the other end dramatically. "Okay, you got me. I want you to drop something else."
I feel a shiver run down my spine involuntarily, glaring at his almost snide look on my canvas, as if he were mocking me. How was it that he wasn't even here and could get me worked up?
When I don't respond, he laughs again. "Stay put. I'm gonna stop by the store to pick some things up."
"Okay," I mumble and say goodbye before hanging up. I wondered what he could have up his sleeves but, knowing John, there was only one way of knowing.
The sleeves would come off later.
~
There's a knock on the door and I smile to myself as I call out over the music. "It's open!"
Not a moment later, John appears by the door, with a plastic bag in his hand. His wide grin makes him look boyish as he walks over to kiss my cheek. "Hey there, cupcake."
I giggle. "Hiya," I murmur, standing and wrapping my arms around his neck. My lips press to his and his hands rest momentarily on my hips before I pull away. "Whaddya got there?"
He clears his throat, digging through the bag of items and laying them down on the desk behind me. "I, uh, picked up some new brushes for you, and a roll of paper towels. Oh, there's a box of sushi in here; I figured I'd pick something up in case you hadn't eaten yet."
I chuckle and watch as he lays it all out, crossing my arms. "New paintbrushes? That's sweet of you."
He licks his lips and shrugs, slowly pulling out the last item. "I got some paint too..."
Holding up the box, he keeps his eyes trained on mine, glancing over the brand as I feel my stomach flutter. Edible? Flavors?
This was erotic body paint.
I look back at him from under my lashes and raise an eyebrow. "Edible paint?"
"The guy's made me go into a sex shop," he winces, as if such a thing could ever be a bad experience. All it was is a way for them to get new ideas into their heads or get off.
"Remember the couple dates we did in Texas a few weeks ago?" he continues. "That's when we went. I saw it and well, I thought of you."
Smirking, I shoot him a dubious look. "You thought of me in a sex shop. Flattering."
He groans. "Not like that, Stephanie. I just figured it could be something fun for the both of us."
I bite my lip as I eye the packet of paint in his hand. When it came to messes, I was very clean, so I was grateful for the paper towels, but the idea of letting him get paint all over my body when I hardly got it even on my hands made me hesitant.
"So you're suggesting to let you use these on me?" I mutter.
Sighing, John drops the box on the floor and, in one swift motion, grabs the hem of his shirt before pulling it over his head, discarding it on the floor. He looks me in the eye, licking his lips. "What I'm suggesting, Stephanie, is that you paint on me. You're the artist here. Use them on me." With a slow, sly smirk, he adds, "Use me."
I hold back the moan wanting to escape my throat, feeling the shiver shake my shoulders slightly. I'm pretty sure watching him drop everything to take his shirt off was the equivalent of watching a girl drop to her knees in a guy's eyes. But for me, the view was much more magnificent.
Biting my lip, I slowly run my fingers along the edge of the desk, still feet away from him. A smile plays on my lips as I reach for one of the brushes he'd brought. "Drop the pants, too, O' Callaghan."
He does so without protest, leaving him in his boxer briefs. I grin and dip the brush in the cup of water already near my easel. "Pick up the paint."
"You like ordering me around?" he asks as he leans down to grab and open the box.
"Not really, but I like watching your muscles," I reply with a giggle. "And your butt."
He smirks and shakes it at me. "Oh, do me the honor, I have yet to get a tattoo back there."
"Shut up." I grab the wet paintbrush again, stepping up to him as I swirl it around the small pallet and sending him a look. "You sure?"
"Why? You gonna make me look like one of your cupcakes, cupcake?" he chuckles and I scoff. I let the bristles swipe across his cheek. Feeling mischievous, I lean up on my toes to lick it up, tasting the faint cherry. When I pull away, his lips are parted and his eyes are dark.
"Yum," I tease, tracing his jaw line in swirls and following his veins. I lick down them and hear him groan. "You're destroying the artwork before you even start."
I giggle and pull away, looking down at the choices of color and wonder what I could paint on a man who already had so much on his body.
