23. 23 Mae
23: Mae
“ W ho’s my favourite boy?”
There’s something so wholesome about cooing over a dog. Their soppy eyes, wagging tails and soggy noses. Radish licks me as I wish him farewell. I’ve been taking care of him all day and have put my trust in Flo to drop him off at the shelter for me since I’ve got a shift at The Salty Dog.
Amber will kill me if I’m late.
“Is it a good idea to get this attached to him, Mae?” Flo asks, frowning as she bends down to scratch Radish’s head. He’s staring at me with doe-like eyes.
I tell myself I don’t get attached, but I’m really starting to. I’m not making it any easier for myself with Radish, but I can’t bear the thought of him spending his days cooped up, alone in his kennel when he could be out exploring with me.
“When the time comes for him to be adopted, I’ll be able to let him go. But for now, I want to make sure he’s not wasting away at the shelter.”
“As long as you don’t end up hurt.” Flo opens the back of her car so Radish can jump in. “Both of you. Dogs can get attached, too.”
I laugh. “He’ll forget all about me once the right person comes along.”
My comment makes me scrunch up my nose in distaste, but I push the feeling aside and enter the bar, gaining a What time do you call this? look from Amber.
I sheepishly put on my apron and load the dishwasher.
It isn’t busy tonight, and thank God, because I can’t face another manic shift—not after having spent all day researching and applying to more veterinary programs.
The thought of leaving… I don’t like it. I couldn’t wait to get out of Montana when I was younger. Granted, we didn’t live in Missarali, but I never thought I’d dread moving away.
Moving away from Flo—again. Away from Poppy and the girls on the team. Away from Radish. And away from… Nathan.
It hurts like a bitch.
“Cheerleading didn’t work out, huh?”
I jump at the voice, turning to see Riley Donovan staring at me across the bar. He’s wearing his usual cocky grin, eyebrows raised.
“It’s a side job,” I state moodily. “What are you doing here, Riley? Shouldn’t you be with your team?”
“They all left for California this morning. I thought I’d make a quick pit stop on the way. I had some meetings with my new sponsor.”
I feel like scoffing. He’s so wealthy that he can hire his own private jet and divert it to a different state on the way to a game.
I’m not going to entertain it, though. I’m here to do my job. Right now, Riley is just another paying customer.
“Humble as always, Riley.” I fake a smile. “What can I get for you?”
“A Sprite will be fine.”
I fill a glass for him and accept his cash, staring at him when he doesn’t immediately leave the bar and find a seat. “Can I help you?”
He shrugs. “Not really. How was your camping trip? I saw the photos. It looked cute.”
It went well. We spent the entire day litter-picking the area, with Nathan and I secretly making out behind trees whenever we hung back from Poppy and Bennett. Bennett was too distracted, staring at the ground to notice. And Poppy was too busy rambling about her psychology assignment to him.
“You’re not going to get any information out of me.” I turn to the small crowd behind him “Who’s next?”
“Just trying to make friendly conversation, that’s all,” Riley says as I serve a middle-aged couple.
I’m unsure if Riley knew I worked here and came to irritate me just because of his conflict with Nathan or if this is merely some incredible coincidence.
“Mmm-hmm. Well, I’m not interested. I’m trying to work.”
“Feisty. Interesting. How's Nathan doing?”
“Why don’t you ask him?” My tone is bitter, and I sneak a glance at Amber, who’s studying Riley with suspicious eyes. She can tell he’s frustrating me, but she understands I can handle myself.
“I can’t tell if you’re frustrated because I’m asking about Nathan or because I’m—”
“Here,” I finish for him. “Well, it’s both.” I can’t help but be rude to him. He’s still egging the media on, making statements and giving interviews about the so-called argument between the Pittsburgh Pilots and the Missarali Storks.
Riley sighs, taking another sip of his drink. “Look, you and I got off on the wrong foot. My girlfriend and I, we’re casual.”
“I think you’re missing the point of the term girlfriend.”
“I can’t lie, Mae, I do love a woman who—”
“Alright, you’re gone,” I order, taking his drink from him and pouring it down the drain. “Get out. I already warned you.”
His eyes narrow into slits, and he scrunches his nose. “That was my drink. I paid for that.”
“Oh, my bad. Here, let me pay you back in fucks I give.” I pull out my purse from my back pocket and open it, faking a gasp. “Oops, all out, sorry.”
A chuckle seeps from Riley, who’s smiling and holding his palms up defensively. “You’re funny. Alright, I’m going. Thanks, Mae. I’ll see you around.”
After a few minutes, Amber turns to me with a grin, laughter ringing out. “I fucking love the way you talk to assholes.”
