Chapter 17 #2
“Not really my scene. And I was kind of hoping to chat with someone on the phone,” I add.
“Just someone?” Her light tone is back, making me think I heard incorrectly before.
“Someone really specific, actually,” I tell her. “She’s kind of a secret though, so that’s all I can say.”
Ellie laughs and I wish I could bottle the melodic sound for a rainy day. It’s not jarring or silly—it’s the type that makes you smile and desperately want to be in on the joke.
“I hope that works out for you,” she says.
“Things are looking pretty good. Are you headed to bed or can I pitch an idea to you?”
“Well, even if I was going to bed, I’m definitely staying for this pitch. It does seem to be our thing.”
I chuckle and hope my dumb idea isn’t actually going to keep her from sleeping, if that’s what she wanted to do. “Okay, I probably oversold this. I was just going to propose we play twenty questions.”
“Like the game where you’re trying to guess a person, place, or thing?” she asks, a hint of confusion in her voice. I can almost picture the little nose wrinkle that’d accompany the question.
“Oh, well, shit. No? Is that what that game means?” I laugh. “I was imagining us asking each other random questions, like ten each, but alternating back and forth. Just for fun.”
“I don’t think that’s a game,” she says as she giggles. “But lucky for you, this sounds way better than twenty questions, which I might have bailed on in favor of sleep. You go first.”
The anticipation of getting more Ellie-knowledge has me propping myself up higher against the headboard. “Let’s see. Steak or sushi?”
“Sushi. You? Wait, does that count as my question?”
“Also sushi, and nah. You’re up.”
“Hmm. What’s something you’re really bad at?”
Summoning the balls to ask if we are exclusive. Hence this game.
“Snowboarding,” I offer instead.
“Ugh. Why do I feel like your bad is still way better than most people’s passable?”
“I promise I’m bad,” I say on a laugh. “More of a skier. Do you do either?”
“Define ‘do,’” Ellie jokes. “I have skied. I’ll make it down the mountain, but I’m not going to impress anyone. And I might eat it a few times.”
“We can work on it,” I assure her. “If you want to, I mean. Okay, my turn…What would you give a TED Talk about?”
“Like a presentation?”
“Right, just something you could talk about for a while to a large group.”
“First of all, that sounds like a nightmare. Please don’t ever make me do that. Hmm, this is boring, but I think I could go through how to triage with my eyes closed. So maybe that.”
“That is not boring and it’s way more useful than anything I could come up with.”
“It’s just my job. I’m sure you could talk about yours the same way,” she says.
“I guess, but I feel like between interviews and random league things, everyone has already heard everything I could come up with on that topic. Maybe I could give one on my little alien movies,” I quip, holding back a chuckle.
“That wasn’t a diss! I just couldn’t remember the name, I swear. It was a good movie. I told you I’d watch another.”
“I’m just messing with you. I will gladly introduce you to all of my little alien movies,” I promise.
“Okay, good. Hmm, my turn.” Ellie pauses for what feels like a full minute. “When you said you were hoping to chat tonight, did you mean phone sex?”
If I had a drink in my mouth I would’ve spit it out. Instead, I’m choking on air over here.
“What?” It comes out like a shout. I try to lower my voice. “No, why’d you think that?”
“Well we’re fuck buddies, right? I thought that’s the idea you were going to pitch!” she exclaims.
Maybe one day I’ll be able to predict what she’s going to say, but today is not that day. I groan, mind fully where I don’t want it to be, given that I’m literally states away from her. A shared hotel room is not exactly where I want to get myself off solo either.
“I’m definitely not opposed to phone sex, to be clear, but that’s not why I called.
And unfortunately, there was a mix-up at the hotel and I offered to share a room with Niko, so I think it’s off the table.
I’m guessing he’ll be back shortly,” I grumble, regretting that decision.
“Did you want to have phone sex?” She did say she was intrigued when I mentioned pitching an idea.
“I don’t know. I’ve never done it before. I think I’d be awkward.”
“I seriously doubt that,” I mutter, fisting my hand to keep from palming my semihard dick. “Okay we gotta change the subject, Ellie. Is it my turn? I think it’s my turn.” I hum and try to think about anything other than getting her off over the phone.
She did mention fuck buddies again. Guess this is my opportunity. “Alright, I got one. Have you propositioned anyone else recently?”
“Propositioned… Propositioned like I did you?” She sounds surprised.
“Right.” Am I holding my breath?
“Oh,” Ellie says. She’s quiet for a minute.
Fuck, is she going to say yes? That’s what I get for not having this conversation sooner. Shit.
“Are we not—” Ellie clears her throat. “I guess fuck buddies means not exclusive?”
Her voice is quieter than before and I’m trying to decipher why. I play what she said back in my mind. Oh. Shit.
“I’m not hanging out or sleeping with anyone else, Ellie. You’re my exclusive confidential fuck buddy. I just wasn’t sure if you’d want that too, since we didn’t really talk about it,” I hurry to tell her. Then hesitate before asking, “Does that mean you haven’t propositioned anyone else?”
“Correct,” Ellie says, less quiet than before.
“Do you plan to proposition anyone else?”
“Definitely not.” Thank fuck. “No need to embarrass myself again when I have my very own CFB, right? Plenty of practice happening here,” she adds cheerily.
Okay, phew. The mention of practice stings a little, but I remind myself this is what I signed up for.
And, honestly, I can admit that some Ellie is better than no Ellie.
Hopefully time will change her mind about us being only CFBs, but for now I just have to accept my role if it means spending time with her.
And if what we’re doing is making her happy, I can’t complain too much.
“It’s my turn, right?” Ellie asks, a yawn taking over on the last word. I pull the phone away to check the time—just after midnight.
“How about one more and then we can resume next time?” I ask her.
“Deal. I actually thought of a really important one. Would you rather become a werewolf or a vampire?”
I think I laugh loud enough to wake up the unlucky guests above me.