Dabbling, I draw a tree on his arm near his right shoulder, the little bare space available. On the other arm, under the equal sign, I add a small swing. He watches me intently the entire time, my other hand usually resting over his skin or pressing on his chest as I poke my tongue out.
"I love watching you paint," he mutters as I begin to paint an atomically drawn heart over his chest. "You get so focused and you get a little crease." He brushes his thumb along my forehead. "Right here."
Biting my lip, I look back down at the paints and the dirty brush. Turning to swish it in the cup of water, I tap the end on the rim until I feel myself being pulled by the waist, right against his firm torso as he crashes mouth onto mine. I grip his shoulders as our lips smack softly together, our tongues tangling. His hands slip up my back under my back and I exhale before pulling away. He smirks at my ragged breathing. "You alright, sweetheart?"
I roll my eyes and dip into the blue, starting an ocean near his hip, using the v tattoo as the indent of a wave. The v of his hips however, I trace with my fingers. I have to bend down slightly for a better angle to paint and I could almost feel his gaze lingering on my backside. I smirk. "Is there paint on me, Johnny?"
"No. There's pants."
I laugh and wiggle out of them to please him, raising an eyebrow. "Better?"
"I thought we talked about this, Steph," he says in a low voice.
I stand back up to my full height in question. "When?"
"The phone. I get you to drop that brush and those panties."
A smile grows on my face and I let myself kneel down, sitting back on my heels. "And like I said over the phone, in your dreams."
He groans and I start a squiggly line beneath his belly button. It goes through the small trail of hairs, making my mouth water.
I add a tongue to the squiggly line, making it appear as a snake. My eyes flicker up to his and he stares at me hungrily.
"Maybe I should be drawing that somewhere else," I murmur as I place a wet kiss on his happy trail, licking up the paint. My fingers tug on the waistline of his boxers and I feel him tense. His hands clench into fists at his sides as I ease them down, still swirling my tongue across his waist. I imagine those hands in my hair and shiver. I didn't care about painting anymore.
I drop the brush to grip his hips as I lick up the dark patch of hair, causing him to buck forward. If I could paint the lust in his eyes, he'd be doused in dark red.
"In my dreams, huh?" he pants. "Maybe you're right, I might've had this dream before."
Smirking, I stare at his length and take him in my hand, wrapping my lips over the tip. He lets his head loll back, his fingers lacing into my hair as he breathes heavily.
I hum around him and flick my tongue, tasting him. John sucks in a breath as I suck softly and stroke him. A groan falls from his lips. "F-Fuck. You do that so well."
Eager to tease him, I pull away to wink at him. "Painting and baking aren't my only talents."
I lick up the underside of his cock and he moans, watching as I maneuver my tongue over his hard erection until he's back in my mouth. I bob my head, shivering at his noises and jerking hips.
"Just wait till I get my hands on you," he moans, tugging lightly on my hair. "I'll paint you from the inside out, and all I need is my tongue, baby."
Heat instantly pools between my legs and I squirm as I squeeze my thighs together. God, did this boy have a way with words.
Humming around him, I grip his thighs roughly to dig my nails into him. He hisses, catching my wrist and pulling me up. I don't think he'd think twice in covering other places. "What, no face paint?"
He glares at me menacingly as he backs me up into the desk. I moan as he rubs his throbbing erection against the front of my panties. I let out a small whimper, my head falling back and he takes advantage to attack my neck. I move my own mouth towards his shoulder, where I lick off some of the paint before biting down.
John growls, reaching for my legs and hiking me up to sit on the edge. My shirt is disposed of almost instantly as he rakes his eyes over the bare clean skin.
He looks up at me with a slight lopsided smile, his thumbs rubbing along my hipbones. "I'm more concerned with your fine body at the moment," he murmurs, running to fingers up the center of my stomach, making me arch my back, and it's then that I notice that he'd managed to dip his fingers into the pallet. I gasp but before I could say a word his lips slash with mine and he squeezes my breasts, making me moan into his mouth. His hand slips up the side of my neck to grip my jaw while the other delves beneath my panties. I cry out in sudden pleasure. "John!"
"Remind me to paint you up real good right here," he purrs in my ear as he continues to rub me. I melt under his touch and pant. I was already a puddle of mush and he was barely getting started.