It causes me to chortle, too, tilting my head to the ceiling and cursing under my breath.
For the most part, I’m going to miss this stupid little bar.
Things are still frosty between my mother and I.
Well, frostier than usual. She hasn’t apologised for spilling my secret, but luckily, none of the girls have asked me about it.
Poppy invited me over to Nathan’s house for another movie and snacks night. She really does like to take advantage of having a brother with a huge television—a television he rarely uses.
I talked to Poppy about my mom’s actions, feeling comfortable enough to share it with her, and she’s been trying to fill my spare time.
It’s a gesture I love her for.
I enter the house with an armful of food. “Did you even ask Nathan if it was okay for me to come over?” I whisper to Poppy as she flings the door open.
She has no idea that I was writhing underneath him in the middle of the forest just days ago, and a piece of me feels guilty that I’m fooling around with her brother without her knowledge.
But it’s more than just fooling around. Nathan makes me feel… enough. Wanted. Confident.
“I didn’t exactly give him a choice,” she snickers.
Nathan has arranged the living room with pillows scattering the carpeted floor and blankets draped everywhere, creating the ideal atmosphere for watching a movie.
He rounds the corner, and my mouth goes dry. He’s all grey sweatpants, wet hair and that fresh man smell.
“I’m surprised you don't have a home theatre,” I chuckle, trying to distract myself from how attractive he looks.
“Got rid of it. Turned it into my very own sex dungeon instead.”
Poppy gasps, slapping her brother’s chest. “Nathan!”
“What? I was just kidding.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine, I’m just so happy you two are getting along now. It makes things so much easier. We can actually sit in the same room without you wanting to kill each other.”
Nathan scoffs. “To clarify, I never wanted to kill you.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t say the same.”
His eyes shift, a smirk forming.
“Oh, the ice cream!” Poppy declares, and Nathan orders his sister to sit back down, entering the kitchen to get it.
My eyes follow him, but I snap them away before Poppy notices.
“Okay, horror or comedy?”
“For what?”
She quirks a brow. “For the movie? What’s clunking around in that head of yours, Mae Bexley?”
Your brother.
I force a snicker. “Oh, um, horror. I could use a good scream.”
There’s a scoff from the kitchen, and I rest my hand over my mouth to cover my smile, telling Poppy, “I’m just gonna get some water quickly.”
She nods as she sifts through the movies on Nathan’s TV.
The polished countertops gleam next to the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, while the gentle illumination of the pendant lights overhead creates soft shadows on the clean, white walls.
Nathan’s casually leaning against the granite countertop, effortlessly handsome as always, looking at me as if he could eat me.
He’d given me the best orgasm of my life in that forest, and he fucking knows it. I get wet just thinking about it, but all I’m desperate to do is return the favour. It had been pretty dark in the tent, and all I could see was the outline of his cock.
I imagine his size far more often than I’d like to admit.
He lifts his arms above his head and props his weight against the high beam running through the kitchen ceiling, his shoulder muscles ticking as he rests his weight on it.
He’s doing the typical leaning, sexy guy move, but I can tell he’s not even meaning to, and that makes it all the better.
“I’ll get you some water. Get the ice cream out for me, okay?” He nods towards the bottom drawer of his fridge-freezer.
My eyes widen once I lift out the tub of my favourite snack. I’ve already eaten dinner, but my dessert stomach just opened wide. Cinnamon ice cream does that to a girl.
“How did you know this was my favourite?” I prop my hip out, keeping my voice low.
“Maybe because every other thing you eat contains cinnamon. I wasn’t sure what brand you liked, so I got a few. All nut-free, see?” Nathan crouches down to take the other tubs out, gesturing to them, giving me the pick of the bunch.
“You’re so stupid,” I tell him with a laugh.
But really, my heart is faltering. I’m thankful. Nobody has ever done something like this for me. It warms my heart that he’s actually taken notice of the things I like. The things that make me happy.
Even if most people think cinnamon is disgusting.
I like it… mainly because it was my Dad’s favourite, and he fed me the stuff like there was no tomorrow when I was a kid. I believe he once stated he’d have to ask for a paternity test if I ever grew up to hate cinnamon. I still laugh about that to this day.
Nathan’s eyes darken, and he takes a step toward me, trapping me in between the counter and his rock-hard chest. “What did you say?”
I narrow my eyes at him. I was just about to thank him, but when he gets all cocky like this, all I want to do is push him further. It excites me. “I said you’re stupid.” I’m smiling from ear to ear.
“I’d like to hear you say that the next time my fingers are making you come so hard you’re seeing stars.”
My eyebrow arches. “They’ll be a next time?”
“Oh, it would be a tragedy if there wasn't a next time, princess.”