not a dude.”
He cracks open an eye and tilts his head to look down at me. “I’m not a…dude?”
I shake my head. “You’re not a boy, I mean.”
He shifts a little out from under me. “I guess I’m not.”
I sigh happily and put my head back on his shoulder. I can’t get close enough to him. I throw an arm over his chest and he makes a small sound, like “oof!”
“I’m real glad you asked me out tonight, Joe.”
He sort of goes “uh huh,” and we’re quiet for a few minutes. I’m getting a little cold, but I don’t want to get up just yet. I’m full of what I’ve heard Susie call “afterglow,” which I never understood until now.
“Man, this is what really great sex feels like.”
Joe shifts a bit again. “Glad I could oblige.”
I push up on my elbow to put my head in my hand and look at him. I chew my lower lip for a second until I figure it can’t hurt to ask. “Was I okay?”
“Yes, Brandy,” Joe says, his eyes closed again. “You were okay.”
“Just…okay?”
He doesn’t open his eyes, but he does smile. “You were good.”
That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I’ve had a couple guys tell me I’m good before, but coming from Joe it seems more of a compliment. Even though he was giving me tips and stuff, he still thought I was good.
“You must’ve been with lots of women.”
He’s quiet for a second. “Depends on what you think is a lot.”
“More than I’ve been with guys, I mean.”
This makes him look at me. “I’m older than you, Brandy.”
Yeah, I knew that. “How old are you?”
Not that I care, really. I rub my fingers through his chest hair until he puts his hand over mine to stop it. Joe rubs his forehead a little, as if he’s getting a headache.
“I’m going to be thirty-five.”
“Whoa!” I hadn’t meant to sound so surprised, but it slips out. “I thought you were, like, twenty-seven or so.”
“I’m not.”
I sit up. “Whoa.”
Joe sits up, too, and there’s a space between us that wasn’t there a minute ago. “Why ‘whoa?’”
I shrug. “You’re, like, twelve years older than I am, that’s all.”
I don’t know why he looks so annoyed by that. It’s not like I ever pretended I was older or something. I mean, what did he expect? I work in a coffee shop and go to college, how old did he think I could be?
“Is that a problem?” I ask as he swings his legs over the side of the bed.
“No, don’t worry about it.”
I don’t need a degree in advanced rocket science to figure out he’s leaving. “So…how come you’re leaving?”
He looks over his shoulder at me. “I have to work in the morning, Brandy.”
“Oh.” I don’t want my voice to sound small and hurt, but it comes out that way. “But…you’ll call me, right?”
The second it’s out of my mouth I wish I hadn’t said it. I can tell by the way he hesitates that he’s going to say no, or say yes but be lying. I’d rather he didn’t lie.
“I don’t think so.”
That’s not a yes or a no, and I’m not sure what to think. “Is it because I’m fat?”
Joe whirls, face shocked. “Brandy, no! You’re not fat.”
He reaches out to push my hair off over my shoulders, and I believe he means it.
“Is it because you think I’m a slut?”
Joe sighs, real heavy, and rubs his forehead again. “I don’t think you’re a slut.”
I frown. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure.” He turns his body to face me. “You’re not fat, and you’re not a slut. You’re a nice girl and we had a good time tonight. Going to bed with me doesn’t make you a slut, okay? I hate it when girls think that.”
“You do?” The way he says it makes me think he’s been with lots and lots of girls. Jealousy’s bubbles aren’t nearly as nice as giggles.
“Yeah, I do. There’s nothing wrong with two people having a good time together in bed, as long as they’re both careful and they both want to do it.”
He sounds like he’s trying to convince
He cracks open an eye and tilts his head to look down at me. “I’m not a…dude?”
I shake my head. “You’re not a boy, I mean.”
He shifts a little out from under me. “I guess I’m not.”
I sigh happily and put my head back on his shoulder. I can’t get close enough to him. I throw an arm over his chest and he makes a small sound, like “oof!”
“I’m real glad you asked me out tonight, Joe.”
He sort of goes “uh huh,” and we’re quiet for a few minutes. I’m getting a little cold, but I don’t want to get up just yet. I’m full of what I’ve heard Susie call “afterglow,” which I never understood until now.
“Man, this is what really great sex feels like.”
Joe shifts a bit again. “Glad I could oblige.”
I push up on my elbow to put my head in my hand and look at him. I chew my lower lip for a second until I figure it can’t hurt to ask. “Was I okay?”
“Yes, Brandy,” Joe says, his eyes closed again. “You were okay.”
“Just…okay?”
He doesn’t open his eyes, but he does smile. “You were good.”
That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I’ve had a couple guys tell me I’m good before, but coming from Joe it seems more of a compliment. Even though he was giving me tips and stuff, he still thought I was good.
“You must’ve been with lots of women.”
He’s quiet for a second. “Depends on what you think is a lot.”
“More than I’ve been with guys, I mean.”
This makes him look at me. “I’m older than you, Brandy.”
Yeah, I knew that. “How old are you?”
Not that I care, really. I rub my fingers through his chest hair until he puts his hand over mine to stop it. Joe rubs his forehead a little, as if he’s getting a headache.
“I’m going to be thirty-five.”
“Whoa!” I hadn’t meant to sound so surprised, but it slips out. “I thought you were, like, twenty-seven or so.”
“I’m not.”
I sit up. “Whoa.”
Joe sits up, too, and there’s a space between us that wasn’t there a minute ago. “Why ‘whoa?’”
I shrug. “You’re, like, twelve years older than I am, that’s all.”
I don’t know why he looks so annoyed by that. It’s not like I ever pretended I was older or something. I mean, what did he expect? I work in a coffee shop and go to college, how old did he think I could be?
“Is that a problem?” I ask as he swings his legs over the side of the bed.
“No, don’t worry about it.”
I don’t need a degree in advanced rocket science to figure out he’s leaving. “So…how come you’re leaving?”
He looks over his shoulder at me. “I have to work in the morning, Brandy.”
“Oh.” I don’t want my voice to sound small and hurt, but it comes out that way. “But…you’ll call me, right?”
The second it’s out of my mouth I wish I hadn’t said it. I can tell by the way he hesitates that he’s going to say no, or say yes but be lying. I’d rather he didn’t lie.
“I don’t think so.”
That’s not a yes or a no, and I’m not sure what to think. “Is it because I’m fat?”
Joe whirls, face shocked. “Brandy, no! You’re not fat.”
He reaches out to push my hair off over my shoulders, and I believe he means it.
“Is it because you think I’m a slut?”
Joe sighs, real heavy, and rubs his forehead again. “I don’t think you’re a slut.”
I frown. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure.” He turns his body to face me. “You’re not fat, and you’re not a slut. You’re a nice girl and we had a good time tonight. Going to bed with me doesn’t make you a slut, okay? I hate it when girls think that.”
“You do?” The way he says it makes me think he’s been with lots and lots of girls. Jealousy’s bubbles aren’t nearly as nice as giggles.
“Yeah, I do. There’s nothing wrong with two people having a good time together in bed, as long as they’re both careful and they both want to do it.”
He sounds like he’s trying to convince
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