John groans and removes his hand, hooking my legs at his sides as he slides my panties off, pulling back to throw them aside before wrapping my ankles back around his waist. I feel the tip of his cock teasing my entrance and I whine, reaching for the back of his head. "P-please. I can't take it."
"Oh but you can," he whispers, slowly easing into me and making my moan loudly. He fills me with his length and bucks his lips softly. I shiver with each marvelous thrust as I pull him closer to me. My hands slip under his arms to drag my nails down his back. John moans and leans over slightly, allowing me to grip his sides. The angle lets him go deeper and he grunts, kissing up my throat before reaching my lips. I moan at the feel and taste of him, the sensation almost too much at once. I felt like I would burst at any moment.
He pulls back to untangle my legs from him to trail down my painted body, dragging the flat of his tongue up my body. My stomach flips the further he goes, passing my waist and smirking as he reaches my thighs. "But, I-I-"
John licks his lips, leaning down as he quirks an eyebrow. "You dont want this, sweetheart?" I could feel his breath on my wet cool skin and I shiver in desire. Everything about him being that close was making my body scream 'Yes.'
He does the same with his tongue, moving slow and deliberately up to my clit and I draw my knees together.
"God you taste so sweet," he hums, pressing a kiss to the inside of my thigh before dipping back down. My core grows warmer and I grip his hair as I groan. "Oh-Oh fuck, John."
My eyes close as he works his tongue, my hips gyrating up to his mouth. My bones feel like warm jello, and I bite down hard on my lip. My sounds get louder as he stays kneeled before me, head hidden deep in my thighs. His eyes dart up darkly, making me groan.
"Right there," I gasp, my body jolting at his tongue slipping inside of me. "Oh God, baby, please."
He growls and widens his jaw, flicking his tongue and making me cry out. I was teetering on the edge. I needed him desperately.
"Fuck me," I breathe, swallowing thickly to speak in a clearer voice. "Fuck me, John, please."
He looks up with his naturally wide green eyes and stands. Licking his glistening lips, he kisses me deeply, a groan emitting from me. My skin prickles at tasting myself on his tongue and I gasp once he slams back into me. "John!"
"Baby," he moans, laying me down and crouching over me as his hips work faster than before, grunting and groaning. He was as close as I was.
I whimper at his desperation, pulling him down by the scruff of his neck, my lips meeting his sloppily. He kisses me lazily as he puts all his focus on snapping his hips, his eyebrows drawing together. "O-Oh shit. Stephanie," he gasps.
My muscles clench around him and that's all it takes for the both of us to crash. I moan into his mouth as he buries himself deep inside me, shuddering and shaking slightly from his release. I could feel my own bones quiver as I fall back, weak and spent.
"Fucking hell," he mutters, running a hand through his hair. We didn't have to say anything to know what the other was thinking. That was the dirtiest we've ever gone.
"Was a little paint all it took?" John chuckles and I groan, still reeling from the incredible orgasm. He runs his fingers down my cheek to brush some hair away. I bite my lip before giggling. He raises an eyebrow. "What?"
"I think you got a little too close," I hum as I poke his chest, causing him to look down at the paint smattered down his stomach. Smirking, he brushes his lips against mine. "Wanna lick it off?"
I scoff and shove his shoulder so he'll move off of me. I sit up shakily, eyeing the container of sushi still on the other end of the desk. That really made me work up an appetite. Turning back to John, I grin. "Wanna share?"
He laughs and slips his boxers back on, handing me his shirt. I slip it on gratefully, staying comfortably on the desk and he seats himself next to me. I can't help but smile as he leans over and kisses beneath my ear. "How do you go from spicy to sweet so quick, huh?"
"I'm around you a lot," he says and gives me a small smile. "Can't help it."
My insides turn to mush and I slip my hand into his hair one more time to pull him in for a kiss, our lips melding together perfectly. I could feel the butterflies from the inside, erupting like new grown vines and I knew it was more than just feeling in love.
I realized I've had this 98% finished in my drafts for the longest. Since I feel bad I havent posted, here have Jephanie. ~C
My alarm goes off and I sit up in bed, the head rush making me groan. I gasp as I see the actual time. Crap, I was going to be late.
