Chapter 49
When I bought the oversized, extra deep couch, I told myself it was a waste of money. That it would only inspire me to lounge, and I didn’t need any encouragement on that. But it was too comfortable not to buy it.
Today, I am so fucking glad I went with that instinct.
Anderson and I haven’t left the couch all day, other than for bathroom breaks and snacks. We’ve found ourselves in a spooning position again, with him behind me and a blanket draped over our naked bodies. I love having him like this, even when we argue over Netflix.
“Okay, I know you’re not down for screaming horror, but what about something more subdued? A master class in building tension and suspense?”
“What, like a thriller or a mystery or something?”
“I was thinking Silence of the Lambs.”
He laughs. “Hmm…”
“It’s barely horror, but fine. Aliens?”
More laughs out of him. “That is definitely horror.”
“It’s really more of a sci-fi, but sure.” I think for a moment. “How about Predator?”
He hesitates.
“Oh please! It’s definitely sci-fi.”
“Okay. No horror, no sci-fi, nothing with cannibalism. Try again.”
I huff, thinking. “How about Parasite?”
“The Korean film?”
“Yeah. Have you seen it?”
“No.”
I grin. “We should watch that.”
“No body horror either. I should have put that on the list.”
I giggle at him. “It’s not an actual parasite. It’s a metaphorical parasite situation.”
“Oh. Okay, yeah. Let’s watch it.”
But before I can turn it on, someone knocks at the door. Don’t be Callie, don’t be Callie?—
“That’ll be the pizzas I ordered,” he says as he climbs over me and yanks his jeans up.
“When did you order pizza? Without asking me what I want?”
He smirks, and that knocks my annoyance down by five percent. He’s too cute when he smirks. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course, but?—”
“I’ve got this.” He pulls on his tee shirt, then goes to the door while I remain hiding beneath the blanket. He mumbles something to the delivery guy, then closes the door, so I peek my head up. What he’s holding doesn’t make any sense. Three pizza boxes for the two of us.
“How much do you think I can eat, Anderson?”
He laughs. “I don’t ever eat pizza, and when I do, I go a little overboard. Come on. It’s way past lunchtime.” He vanishes into my kitchen.
Alright then. I yank on some clothes, because it feels weird to walk around and eat without them, then join him in the kitchen. The boxes are open, and the pizzas look strange. “What, um, what’s all this about?”
“So, because I go overboard on pizza, I like to make each half different. Left to right, we have half cheese, half pepperoni. The middle is half pineapple and anchovy and half veggie supreme. The third is half meat lovers and half vegan.”
I am mystified. Looking up at him, I’m sure my face tells him my question.
He grins. “It’s fun to mess with them. Dig in.” He grabs a slice of each one, and I am fascinated to see him try to eat six slices. I snag a pineapple and anchovy and a vegan, and follow him out to the living room. He eyes my selections. “See? You have to start trusting me with these things.”
“Okay. First, meat lovers and vegan should be illegal. It’s naughty in a way that I can’t wrap my head around. Second, how in the hell did you remember pineapple and anchovy?”
“That it’s your favorite, you mean?”
I nod, too smiley to speak.
He hesitates and takes a bite of his slice before washing it down. “I remember the field trip we took, and how we ended up lost and at a Pizza Hut because it was the only restaurant around that all the kids were happy about and could take all of us. And everyone ordered their own pizzas, and you got pineapple and anchovy?—”
“And it was the one time you didn’t make fun of me for something.”
He nods. “As much as I was an absolute dick to you—still sorry for that, by the way—I was intrigued. So, I ordered pepperoni because I wasn’t brave enough to be that weird, but I watched you dig into yours with abandon, and you enjoyed it so much that I was jealous. After that fiasco, I tried it myself, and well, I’ve been hooked ever since.”
I’m lost. “You couldn’t order the kind of pizza you wanted? I don’t understand.”
“And that’s what I like about you. It wouldn’t occur to you to be self-conscious about your pizza toppings. You weren’t afraid to be judged for it. You ordered it and enjoyed the hell out of it.”
