We Were Here: A New Adult Romance Prequel to Geoducks Are for Lovers (Modern Love Stories Book 1) (29 page)

A slow, wicked smile spread over her face. “That’s what you think.” With another wink, she rested her head on her folded arms.

Wait, when could she have seen me naked, or at least my naked ass?
I ran through two years of memories in my head and came up blank. Maybe she meant in jeans. Or shorts. She probably meant clothed.

The conversation changed to which actor had the best butt. I didn’t participate. Instead, I picked up my book and went back to pretending to read while staring at Maggie’s perfect, round ass.

It would be a long summer.

“You Can Call Me Al” ~ Paul Simon

I REACHED OVER
the counter to turn up the volume on the radio.

“Let’s dance, Betty.” I grabbed Maggie’s hand.

She grinned at me as she hopped out of her chair. “You got it, Al.”

“Here they go again,” Jo groaned. “How often do they need to play this song?”

She and Ben had been home from Europe for only a couple of weeks. How annoyed could she be?

Every time Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” came on the radio, Maggie and I danced. It had become our thing after seeing the video on MTV. I played the Chevy Chase to her Paul Simon.

I swung her around the kitchen in a fast-paced and awkward swing dance. The awkward part came from me trying to avoid pressing myself against her, lest she figured out I sported a semi.

I blamed the close quarters and all the sunbathing she and Selah did on the roof. A twenty-year-old guy could only handle so much skin.

I took very long showers most days. I had the cleanest dick in Olympia.

And probably the bluest balls.

I’d made a vow to finally pursue Maggie. Make a move or die from embarrassment trying.

Weeks of cohabitation had already passed. We’d lived together almost a full month before I’d made my vow. Time was running out. She and Lizzy left in the middle of August for France. For the year.

It was now or never.

The lyrics about being pals didn’t encourage me. Maggie was my best friend and had been pretty much ever since our road trip to see the Bryan Ferry concert freshman year. I’d proposed like an idiot. I didn’t mean it. What kind of idiot proposes over Spinal Tap quotes? The words had spilled out of me without any sort of conscious effort. I’d been embarrassed as she stood there gawking at me, but deep down I didn’t care. She was beautiful, and the coolest girl I’d ever met.

And I’d blown things before I ever met her by fooling around with her roommate Jennifer. No wonder Quinn put the kibosh on us dating right then and there.

I’d earned the label tongue masher. A month into college and I had the reputation of being a Romeo—with one girl one moment and proclaiming my love for another right after. Sadly, the role fit.

I was no more ready for a relationship at eighteen than I was to kill a man in the name of God and country. Hell, I hadn’t ever done my own laundry.

Add to everything else, I’d been a complete dork. Glasses, skinny . . . not a cool guy at all. I liked history, music, video games, and books. In high school band, I picked up the bass because it was easier than guitar. I learned a few chords, enough to audition when a couple of guys on campus were looking to form a band.

Mark and Mike told me upfront they wanted to be in a band to get girls. They didn’t really care about fame or music as much as they saw it as a gateway to easy sex with groupies. I’d laughed at the thought.

Turned out, being in a band, any band—even as bad as us—pretty much guaranteed girls saw me differently. We’d gotten better over the past year, but in comparison to some other local bands getting signed to major deals, we still sucked.

When not rehearsing, or playing video games, I worked in a printing shop. The trade off to sweating my ass off all day in the heat from the printers meant the band got free flyers for our shows. Quinn designed everything and offered to distribute them around town.

The new flyers and stickers must have been working. Last months’ shows had a bunch of new faces and fresh groupies for Mark and Mike.

One girl seemed very eager on becoming my groupie in particular. I’d been polite and flattered, but not interested.

Unfortunately, Mark slept with her best friend and kept inviting them back to our shows. I’d smile and thank her for coming, keeping my distance. Somehow she always managed to find a way to be in my personal space and touch me.

Heidi wasn’t ugly. Different time and headspace, I might’ve been interested. It kind of freaked me out how easily I could have gotten laid if that’s what I wanted.

But my one and only girl this summer was Maggie, whether she realized it or not. Majority of nights I preferred to go back and hang out with her. We’d watch movies on my crappy TV and VCR, then fall asleep on her bed or mine. Always fully clothed.

Sometimes I’d wake up before her and find us in a compromising position. Once she threw her leg over mine and there was no way she didn’t feel the hardness in my jeans.

Basically, for the past two years, I’d been living in a state of perpetual torture.

I was willing to risk our friendship for a chance at more.

After I made the vow to act, I also told myself I’d be okay if it all fell apart.

Pretty sure I’d never be okay if I ruined the most important relationship in my life.

However, I had to try for more.

“Hey Jealousy” ~ Gin Blossoms

THE GIRLS WERE
due to come home Sunday from their week on Whidbey at Maggie’s family’s cottage. It had been a girl’s only trip because there were only two guest rooms and her family didn’t believe in boys and girls sleeping in the same room unless they were related by blood or marriage.

Quinn and I hung out Sunday evening, eating cold pizza and playing games on my old Atari. I kicked his ass.

Quinn tossed his controller and pulled another slice out of the box. “We should plan a party. With Ben and Jo finally home, it will be the first time all of us are together since finals.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” A party might be the set up I’d been waiting for. Okay, I’d been stalling all summer, but a party did sound fun.

Around seven, our buzzer rang.

“It’s probably the girls being too lazy to find their keys.” Quinn hit the button to unlock the door downstairs and undid the lock before returning to his seat.

With two quick knocks, Mark walked in, with Heidi and Tammy in tow.

“Hey, were we supposed to rehearse tonight?” I wrinkled my brow in confusion.

He grabbed a slice of pizza and flopped into one of our chairs. At first, Tammy sat on the arm before sliding down to sit across his lap.

“Hi, Gil.” Heidi sashayed over to my side of the couch. She squeezed herself between me and Quinn, making Quinn squish himself up against the opposite arm.

Q shot me a look of annoyance.

“Nah, no rehearsal. We were bored at my place and thought we’d come hang out over here. You always have something going on.” Mark took another bite of pizza.

I offered the remaining slices to the girls, but both declined saying they were on diets.
Whatever. Girls always said that. More pizza for me.

Heidi twisted her body to tuck her legs under her, essentially curling up against me.

When she “accidentally” kicked Quinn, he shot me another dirty look and stood up. “I’m going to go for cigarettes. Anybody need anything?”

I stared at him. He knew I wasn’t interested in the woman coiled around me. Now he left me alone with her.

The girls made conversation and giggled a lot. I half paid attention, but most everything they brought up went over my head. Mark happily chomped on our pizza. A telltale redness rimmed his eyelids—he was totally stoned.

The same redness tinged Heidi’s and her friend’s eyes. Nice. They’d gotten stoned at his place and came over here looking for munchies.

I should’ve kicked them out and told them to go to the McDonald’s down the road.

When the door swung open, I expected Quinn to return with cigarettes and maybe beer if he didn’t get carded.

Instead, Maggie, Selah, and Lizzy, and all their bags, poured into the room. Laughter followed them. They looked sunburnt and sandy. Maggie was a sight. Her nose had more freckles and sunburned pink. She looked beautiful.

They all stopped short when they spotted our little foursome in the living room.