I get up and shimmy into my jeans before pulling on a blouse. I make my way into the kitchen, throwing some waffles in the toaster for a breakfast on the go. As I pass the hallway, I double check my face in the mirror I had on the wall, grateful my face wasn't oily and fixing my hair.
The waffles come out of the toaster so I put them on a plate and slap some chocolate spread on them. I put on my shoes and grab my keys while I wait for them to cool off.
When I finally get into my car, I take a deep breath. I really hoped the rest of my day wouldn't turn out like this.
Maggie raises an eyebrow at me as I come barging to the front of the shop, wiggling my keys into the door. "I know I know," I huff. "I'm late, I'm sorry."
"Babe, this is your shop. You're fine, breathe," she chuckles. Sipping from a coffee cup, she follows behind me once we're open and we set up for any morning customers. Stepping behind the counter, I slip on an apron as she eyes me curiously. "Why so frantic? You seem distracted."
I bite my lip. I did feel pretty antsy from doing so much overthinking as of late. It was barely the middle of the week. Why was I so out of it?
I shrug. "I guess I just need a chill pill."
Maggie crosses her arms. "Steph, you can't fool me. Does this have to do with John?"
"No," I reply too quickly. Okay, I may have done a little late night contemplating about John.
We hadn't talked since the opening a few days ago, although he definitely has tried. I just couldn't get over the fact that he'd been so impulsive. No matter what I said to him, he couldn't seem to get that I had no interest in Brayden. Why was he so intimidated by him?
I push thoughts of John to the back of my mind. I still had the next few days to get through. Our opening week has been going great, and I wouldn't forget that I owed that to John. Maybe I should talk to him soon...
As if on cue, our door opens up, but it's not at all who I'd expect it to be. Halvo approaches us, a crate in his arms full of flowers.
"Eric?" I mumble, confusion on my face. "What are you doing here?"
"Heeey, Steph," he greets me in his usual awkward drawl. Or maybe he felt awkward being here, considering the situation.
Maggie raises an eyebrow as he places the crate on the counter in front of us. "What's with the flowers? We're a bakery," she teases.
He rolls his eyes. "I know that. I just wanted to apologize for before. I figured the place could use something fresh."
"You callin it stinky?" I say with a chuckle. I was just messing with him at this point, but I appreciated the texture.
"Seriously," he says in a grave voice. "I feel really shitty about the other day and it was wrong of me to act so...selfishly. I wanted to see if your friend was here so I could apologize to him, too."
I stare at him, shocked that he was being so honest and genuine with us. Out of all people, Eric was the one swallowing his pride and apologizing.
Clearing his throat, he reaching for a bouquet of white lillies. "I actually looked up the meaning for these, and I read that these symbolize purity. You're one of the nicest girls John's been with, and I wanted to get the ones that symbolized forgiveness but those weren't as pretty." He sighs before turning to Mags, who furrows her eyebrows when she sees him holding out yellow daffodils for her.
"These are chivalry," he mumbles. "I was rude the other day and I'm sorry. I should've taken the hint that you don't like me. Buuuut I hope we can be friends." His voice goes up at the end as he raises his shoulders, trying to shrug it off, but I could tell how difficult this was for him to admit.
Maggie takes the flowers, blinking at him. "I...thank you."
"You didn't have to get us anything to apologize," I tell him earnestly. "You just showing up here says and means a lot."
He nods. "Don't mention it. Hopefully you can make do with the rest of these-"
"What, I don't get flowers?" Brayden's voice drifts over to us as he enters, chuckling.
Eric rubs the back of his neck, blushing slightly. "Uh, hey man. Look, sorry about the other day, I acted like a jerk."
Brayden smiles politely. "No worries. No hard feelings."
"I guess I'll get going then," he says. He turns to leave, but before he can reach the door, he stops suddenly. "Oh, Steph."
I look up from the white petals, still surprised. "Yeah?"
"Those flowers? They're Calla lilies." He chuckles and shakes his head. "I know it seems like I'm always acting like his messenger or intervening, but I think you should talk to him. I'm not the only one that feels bad about what happened."
