The Best Mistake (Not Just Friends 1)

“What does that mean?” she asked in a low voice, just as soft as he had spoken moments before.

She was slightly afraid of what he might say, but she held her breath, waiting for his response.

7

Toby smirked, and the sight of him smiling set her blood on fire. “You’re more sure of yourself, more grown up even,” he said and moved a step closer to her.

When he reached forward Shoshanna held her breath. His arm brushed along hers, and his scent invaded her head. She was seconds away from moaning, so unlike herself right now because she was intoxicated and her inhibitions were down given the fact she still wanted Toby. Shoshanna could imagine herself reaching out and wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in close.

Yeah, she could totally do that right now because she just didn’t care. He pulled back before she could make an idiot out of herself. He held out one of the two beers he held.

“You thirsty?”

She’d been drinking shots all night, and although she wasn’t much of a drinker, beer was not her favorite thing to consume. But she was not about to turn down a drink from the object of her lust-filled, arousal-consumed thoughts since she knew what desire was.

Besides, she was already in the drunken stage of the night where anything and everything tasted the same.

“Thank you.” She took the bottle and brought it to her mouth.

For the next couple of seconds as they both drank their beers, all they did was stare at each other. It shouldn’t have been awkward, in fact she felt like there was this strange connection between them, the same connection she’d felt years ago.

Setting the beer on the counter behind her she wiped away a droplet of alcohol that was on her bottom lip.

“You definitely look all grown up now, Shoshanna, not like the young girl that walked around the halls of Silver Spring High five years ago.”

She wanted to be annoyed, or maybe even offended, but honestly the way he said it, and the presence he gave off, was not like a man who was being condescending. He sounded like a man that was impressed with the woman she’d become, even if she didn’t think she’d changed much since high school. “And you don’t seem like the same guy that had Marilyn Stafford hanging all over your arm.”

He smirked. “Yeah, Marilyn was a trip. But I can say with some pride that I have changed a lot in the last five years. In fact, it was you that made me realize I was in a fucked up place with how I acted and who I hung out with.”

She was stunned by his honest admission. Clearing her throat and not wanting to delve deeper down that road, she thought of other things, safer things to bring up. “From what I’ve heard over the years Marilyn is no longer joined at your hip,” she said, feeling slightly uncomfortable talking about the girl that had been the biggest bitch to her during school.

Just thinking about that last year of high school she remembered how Marilyn had backed off tormenting her. It was after the party that she’d still give her dirty looks but didn’t harass her anymore.

Had Toby said something to her to make her back off?

“We broke up after the party, but it wasn’t advertised because she was worried about her status. We just stayed quiet about it all, and I agreed because I didn’t want her starting shit.”

“You told her to leave me alone, didn’t you?” Shoshanna knew he had, felt that it was the truth.

He was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah.”

Shoshanna didn’t ask how he’d managed to make her back off.

“But I’m glad things worked out the way they did, well, not concerning you that is.”

She glanced down at her shoes, feeling embarrassed. Her face felt hot, and she knew it was because she was on the spot here with Toby. “You two were a thing for a long time.”

“I knew Marilyn and I would never last past high school. We didn’t connect all that well, if you can believe that. I think I was with her at first because of the sexual aspect, and not sure why I stayed after the fact.”

She didn’t know exactly what to say to that. The truth was it was strange to have this conversation with Toby, one that was so … normal, like they were just old friends catching up.

Shoshanna looked over his shoulder and saw the blondes that had been all over him earlier staring daggers at her.

“Seems like your entourage is a little pissed your attention is elsewhere at the moment.” She didn’t want to think that he was actually interested in what she had to say, because that would feel like she had been dropped in some kind of alternate universe.