Chapter Six
A Little Flirting Never Hurt Anyone
Gabe
When I woke up this morning, my phone was still in the same position as it was while talking to Ender last night, but the battery was dead.
I must’ve passed out on him because I don’t remember saying goodnight.
The last thing I remember was asking him to tell me something personal about himself, to which I don’t think he responded—or maybe I fell asleep before he could.
I felt like a dick falling asleep on him, so I texted him as soon as my phone had enough charge. It’s now noon, and he hasn’t responded yet. Hopefully, he’s just busy and not pissed off at me again.
When I still don’t hear from him at close to midnight when I’m parking my car at home, I can’t take the silence any longer. Grabbing my phone, I text him before rational thought stops me from acting like a clingy boyfriend.
Are you ignoring me because I fell asleep on you?
I feel like this is a punishment for no good reason, and definitely not a fun punishment. I’m really sorry I fell asleep.
My phone rings seconds after I hit send.
“Wow, aren’t we a little needy?” His laughter instantly draws a smile out of me.
“I’m not needy, I just don’t like being ignored.” To avoid sounding like a petulant child—even though it’s probably too late—I add on, “It’s no big deal, I just wanted to make sure you got my apology.”
“I’m sorry, it was a really busy day for me. It felt like I had to put out one fire after the next.” Ender’s tone softens. “I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose.”
What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve never been like this with any guy. I sound like a walking red flag of a jealous boyfriend, and I’m not even his boyfriend.
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I’m not usually like this, I swear.” Shaking my head at myself, I finally exit my car and head straight upstairs for a shower.
“I think we’ve said, ‘I’m sorry’ to each other more times in the four days we’ve known each other than most couples say in a month.”
I smile at his slipup, unsure if he even noticed it himself, as I turn on the water.
“So, we’re at couple status already?” I keep my tone playful and teasing—more to make myself feel better for acting the way I did just a minute ago.
“Shit. No, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just comparing—”
I interrupt his fumbled explanation before he can say anything else he’ll regret. “Ender, stop. I was kidding. It’s fine.” I hear the clinking sound of candy hitting teeth and then muffled chewing. “What flavor was that one?”
His heartfelt chuckling around a mouthful of candy is so adorable that I want to video call him just to see his smile.
“Cinnamon. They’re my favorite.”
“You like things spicy, got it.”
“So, was that an innuendo, or are you actually interested in my food preferences? I feel like I need to start asking before I answer.”
“Is ‘both’ an acceptable answer?” There I go again, testing the waters.
“Sure—doesn’t mean I owe you an answer, though.”
Is it possible to know someone is smirking over a phone call? Before I can come up with a retort, he continues.
“Yes, I like spicy food.” Ender clears his throat, which I assume is an act of nervousness, before expanding any further. “The second part is to be determined at a later date.”
“Fair enough. I’ll be anxiously awaiting that answer.”
“I bet.” Ender’s faint response barely registers over the running water.
The steam begins to surround me like it’s trying to drag me into the shower. Like it or not, I’ll have to end the call soon.
“Sounds like you’re about to jump in the shower. I’ll let you go.”
“As much as I don’t want to hang up, I do have a long day tomorrow, and I need to get some sleep because someone—no names mentioned—kept me up until 2 a.m. last night.”
“Correction, it was about 1:50 a.m. because someone passed out mid-sentence on me.” I love this playful side of his. It’s the opposite of my first impression of him—as amazing as that was, too.
“My apologies. Can I make it up to you?”
“I’ll think about it. Go take your shower, and we can discuss you groveling on your knees another time.”
“I like the way that sounds.” The walls echo with my laughter, and Ender joins in on his end. “Goodnight, Ender.”
Ender said goodnight and I reluctantly ended the call.
Everything about this man is so wildly different from anyone else I’ve ever been into, and I can’t get enough of him.
Stepping into the shower, my mind wanders to his last words.
I imagine myself down on my knees for Ender, those beautiful eyes of his gazing into mine, and it has my dick swelling.
I begin to add detail to my fantasy, and my pulse races with it.
I want to feel his hands grasping my hair, hear him moan as I swallow him deep, and watch his eyes roll back when I suck him hard until his cum spurts down my throat.
The hot water cascades down my body, and I let my hands, lathered in body wash, join it.
Instead of my own, I imagine they're his.
One hand fondles my balls, and the other grasps my cock, stroking firmly.
I imagine Ender's soft laughter echoing in my mind, and my strokes speed up, my balls desperate for release as I remember the warmth of his skin from the few brief moments we've touched.
