A Sticky Situation (Awkward Love 7)

“Very,” I agree.

She looks up at me, startled, then she frowns. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

I smile at her and extend my hand, a twinge of sadness hitting me.

“Hi. I’m Brix. It’s lovely to meet you.”I’m still thinking about Brix as I lie in bed later that evening. I go to call him a few times, but I can’t, because I don’t know what to say. Our relationship is so far away from where it would need to be for him to be comfortable talking about this with me. The problem is, any attempt to repair that rift he’s going to interpret as pity, because of this. Sighing, I rub my head. What I need to do is stop thinking about this because it’s going to do my head in.

I’ll figure it out later when I don’t have a choice.Chapter 11Hannah“Okay, calm the fuck down and tell me what happened,” Lou orders.

She places a glass of wine in my hand and guides it to my mouth. I shoot her a look because I’m quite capable of feeding myself alcohol. It’s how I got through most of my late-teen years, after all. She rolls her eyes, but lets me take over. I swallow a mouthful, nearly dry retching at the taste.

“This is a fifty dollar bottle of wine,” Lou complains with a laugh.

“Then why do you have it?” I retort.

Lou is known for being stingy when it comes to buying anything, let alone wine, which is kind of funny, given her new business endeavor. I wouldn’t be buying wine at all if it were me, because I hate the taste with a passion. Not that I let it stop me from necking the entire glass. Lou gives me an encouraging smile as she offers me a refill.

“Or should I just hand you the bottle?” she jokes.

“Since you’re offering.”

I shrug and snatch the bottle off her and start drinking straight from that. Sure, she was kidding, but why the hell not? With any luck, I can turn my brain into mush tonight and not have to think about Brix. Sure, I have to work tomorrow, but that’s tomorrow’s problem, right?

“I’m guessing something happened?” Lou asks, twisting her lips between her teeth to hide her smile.

“Oh, something happened alright,” I gargle between mouthfuls of wine. “Apparently you don’t forget some chick fingering herself on your bed.”

“Well, I sure wouldn’t,” Lou agrees, hiding her grin. “Did he say something?”

“Just that he remembered me being ‘easier to satisfy.’” I groan.

“Okay, I think I need a little context,” Lou says with a grin. “You don’t even wanna know where my mind has gone with that comment.”

“We were in the car. Driving,” I testily add.

Her smirk disappears. “Well, that’s not as exciting as what I was thinking, but okay. So, what did you say when he said that?” she prompts.

“Nothing,” I mumble, knowing she’s going to rib me for it. “I pretended not to hear him.”

“What?” she glares at me, her hands on her hips. “Jesus, Hannah. Sometimes I wonder how we’re friends.”

“Why?” I say with a chuckle. I was expecting this reaction, but still…

“Because you totally wasted a perfect opportunity to say something back,” she chides.

“Yeah, like what?” I challenge.

“Like your brother manages to satisfy me, I’m not sure why you can’t.” Lou replies immediately.

“But I’m not even sure if he has a brother,” I frown.

“Fine. His father, then. Or uncle. Whatever,” Lou snaps, waving a hand at me. “You’re totally missing the point. If you blush and giggle like you’re a freaking tween, then he’s just going to keep doing it. He wants a reaction.”

“But I didn’t react,” I argue.

“Not reacting is a reaction. You’re giving him exactly what he wants.”

“Oh, she’s giving it to him alright.”

Startled, I look up as Mandy, Lou’s loud, blunt and very crass, cousin wanders into the room. She’s also incapable of keeping anything personal to herself, which makes me wish I’d kept my trap shut. The last thing I need is her knowing my business and announcing it to anyone who’ll listen. Mandy tosses herself on the couch, while I frown at Lou, annoyed that she didn’t think to mention that Mandy was here.

“Some rock star saw you diddling yourself. So fucking what?” Mandy scoffs. “Do you know how many women would pay to have Brix Wilson’s face that close to their twat?”

“Mandy,” Lou hisses, her eyes darting to me.

I glare at her. She told Mandy what happened, of all people?

“Who else have you told?” I snarl at Lou.

“Nobody,” she promises, her cheeks reddening. “I’m sorry, it slipped out.”

“What, you think I’m going to sell your story to the highest bidder?” Mandy chortles. “Trust me, nobody is buying that crap. People are tired of hearing about Brix Wilson.”

“Right,” I snap. “That’s why he was all over the fricking news last week.”