Chapter 29
THE WAY TO A MAN’S LAP IS THROUGH A HORROR MOVIE
“Argh, my muscles are still sore from football.” I groaned as my calf muscles tingled. “Why am I in such bad shape?”
“So am I.” Liv made a face. “We need to start working out.”
“That doesn’t sound like fun.” I made a face at her.
“We’ll go to the gym and walk on the treadmill,” she said and nodded to herself. “And maybe we can practice throwing the football at the park.”
“Why?”
“So we can practice,” she said. “I want us to show up and just totally dominate the game. We need to show Aiden and Xander that we aren’t just weak, unsporty girls. I totally didn’t appreciate how they basically excluded me from every play.”
“I know,” I agreed. “That was so uncool.”
“Yeah, we need to show those boys that girls can kick ass in sports as well.”
“I guess so.” I sighed and stretched my legs out. “Though I don’t know I will ever kick ass in football.”
“Yes, you will, Alice. You need to have a positive mental attitude.”
“I’m trying,” I said and sighed. “I mean, I’m still trying to have a positive attitude about Aiden and me getting together.”
“About that …” Liv said and grinned. “Let’s go over the plan.
” She looked down at her notepad and then back up at me.
“I’m going to invite Aiden over to watch a movie as a way for us to make up for the argument that went down.
” She made a face. “He thinks that we were inappropriate on the football field yesterday and that we shouldn’t argue like that in front of others. ”
“Since when has he cared about being an ass in front of others?” I was surprised, but pleased to hear that he was going to be coming over.
“Since he realized I’m not a little kid anymore.” She laughed. “Anyway, I’m going to tell him to bring a movie and a bottle of wine and that is how he can make it up to me.”
“But you’re not going to be here, right?” I said, trying to confirm that the plan was the same as this morning.
“Yeah, well, I’ll be here when he arrives, but just before the movie starts, I’m going to leave abruptly because Xander is going to need me.”
“He knows he’s going to need you, right?” I asked skeptically; I wasn’t sure we could count on Xander following through in helping us with our plan.
“Trust me, he knows he’s going to need me.” She grinned. “I told him to call me at eight p.m. on the dot. I’ll talk to him and then leave and then you and Aiden can watch the movie. I told Aiden to get a horror movie—”
“Oh no, you know I hate horror movies.” I groaned.
“That’s why I told him to bring one. You’ll scream and jump into his arms, and he’ll protect you.”
“Protect me from the TV?”
“Well, he’ll put his arm around you to comfort you from the scariness on the screen or whatever, and you can snuggle into his arms.” Liv sounded impatient. “Come on, Alice, you know how it goes. You’re the one who taught me the horror-movie trick.”
“I know.” I sighed. “I just don’t think it will work on Aiden.”
“It works on all men.” Liv grinned. “Even guys who are totally into themselves and have significant others; though it’s unlikely to lead to kissing and messing around with them.”
“It’s unlikely to lead to kissing for me and Aiden, either.”
“Alice,” Liv sighed. “Just go with it, please.”
“Fine.” I shrugged. “I’ll watch a horror movie with him, but I just hope he doesn’t feel like he was tricked and leave. He didn’t exactly seem like he was into me at the football game.”
“We were running up and down a field, he didn’t have time to flirt.”
“I guess so.” I laughed. “Let’s be real, Liv. What he was doing was the opposite of flirting.”
“He was just being a typical macho jealous guy.” Liv rolled her eyes. “Trust me, he’s into you. Even Xander thinks he’s into you. Though he still hasn’t told me that he told you that Aiden was a Dom.” She looked annoyed. “And I hinted around it as well.”
“Oh, Liv.” I shook my head. “You’re not meant to know, remember?” I played with my hair for a few seconds and then continued talking. “And Xander really does think Aiden’s into me?” I asked hopefully.
“Yes.” She grinned. “Though he also thinks Scott and Henry are into you, too. Oh and that other guy as well, what’s-his-face.”
“Who is what’s-his-face?”
“Jackson. The one guy who kept trying to tackle you.”
“Oh, the tall guy with the crooked nose and bleach-blond hair?” I made a face. “I swear he was trying to grab my tits.”
“Yup, him.” Liv laughed. “He tried to do that to me, too, and Xander elbowed him.”
“Oh, Xander!” I laughed.
“Yeah.” She giggled. “I love it when he acts all jealous. Anyway, back to what I was going to say. This is the perfect opportunity for you to mention that you’ve always been interested in experimenting.”
“Experimenting?” I frowned. “With what? Drugs?”
“No, silly.” Liv laughed and shook her head. “Experimenting in the bedroom.”