My hand slams against the tiles as my orgasm hits me hard and fast, and a deep groan wrenches itself from my core.
I keep working my cock, riding the aftershocks until I'm trembling and panting for breath.
When I finally wash up, I catch myself thinking that if this is the result of imagining being with Ender, I may just need a living will if it ever becomes reality.
Saturday passed by in a chaotic blur with last-minute preparation for Stonewood’s opening night on Wednesday. Both Luke and I were dealing nonstop with placing orders, employee scheduling, and helping trainers—neither of us left until after midnight.
I barely even had a minute to text Ender hello and ask him how his day was going.
Seeing his text messages when I woke up this morning, I was relieved that he understood.
I know from close friends in the restaurant world that the long days and nights—especially when opening a new restaurant—can cause personal relationships to suffer, with partners sometimes feeling neglected.
What the fuck? Why do I keep slipping and feeling like Ender is already my partner?
We’ve barely even spent time together, but I’m unreservedly drawn to him for some reason that I can’t pinpoint, let alone understand.
I text him back before I’ve even used the bathroom or wiped the sleep from my eyes. I’m officially obsessed with him.
By the time I finish getting ready and leave the house, Ender has responded to let me know he’s out to lunch with the gang, waiting for Kaden, Lanie, and Faith to arrive.
I smile when he admits he’s actually starving for real food, and that Connor’s rambling made him even more hangry.
I can’t help but chuckle under my breath, envisioning the scene unfolding in the diner they went to, not far from Stonewood’s.
In an attempt to cheer him up, I sent him a few playful selfies, along with a shot of a random dog hanging out the window of a car next to me at a traffic light, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
Arriving at the restaurant at almost noon, knowing there’s a long night ahead of me, I take a few minutes to pull up my text thread with Ender.
He’s cute
The dog, not you, just so we’re clear. *face with tongue emoji*
And now he’s the one teasing me. I don’t realize how loudly I’m laughing until one of our employees, busy smoking a cigarette outside the restaurant, shakes his head at me.
You sure know how to make a man feel good. *disappointed face emoji*
Dots appear, then disappear, and reappear once again. I patiently wait as those damn dots keep taunting me, coming and going for nearly a minute that feels more like an eternity.
Wouldn’t you like to know? *thinking face emoji*
Wow, someone is feisty today, but I’m not hating this side of Ender.
Those were a lot of dots for such a short message. Did you debate sending it?
And that is by no means a complaint.
It wasn’t a debate of whether to send it or not…
Ender leaves me hanging with those fucking drama dots lingering as I wait in anticipation. Finally, the bubble pops up, and the fire that instantly lights up my entire body has me wanting to cancel all plans for the day and find Ender instead.
I just couldn’t decide whether I should say what I did or tell you how good I’d make you feel with my cock battering your ass, then how I’d fill you with cum and make you hold it until I tell you to release it while I watch.
But since you’re okay with my first statement, I guess I made the right choice. *person shrugging emoji* *smiling face with halo*
I wipe the bead of sweat from my brow and take a deep breath as I resist the urge to drop everything to bring Ender home with me and lock us away from the world for the next forty-eight hours to ravish each other’s bodies.
I’m going to need to give my phone to Luke for a little while so I don’t ask you to tell me where you are so I can drag you home to my bed, but thanks *sarcasm* for making my dick hard as a rock right before I have to walk into the restaurant.
I’m hoping we can revisit this topic a little later tonight though.
I shut my phone down, not giving him another chance to tempt me—because right now, it wouldn’t take much more to convince me to follow my dick’s current goal.
As soon as I walk into the back office where Luke is working, I do what I need to do before I can change my mind.
“Heads up,” I say to Luke, tossing my phone at him as he looks up at me.
“Whoa. Give a guy a little more of a warning,” he complains when it flies toward him onto the desk. “What’s up with this?” he says, retrieving the phone and holding it up with a scrunched forehead.
“Ender. That’s what’s up.”
“Wait, did you fuck things up already?” Luke’s exasperated tone is not one I like to hear.
“No. The man just fucked with my head—and my dick—through text messages, so you need to hide that thing, or I’ll wind up leaving you here alone for the rest of the day so he can bury his dick in my ass for the foreseeable future.”
My asshole of a best friend roars with laughter to the point of tears at my predicament.
“Fuck you, man. I’m going to see if anyone needs help, because I sure as hell am not staying in here with you right now.
” I give him the finger for good measure as I walk out the door.
I curse under my breath all the way down the hall, dreading the day ahead of me, knowing I’ll be visualizing all the ways I’d let Ender have his way with my body.