Lip Service (Private Relations 2)

“He cares about you both. I don’t think he’d stand in the way of it, if you really wanted this. Be careful though. I don’t know if Chris is exactly the marrying kind, if you know what I mean.”

Snorting, Chloe said, “I’m not exactly looking for the marrying kind. I want a guy to hang out with that wants to fuck me silly. I don’t even know if I believe in marriage, really. No offense.”

Glancing at the rock on Sara’s ring finger, she said, “It’s just not for me.”

Smirking, Sara said, “It wasn’t for me either. You’d be amazed what happens when you find the right person, though. In any case, if you both walk into it with eyes open, I don’t see any reason to not explore the idea. Deacon may be annoyed initially, but it wouldn’t break anything beyond repair.”

“Hmm,” Chloe said, “Do me a favor? Don’t mention this to him?”

“Hah! I could just picture the look on his face if I said, ‘So, Deak, your sister is thinking about fucking your best friend. What do you think?’”

Laughing now, Chloe said, “Point taken. Thanks for letting me vent. So, you really don’t think it’s a terrible idea?”

“Nope. I see the way you guys interact with each other. There’s obviously a little spark on both sides. As long as there aren’t any false expectations then it can be a thing until it’s not anymore. You’re both adults.”

“Maybe I’ll start putting myself in his way a little bit, then. Part of me just wants to point-blank ask him, but I know he’d totally shut down on me.”

“You’re probably right. He doesn’t exactly seem like the type that would want to talk about his feelings. A little finesse may be required.”

Narrowing her eyes, Sara said, “On to new business. That picture on Facebook? It needs to come down. I feel like this time out of my busy schedule to listen to you vent, along with the secrecy required in this situation, has earned that.”

Chloe sighed and then said, “Fine. It was cute though!”

Sara gave her a skeptical look and said, “My yawns are not cute, Chloe. We both know it.”

Laughing, Chloe said, “Chris said you’d be pissed off.”

“Not anymore since you’re taking it down,” Sara said, with a satisfied smile.

“So, are we still doing preseason football this weekend?” Chloe asked.

“I thought we were skipping that in light of the horrible boredom? Why?” Sara asked.

“Just curious. Maybe I’ll try to talk Chris into taking me out on his boat instead,” Chloe said.

“Sounds like more fun than watching the Legion decide who they’re going to cut.”

Looking at her watch, Sara said, “I need to get back to the shop. I’ve got a huge thing tomorrow.”

“Shit. I’m sorry. I’ve been all ‘me me me’ this whole time. Go do your thing. Thank you so much for letting me ramble!”

“I’ve been waiting for Chris to finally come clean about it. Believe me. You totally made my day.”

Smiling a bit smugly now, Chloe said, “You’re welcome then.”

After giving Sara a hug good-bye, she said, “Talk later. Good luck with your thing!”

“Good luck with yours!”

Grinning, Chloe headed toward the door, and out to her car.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Chloe headed back to the office. After another five hours of plugging away, she headed home for the evening, stopping at Burger Barn for dinner. She wasn’t in the mood to cook until it was less than ninety degrees outside. That wasn’t going to happen for another couple of months.

Despite her earlier bravado, she was still a little bit uncertain about the situation with Chris. She didn’t want to torch a friendship over something fleeting, nor did she want to cause any friction with Deacon and Chris. The more she considered the idea though, the more it appealed to her.

He was pretty hot. He was funny, smart. They had things in common. They wanted much the same thing, if she wasn’t completely off base. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t considered it before.

After she ate, she grabbed her laptop, remembering that she needed to delete Sara’s picture.