“Makes sense. And, well, you do seem able to read people. I was impressed by your observation of that couple in the bookstore.”
“Look around, tell me what you want to know about someone here. I’ll tell you their story.”
Taking him up on his challenge, I pointed to a girl sitting at the bar. “What about her?”
The girl looked tense, like she was waiting for someone.
“See how she’s looking around frantically? She’s waiting for her Tinder date, and I think it might be the first time she’s ever done this. She’s already decided she’s going to have sex tonight. She’s not sure if she should, but she’s going to do it anyway.”
Interesting. That reminded me of something.
I pointed to the man in the corner. “What about him…the guy you said was a lurker. What’s his deal, really?”
“He’s probably here looking for you, but I’m with you, so thankfully that was intercepted. He’s creepy.”
“Totally.” I looked toward the opposite corner of the room where a man and woman were together but completely ignoring each other. “What about that couple over there?”
“God, look at them. They’re both on their phones, not even paying attention to each other. They’ve been together for a while probably and just don’t give a shit anymore. That’s kind of sad.”
“Yeah, but we all do that from time to time, right?” I said.
His eyes widened. “You and Rory went out and spent half the night looking down at your phones?”
“Well, yeah, actually we did sometimes. You’ve never done that?”
“I can’t even recall one time I pulled out my phone on a date. Well, not for the purpose of making a phone call or checking the Internet.”
“What other purposes are there?”
Channing smirked, and that made me very curious.
“Maybe I don’t want to know. But tell me anyway.”
“A woman once asked me to go to the bathroom and text her a picture of how hard I was for her. So, I made an exception and pulled out my phone in that instance.”
“That’s not all you pulled out, apparently.” I laughed.
“Touché.”
Normally, the idea of Channing sending a photo of his cock to some woman would make me cringe. Maybe it was the alcohol, but right now, the thought of him sneaking off into a bathroom and doing something like that was turning me on. Then again, everything was turning me on lately. I really needed to figure out where the off button was.
I cleared my throat. “Okay, so you make exceptions for dick pics...”
“Only dick pics.” He winked. “Otherwise, it’s disrespectful and shows the person that I’m more interested in other things. If I’m with someone, I’m going to be mentally present, otherwise what’s the point of being together?”
“Yeah, but after you’ve been with someone for a while, it’s a little different. You’ve never gotten to that point with anyone. In a long-term relationship, gone are the butterflies and the dick pics.”
“Well, that’s just a shame. Maybe that’s part of the problem. If being online is more interesting than the person sitting in front of you, then what does that say?” He looked back over at the couple. “Those two haven’t looked at each other once. If that’s what a relationship is like, then I’m happy I’m not in one.”
It was hard to argue with that.
My attention turned to two men who were looking in our direction. “What about those guys?”
“They’re gay,” Channing said without hesitation.
“Ah, you have gaydar, too?”
“Well, if they’re looking at me and not you, then yes, that makes it pretty easy to figure out. You don’t even really need gaydar, in that case.”
“I guess you’re right.” I sighed and surveyed the room some more. “What do you think someone turning the tables on us right now would think? What impression would we give?”
“They would think we were either old friends or on a good date because we’re actually comfortable with each other and engaged in conversation. And they would think I was entertaining because you’re smiling and laughing.”
“They wouldn’t know what a miserable person I am normally.”
His expression turned serious. “I don’t see you that way at all, Amber.”
“How do you see me? What’s your honest impression of me since arriving in Boston?”
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“You’re still sixteen to me.” He laughed.
“Shut up, really? You think so? Well, you definitely look a lot older to me, but not in a bad way.”
“You honestly look almost the same. But I’m not just talking about your appearance. When I look at you, I see my sister’s friend, the girl who hung out in my basement and who used to kick my ass in air hockey. That’s who I see, even though I know you’re really not her anymore. Maybe I just want you to be her. I’m choosing to see that version of you for selfish reasons.”
“You prefer her over the person I am now…”