JOSH
“Man, I missed this.”I stretched my legs in front of me and reached for a beer. “Nothing beats the VIP suite.”
“Obviously. That’s why it’s called the VIP suite.” Alex sat next to me, his eyes tracking the game. The Nationals were playing the Dodgers, and they were down by three runs in the fifth inning. Not too bad.
I was more of a basketball guy, but Nats games were more fun to attend. Alex and I turned them into a tradition when we were in college. Whenever we wanted to talk about something we didn’t want people on campus to hear, we headed for Nationals Field and let the game play in the background while we hashed our shit out.
Well, I hashed shit out while Alex sighed and reminded me how stupid other people were. It was like therapy, except with sports, beer, and a grumpy best friend.
I hadn’t realized how much those sessions helped until they ended.
Of course, that was assuming said best friend wasn’t the cause of my problems.
“Dude, you’re still on probation,” I said. “No sarcasm until you’re out of the woods.”
“That wasn’t part of our deal.”
“We didn’t have a deal.”
“Exactly.”
I glared at Alex. “You want me to forgive you or not?”
“I bribed you with VIP seats to the game, and you accepted. That means you’ve already forgiven me.” He smiled. “It’s called a shadow contract.”
I maintained my frown for another minute before I caved and snorted out a laugh. “Touché.”
I took a swig of my drink. I thought it would feel weird, slipping back into one of our old traditions after so long, but it was like time never passed.
My phone buzzed with a new text, and my lips curled into a smile when I read it.
Jules: How’s the bro date going? Should I be worried?
Me: TBD. Alex knows how to treat a guy right, but you’re prettier
Jules: Are you saying I don’t know how to treat you right??
Me: You spend half your time insulting me, Red
Jules: It’s not my fault you’re a masochist
Jules: Excuse me for catering to your kink *eye roll emoji*
Another laugh rose in my throat.
Me: That’s not my kink, sweetheart
Me: Maybe you need a reminder on what my kink IS
My hand around her throat. Her nails clawing at my skin. Her whimpers and pleas as I edged her toward insanity before I fucked the fight right out of her.
I sent the last message as a tease, but heat surged through my blood at the thought.
Jules and I hadn’t had sex since Ohio. Now that we were dating, I wanted to do it properly, and in a fit of sheer idiocy, I’d implemented a no-sex-until-our-third-date rule.
It was backwards as fuck, considering we’d already slept together, but it felt right. Or maybe I was a masochist. I was blue balling myself, and Jules wasn’t having a great time with the sexual deprivation either.
The third date rule wouldn’t be so bad if we had time to date. Unfortunately, neither my hospital schedule nor her job at the clinic gave two shits about our sex life, so we hadn’t even had our second date yet.
I wouldn’t be surprised if my dick mutinied before then. Just up and jumped ship due to sheer neglect.
The three dots indicating Jules was typing popped up, disappeared, then popped up again.
Jules: Yes, I do ;)
Jules: Better make that multiple reminders so I don’t forget
I suppressed a tortured groan.
Josh: You’re fucking killing me
Josh: Ending this before I have to sit through the rest of the game with a goddamn boner
Though it might be too late for that.
Jules: Coward
Josh: Tease all you want, Red
Josh: I’ll remember every word next time I’m fucking you
I shoved the phone in my pocket before I did something stupid, like bail on the game, drive to her house, and make good on my threat.
On second thought...
“Who’s the girl?” Alex’s words threw a bucket of cold water over my X-rated fantasies.
Baseball game. VIP suite. Reconciliation with Alex.
Right.