Chapter Seven #2
“Then test the waters. Make sure Logan isn’t an asshole, and if he is, cut him loose before it goes too far. Plus, I’m your wingman. He has to get my approval before things get full-on anyway. I got you.”
“It’s good to know you have my back.”
“Of course, just like you’ll tell me if Jaci isn’t right for me. We have to be each other’s sensible mind in this internet dating saga.”
She nods. “Okay, you have a deal. When one is getting in too deep with the wrong person, the other steps in and says something?”
“Exactly.”
She puts out her hand, and we shake on it when my cell beeps. I check it, and it’s Jaci.
“Speak of the devil,” I say.
Jacqueline: It’s been a crazy afternoon, but you kept popping into my head. Hope your day’s treating you well.
I grin widely, and Alex chuckles as she nudges her shoulder into mine. “She makes you smile already. That’s a good sign.”
“Logan doesn’t make you smile?”
“Haven’t spoken to him enough to figure that out yet.”
“Okay, well, let’s go to the sofa and chat with them at the same time. We can ask them the same questions and see how they both answer.”
“This is so weird, Matt. But sure, why the hell not.”
We sit down next to each other on her gray sofa with the fortune cookies and our cell phones, and then we open up the Lovepessimist app.
“Okay, so let’s send them random questions and see what each of them writes back,” I say, and Alex giggles but nods as we open the message section for Logan and Jaci.
“So what’s first? Something simple?” Alex asks.
“What about, what was your favorite childhood activity?”
Alex scoffs. “That’s a damn boring question. He’s gonna think I’m lame.” Alex giggles as she sends the question, and the sound is so cute, I want to lean over and hug her for being so utterly adorable.
But that would be weird, right?
Chuckling as I type the same question out, I send it to Jaci. We sit, waiting to see if either replies.
Alex’s answer comes in first, and she laughs out loud while showing it to me.
Logan: YES! This is great. I love 20 questions! My answer is Moto-X riding…
“See? We’ll get you chatting with him properly in no time,” I say as Jaci’s message comes in, and I open it.
Alex leans over my shoulder to read.
Jacqueline: Well, I guess my childhood was always about horses. I didn’t do much else as a child, except maybe go to the beach house.
Alex wrinkles her nose and smirks. “Jaci sounds… nice,” she says, her voice dripping with mock sweetness.
I bump her shoulder with mine, grinning. “Oh, shut up. She’s from an upper-class family—”
Alex snorts. “Yeah, no kidding. I totally got that vibe.”
I shake my head. “Okay, what’s the next question?”
“Weirdest place you’ve had sex?” she asks, and I jolt my head back.
“No, you can’t ask that this early, Alex.” A slight snort comes from my mouth, and she frowns and nods.
“True. Okay. What about the most adventurous thing you’ve done?”
“Perfect.” I agree with her choice.
It doesn’t take long for replies to come in after we send the question.
Logan: Oh, easy, parachuting from a hot air balloon!
We both open our eyes wide while we chuckle.
“Geez, this guy’s got balls the size of King Kong,” I say.
“Imagine how big his cock is then,” Alex says, and I burst out laughing.
“Alex! You can’t say that with another guy in the room.”
She pats my knee. “Oh, don’t worry, Matt, I’m sure your cock’s huge, too,” she teases, and I raise my brow.
“You’ve thought about my cock size?” I waggle my brows at her.
She jolts back like she’s been caught and doesn’t know what to say when Jaci’s message comes through, saving her from replying.
I smirk and hold up the message for us to check out.
Jacqueline: I guess staying up for 24 hours straight one night, binge-watching TV, and then going in to work the next day.
We both sag into the sofa and let out a collective sigh. I reach for a fortune cookie, crack it open, and throw some into my mouth, not bothering to read the fortune.
Alex looks at me and furrows her brow. “Well, seems like Logan’s definitely more adventurous than Jaci.”
I shrug. “Oh, well, I can get my adventurous woman out of you, right?”
“Yup, sidekick extraordinaire and go-getter. I’m your gal!”
“Exactly. She can be my calm, and you can be the trusty sidekick that does the adventurous shit with me.”
“Absolutely! As long as Logan doesn’t mind sharing me, of course.”
I chuckle. “Hey, I’m going to be the flower girl at your wedding, so he better like me,” I tease, and she literally bursts out laughing.
Once she gets herself back under control, she takes a steadying breath. “Out of all the things at a wedding, you choose to be a flower girl? Wow, Matt, is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Oh, like what?”
“That you have a split personality and one of them is a little girl dying to get out of you?”
“You got me,” I say with a chuckle, and she giggles.
The atmosphere in the room is one of complete ease and familiarity as I lean into her even more, so now we’re touching quite comfortably.
The buzz circling us is just enough to make my skin prickle, but not enough to be electrifying.
It’s enough to notice but not enough to act on as we continue through the night, becoming more and more familiar with each other while messaging Logan and Jaci.
Eventually, the messages die down, and it’s just Alex and me on the sofa watching reruns of Parks and Recreation.
I’m in a laid-back sitting position while Alex has her head resting on my lap, and it’s pure comfort.
We fit in so well together as friends. There’s nothing about tonight that hasn’t been enjoyable.
And for the first time being here, I feel like I’ve been here a million times before.
Hell, I feel like this is my place, I’m so comfortable.
Alex yawns, and even though I don’t want to go, it’s getting late, and I don’t want to keep her up, knowing she needs to be up early to go to the gallery tomorrow. I lean down, pulling her up off me. Her sleepy eyes look at me questioningly as she stretches and sits up.
“I’m gonna head off, but thanks for an awesome night.”
She nods, moving the back of her hand to her mouth to cover her yawn. “Shit! Thanks for coming over. Sorry, I’m all sleepy.”
“No, don’t be silly. You have work tomorrow. You need sleep.”
“Thanks, Matt, we should do this again.”
“We definitely should,” I reply as we stand, and she walks me to her front door.
After she opens it, we lean in, embracing each other, and as I pull back, she tilts her head, kissing me on the cheek.
That warm feeling settles over me again, and I squeeze her hand in a friendly gesture before I turn to leave.