I bite my lip, nodding my head softly as my heart thumps. "I-I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Halvo."
Once he's out the door, both Maggie and I were silent.
"What's with you two?" Brayden asks. "They're just flowers. Y'all look like you saw a ghost."
I look over to see she had her nose in the flowers, her eyes soft. "Shit...Steph, he likes me?"
I bite my lip. I was as dumbfounded as her at this point.
My heart ached the more I thought about it. Had John put him up to this or could Eric really tell how much this was affecting us?
He must have realized his mistake by now. John had a habit of getting upset over my friendship with Brayden, so I couldn't really hold him against it anymore.
I had to set this straight.
~
Showing up at John's doorstep, I take a deep breath as I prepare myself to face him for the first time all week. I really hoped our confrontation didn't end on a bad note; it was anything like this morning, I'm pretty sure I'd break down then and there in the middle of his living room.
The door opens and I'm met by John's blank stare. "S-Steph."
I give a sheepish smile. "Hey."
"Hi," he mumbles, instantly rubbing the back of his neck. I could tell he hadn't expected me to drop by. He was usually the one having to come see me, but I needed to be the one to do this and show him I was just as dedicated in making our relationship work. He pushed his stubborness aside countless time for me; it was only fair that I do the same.
"Can we talk?" I ask, my heart aching. As mad as I had been, I couldn't stand being upset with him much longer.
He runs a shaky hand through his hair. "Yeah, yeah, come in."
I enter Tim's house as he leads me to his room. I'd been here once or twice before, so I felt really out of place.
John sits on the edge of his bed with a sigh. "I'm guessing this is about the other day."
"Sort of," I say with a shrug. I didn't want him to feel more guilty than necessary.
"I know I acted out of line," he mumbles. "But please don't say you're breaking up with me."
My eyes widen at the mere idea. He thought I came here to break up with him? I guess it made sense, this being one of the rare times I come over to his place, and to 'talk.' But not for that reason.
"John, I'm not breaking up with you," I say incredulously, sitting beside him. "I just wanted to talk about it."
He raises an eyebrow. "Really? Because I seem to keep fucking up. I thought that I'd finally drawn the line with you."
"Of course not," I mutter as I bite my lip. My fingers slip between his on top of his hand for assurance. "I wouldn't leave you for that. I know how you feel about Brayden so I should have expected it-"
"I don't want you to have to expect it," he groans, tossing his head back. "I don't want you to think that kind of behavior from me is normal. I swear, it's not. I just have to learn to stop being a prick."
I laugh, climbing into his lap happily. "That would be nice. But how are you going to do that?"
He licks his lips, contemplating. "What if I...invite Brayden for lunch with us sometime? To apologize and get to actually know what he's like and not be so judgmental towards him all the time."
My mouth quirks up at his thoughtfulness. He was actually willing to confront and fix his problem with Brayden instead of continuously avoiding it. I was relieved, thinking he'd get on the defense about it as he usually did. That was improvement.
"I'd appreciate it," I murmur and rest our foreheads together. "I'm adding a rule though to our list of conditions." Just in case, I thought.
"What's that?"
"No punching my coworkers."
~
As we waited for Brayden at a diner on Saturday morning, John wouldn't stop whining in his seat. "Can't we just order without him?"
I shoot him a look as I hand him one of the menus. "That would be rude. Remember that this was your idea."
"No, I know," he mumbles. "I'm just hungry."
I laugh and soon see Brayden approaching through the rows of tables. I stand up to greet him, giving him a light hug. "Hey, Bray."
"Hey," he chuckles, pulling away. "Sorry to keep you waiting - traffic."
I nod before looking over at John getting to his feet as well. He holds out his hand, Brayden taking it surprisedly. I hadn't been the only one shocked by that.
"I'm sorry about before," John says earnestly.
Smiling, Bray releases his hand as we all sit down. "All is forgiven."
A young man with an apron attends to us and we take our orders, collecting our menus before walking away. I turn to John but he was too busy glaring at Brayden. I sigh, figuring it was too good to be true.