“Oh.” My face went red. “You think I should tell him I want to know what it’s like to be a sub?” I bit my lower lip. “Isn’t it too soon for me to be bringing that up?”
“Yes, it’s too soon. No way should you mention anything about wanting to be a sub.
” She shuddered and made a face. “That’s way too obvious and honestly, I don’t want to think of you and my brother in a Dom and sub relationship.
” Her voice grew as melodramatic as it had the morning after game night when I’d told her what Xander had told me.
“So what should I say?”
“Just say something like, you’ve always been intrigued by couples in alternative lifestyles and you wish you could meet a man who could possess and dominate you.”
“I’m not saying that.” I gave her a look and laughed. “In fact, there is no way in hell I’m saying anything close to that. That’s just as bad as me talking about being a sub and him being a Dom.”
“I think it sounds good,” Liv said with a sigh. “But fine, maybe say, I wish I could meet a man that likes to take charge.”
“Eh.” I groaned. “That just sounds like I’m asking him to take me to the bedroom.”
“Don’t you want him to do that?” She winked at me.
“No, I do not want him to take me to the bed after I’ve made a comment like that. That would just be because he thinks I’m begging for him to jump my bones.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Well, yes.” I laughed. “But I don’t want him to jump my bones because he thinks I’m some sort of sex fiend, begging to be taken and dominated by him.”
“He’s not going to think that,” Liv said. “Trust me.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not saying that. I’ll think of something.”
“Wear something sexy as well.”
“Liv, how am I going to wear something sexy? It’s not like I can wear some sexy teddy, since you’re going to be there as well.” I shook my head. “Liv, come on now.”
“I know, I know. I just want you guys to get together so badly.” She rubbed her hands together excitedly. “Could you imagine? We can go on double dates and on trips together.”
“That would be cool,” I agreed. “What does Xander think of all of this?”
“I don’t know.” She made a face. “I’m still upset that he told you not to tell me that Aiden is a Dom.”
“He’s just trying to protect you.”
“I guess, but I mean, come on, why can’t I know that my brother is a Dom?”
“Please don’t tell Xander I told you.” I was worried that Liv would tell Xander, and then Xander would be mad at me and then he wouldn’t provide me with any new information about Aiden.
And I needed new information on Aiden as much as a coke addict needed coke, maybe even more than that.
And I knew that Liv wasn’t going to be the provider of any real and useful information about her brother.
“I won’t.” She made a face. “Now back to your outfit—what are you going to wear?”
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “I don’t want to be too obvious. Especially because he has a girlfriend.”
“He doesn’t have a girlfriend. He just went on a few dates with that girl.”
“He went on a few dates?” I said quickly. “How do you know?”
“Well, I only know about the one,” Liv responded. “But I assume they went out more than once, right?”
“I guess.” I groaned. “Why does that ho have to be after my man?” I looked at Liv’s giggling face and groaned again. “I’m horrible, aren’t I? I bet she’s a great girl and here I am calling her a ho. She’s nothing like a ho.”
“Oh?”
“She went to Dartmouth for undergrad,” I said quickly. “And she has a pet dog and a hamster and she enjoys playing racquetball.”
“Huh?” Liv’s eyes widened. “How do you know all that?”
“Google is my friend.” I laughed. “Plus, she has a blog where she talks about her life.” I rolled my eyes. “And she has photos of Frodo, her hamster, and Blackie, her dog.”
“Please don’t tell me her dog is black.”
“He is.” I nodded and giggled. “Who calls their black dog Blackie?”
“So unoriginal,” Liv agreed. “She has to go. You’re much better for Aiden.”
“Yeah, right. I doubt he thinks so.”
“He’s an idiot,” she said and pulled out her phone as it beeped. “Okay, that was Aiden, he’ll be here at seven-ish.”
“Oh my God. What am I going to wear?” I squealed. “And does he know I’ll be here?”
“Of course he knows,” Liv said. “Where else would you be?”
“Yeah,” I said weakly. “Where else would I be?”
I waited at the coffee shop two blocks away from our apartment for Liv to text me to let me know that Aiden had arrived. We’d decided that I wouldn’t be at the apartment when he arrived. Instead, I’d arrive back home about thirty minutes after he arrived and talk about my hot date.
I have to admit I felt like a bit of a tart, sitting in the coffee shop in my short black mini-skirt and short white top, with my red push-up bra and high heels.
I could see an old man in the corner of the store staring at me, his eyes moving up and down my body as if I were a fine piece of art that was to be looked over microscopically so that he didn’t miss any tiny details.