“It’s pizza. It’s meant to be enjoyed.”
He leans close and kisses me, tasting like heaven. “You are meant to be enjoyed.”
I don’t know why, but that makes me giggle and blush. “Shut up.”
He laughs. “You’re so damn cute.”
I cannot take his full attention right now or the fact that he remembered all of that, so I focus on something else or I will spiral out into wondering what that means. Why does he remember so much stuff that I tried to forget? That trip was a disaster for me. We were supposed to go to Six Flags, and somehow, we ended up at a Pizza Hut in a tiny town. It was one of the old ones that still needed remodeling. Crap, I’m spiraling. Whatever.
I was so disappointed and annoyed, but the kids in my class were worse. Whining to the teachers and chaperones and demanding to speak to someone over them. It was the first time I really understood the difference between me and them. All those factors made the day awful.
But for Anderson, it was the day to learn my favorite toppings.
“How long did you have a crush on me, Anderson?”
He pauses, no longer digging into his pizza. To my surprise, he’s downed four of the slices already. “Pretty much from the day I met you. Is that a problem?”
I’m not even sure how to process that, but I laugh. “No. Not really.”
“What is it?”
“I just … I wish I’d known about your crush back then.”
He slowly nods. “I wish I had been given the tools to understand it back then. But being a kid and not understanding what I was feeling made for a bad time. If I could change that history, June, I would.”
“I’m not sure I would.”
“Really?”
“I mean, yeah, I hated you, but you pushed me to work harder. I wanted to beat you at everything. Every time I studied for a test, I wanted to make sure I got better grades than you, so I could rub your nose in it.”
He laughs. “Well, okay. I’m glad I helped inadvertently, I guess.”
“Speaking of grades and responsibilities, I am going to have to go back to work tomorrow.”
“Why would you do something silly like that?”
I roll my eyes. “Because I have bills and?—”
“And if you go back so soon, remember my father could find out you’re not still kidnapped.”
“Right. Crap.”
“Besides, you are about to have enough money to quit that job.” He has a point.
“Oh.” I clutch my heart. “I cannot wait for that.”
He smiles. “Me, too.”
“Why you?”
“Because if you quit your job, then you have more time to spend with me. If … if that’s something you want to do.”
I can’t help smiling at his nervousness. “You want to spend more time with me, Anderson?” I’m gonna drag this out as long as I can stand it. It’s fun to see him squirm.
“Yes. I do.”
It’s nice to be with a guy who doesn’t play games. “I’d like that, too.”
“Hold still.” He reaches out and swipes his thumb over my jaw, then licks the sauce off. “You got messy.”
I giggle at him. “You’ve turned me into a giggler. How did you manage that?”
“I don’t know, but I’m very glad I did. I love hearing that out of you.”
“So, if we’re going to play hooky, what are we going to do with all that free time, sir?”
He smiles in a way that tells me he has only dirty thoughts. “I can think of a few projects. But I’ll need your help with them.”
“Oh?” I tease and set my plate down.
He sets his aside, too. “It’s really more of a collaboration than a project.” He leans over me, and I lean back. “We will have to work closely with each other. I’m afraid there’s no other way.”
“Sounds like a challenge,” I say as I pull his shirt over his head. “But I’m a team player.”
“That’s a good thing,” he says, slowly lifting my shirt and kissing my stomach. “But this will be a team of two only. No one else.” His gaze is intense, and I can’t tell if we’re just playing or if he’s asking me to be his girlfriend.
Whatever he’s asking, the answer is yes. “I don’t want to team up with anyone else.”
He nibbles at my stomach, then slowly drags my pajama bottoms off of me, before resuming his position between my thighs. “That’s good, because I’m about to get started with some research, and I’ll need you to hold as still as you can.” Then he lifts my legs onto his shoulders.
“No promises, boss.”
“Oh, I like it when you call me that.” He grins, then his head dips between my thighs.
I groan, “Keep giving me a reason to call you that, and I will.”
He grunts and licks me all over. If this is what he wants to do for the next few days, I’m not going to argue.