I watch him follow Brayden's gaze with a furrow of his eyebrows, looking over his shoulder. His lips twitch before smirking, relaxing back in his seat comfortably. Why was he so smug?
The waiter returns with our drinks and I thank him before taking a sip from mine from the straw.
"So, Steph, how do you feel?" Brayden asks with a grin. "You survived your first week of running your own business."
I giggle before flashing a triumphant smile. I couldn't help but feel relieved. It had gone more than great, and that was more than I expected. "I couldn't have done it without you guys," I muse, slipping my hand into John's beneath the table.
John chuckles. "Don't sell yourself short. Most of it was all you, darlin'."
"He's right," Bray says with a nod. "You worked your ass off and it paid off, like I knew you would.
"Aww, you're gonna make me cry," I tease, smirking at the both of them. They were such wusses sometimes.
Once our meal has arrived, we dig into our food, making casual conversation between bites. I was impressed that John was suddenly so civil toward Brayden. He'd laugh at his jokes and actually interact with him. Did he finally realize that there was nothing to worry about?
We split the bill between the three of us before exiting the diner.
"It was nice to see you Bray," I tell him with a smile. "Thanks for coming."
"Thanks for inviting me," he grins. "I'll be coming here more often."
John chuckles. "I bet. See you around, man."
He nods and waves before walking back to his car and I raise an eyebrow up at John. "That went strangely well."
His lips brush against my forehead. "I'm sorry about the way I've acted. I know now that there was no need for it."
"And why's that?" I ask suspiciously.
"Babe, he's gay," he states matter-of-factly, chuckling.
"What?!" That had to be an assumption. How could he possibly tell?
His eyebrows quirk up as he smiles crookedly. "He was checking out our waiter's ass. And it all adds up; the perfectly good looks, girls digging him, his manners, all those times I've caught him staring at me. Not to mention the fact that he works at a bakery," he finishes with a confident look.
I scoff in disbelief, considering the idea. It was true that Brayden put effort into his appearance; come to think of it, there wasn't one day that his hair wasn't perfectly in place and his skin wasn't clear. He was well-dressed, too. I never questioned Maggie's reasons for liking him, but now I was just astounded.
He was right.
"Well I bet you're just glowing inside," I mutter. He'd be eating this up for months.
"Oh, I am," he laughs before placing his arm around my shoulders and pressing his lips to mine.
I pull away. "Wait, do you mean to tell me he's been checking you out?!"
He shrugs. "Guess so." A smirk grows on his face as he wraps his arms around my waist. "You're not jealous, are you?"
"Course not," I scoff. "You're not gay, so I don't have anything to worry about."
He chuckles before opening the car door for me. "That makes two of us."
I roll my eyes before climbing in, waiting for him to get behind the wheel.
"Your place?" he asks and I nod. It felt good to actually be able to relax on the weekend; Jean had a agreed to co-run the bakery with me, so she and Maggie were covering for today.
As we drive down the open road, John rests his hand on my thigh, casually running his thumb along my skin. I was wearing jeans so the denim was our only barrier. But even then his touch sent a chill through me.
His eyes flick over to my face, noticing me shiver and licking his lips. "What do you need, sweetheart?"
"John," I breathe the closer his fingers get to my waistline. I grab his hand and he chuckles, returning it onto the wheel as I try to even my breathing. My heart was pounding.
I needed him. Desperately.
We eventually reach my apartment and the moment we're through my door, he pushes me against the small table beside the entrance, shutting it closed behind us and digging his hips into me. I gasp and relish in the feel of his hands on me.
My eyes flutter shut as I pull his shirt tucked into his jeans out, tugging greedily. He groans and lifts mine over my head before taking his off and unbuttoning my jeans. I deepen the kiss as he trails down my neck nipping at my skin. His palms knead at my skin and I thread my fingers through his hair, whimpering. He stops all of a sudden and I glare at him. "Please. No games, I-"
"One condition," he says deviously, rubbing his thumbs against my hipbones. He leans into my ear as he purrs, "I get to do everything I'm about to do to you in your bakery one day."
I melt like chocolate as his hand delves beneath my panties, not giving me a chance to respond.
