all the important s’s
Caleb
“Mrs. Karvelas, you have outdone yourself, again.” I rest an arm around the short woman’s shoulders and hug her close to my side as we watch Addy, Noah, and Rosie bring out plates from the kitchen. In true Karvelas style, Noah’s mom has put on the spread of my dreams. Just full Greek BBQ style, ormezeas she calls it. I don’t care what it is, but look at all the breads, dips, meats, some cheese thing Noah calledsaganaki,and some grilled and stuffed vegetables. Everything looks and smells amazing. The only things making it better are the sun shining, the faint music in the background, and Rosie kissed me last night.
I know I sound like a preschooler. But Rosiejustkissed me. We went to some old roadhouse-style bar after we ditched my dad’s yesterday, we got incredibly drunk playing a game of quarters as we sat in a back booth talking absolute garbage. Forhours.It was friendly, if a little flirty. We didn’t talk about my dad or her dad, we didn’t talk about work or the heavy feelings I put on her earlier in the day. Instead, we talked about cereal,Casey’s disgusting obsession with strange lattes, and I managed to force her into a conversation about books.Darkromance, I’m told, is what we call books about girls who love dudes that string them up and do a range of terrible, filthy things to them. She was giggling a lot at the horrified look on my face but she also clarified that some things in booksstayin books. Apparently these “book boyfriends” are allowed to do things us real men are not. I rolled my eyes but didn’t push for clarification. I really wanted to ask,So I can’t kidnap you, or break into your apartment with a mask and demand that you crawl to me while I hold some kind of a weapon?I figured of all the things a real-life guy is allowed to do, that is probably not one of them.
And then we caught an Uber home. We stumbled into the apartment and she pushed me up against the door, and with bright but unsure eyes, she went on her toes and pressed her lips to mine. It was sweet and soft, before it turned hungry and desperate. My hands rested on her perfect ass and pulled her body flush against mine as she whimpered and moaned into my mouth as she kissed the ever-loving breath from my lungs. And then she pulled back, biting her lip through a smile, whispering goodnight before heading to her bedroom.
I don’t know what to think. That’s why I’m standing in the Karvelases’ backyard, half leaning on Noah’s mom while I watch Rosie laugh at something Addison said, trying to work out what that new little smile was after that earth-bending kiss. What the nervous little crease of her brow meant when she bit her lip and backed away from me. And why we didn’t fuck out the tension from the day? But also, why did I feel like my stomach was flipping all over itself when I saw her in the kitchen this morning with two cups of coffee and two bowls of cereal, blushing and unable to make eye contact with me?
I can’t make sense of it, but I also can’t take my eyes off her.
“You going to stand here and look pretty all day or go sit down?” Mrs. Karvelas looks up at me with a knowing look, having caught me in my lust-filled haze. She opens her mouth to say something further but the sound of a phone ringing in the house pulls her attention. “Go, sit. I’ll get the phone and then bring out theloukoumades.”She heads back into the house as she pats me on the chest, and I head over to where the others are seated at the picnic table.
“How was your pops?” Noah asks, shoving bread and dip in his mouth as he swings an arm over Addy’s shoulders and pulls her against his side. He and Addy sit opposite Rosie and me, but I keep the usual friendly distance between us as we settle in.
I lift a shoulder in response, letting my eyes skate over the food instead of making eye contact. “Same old, same old.” Noah hums an agreement. He knows what my dad is like.
“Real piece of work, that one.” Rosie huffs and discreetly bumps her knee into mine. My eyes find hers before locking onto her perfectly plump lips for a second too long, because she clears her throat and immediately shovels bread into her mouth, changing the subject.
“How long you guys in Chicago for?” She directs it to Addison and it gives me a beat to flick my head slightly to clear the fog and snap back to reality.Pull yourself together, man.I am an adult; I can be normal and unaffected by Rosie for one damn day in front of our friends.
And then I remember that Ihaveto be normal in front of our friends because Rosie wants us to stay a secret. And then it almost reinforces everything my dad has built me to believe, all the words that run through my mind like fresh scars after yesterday’s heated argument.
Not enough.
Not worthy.
“I’m here until Sunday. Noah’s going to stay for another week, he has a few meetings, but then he’s back for a while,” Addy replies, leaning her head on Noah’s shoulder, smiling, and I can’t help but envy them. Something Ineverthought I’d do. “How about you guys?”
“Oh, I head home tomorrow, I have a heap of emails to get through before the week starts,” Rosie replies, picking at the platter of incredible food in front of us.
“It’s the weekend, though. Surely you have earned some time off.” I shove her playfully with my shoulder, even though I know her response before she says it, because I know her. You couldn’t pay her to take time off.
“Rest is for the weak, pest. I’m here to show the world that they’re my bitch. Not to take time off,” she mumbles around her mouthful of food, smiling at Addy, who laughs, shaking her head. I just grunt agreement because she’s falling back into calling me pest. I’d even takecabrón,which I have learned is not the term of endearment I thought it was, but actually an insult. I wish she’d call mecariño,or something else equally nice and pleasant.
Ugh, listen to me. I sound like a goddamn martyr. I should be happy that she just gives me her smiles, and kisses, and sometimes her body. And made me coffee and cereal this morning—I’m starting to think cereal is actually the only thing she does know how to make though…
“I’m going to go see the Chicago office with Noah then head home Monday,” I tell Addison, and she agrees, directing her attention back to Rosie.
“So, you work out what you’re doing with the hot idiot you want to beat up?” My spine stiffens and my arm freezes for a brief moment as I lift my beer to my lips before I right myself and continue to act unaffected. But I feel like every one of my senses has been heightened and I am keenly aware of Rosie’sstiff response next to me. Addison chuckles, seemingly unaware that I am quite possibly the hot idiot she is referencing.
“Oh,” Rosie clears her throat, “Umm…” She stalls, shoving more food into her mouth, shrugging, and then stuffing more food again, taking a lengthy pull on her drink, and I look around the yard, finding trees and, oh look, a garden gnome.
“I thought repeats were lame and dating was for losers?” Noah teases Rosie, and she starts to choke on her food.
“Yeah, you said he was making you want to break all your rules,” Addy adds helpfully, and I nearly snap my neck when I turn and look directly at Rosie.
She said that?She wants to break her rules for me? For us?Holy shit.
Rosie’s eyes are blown wide, avoiding looking in my direction, even though Iknowshe can feel my gaze on her. My lips form almost a perfect smile as I soak in the words Addison just said.
She wants to break all her rules. For me.
“Ha! You’re so funny, Ads. That’s so crazy, I don’t remember that,” Rosie says through a forced smile that weallcan tell is fake. Noah chuckles under his breath, but Addison just tilts her head with a mix of amusement and confusion. “Yeah, you said he doesn’t take life seriously and you liked that.” I feel a little disappointed that she thinks I don’t take life seriously, but I’m distracted by the growing heat in Rosie’s cheeks as Addy raises her hand to start listing more things. I think this might be my favorite day ever. “You said he was smart, sexy, successful?—”
“All the important S’s,” I interrupt, officially unable to hide my enjoyment, my smile stretching across my face. I look over at Noah and Addy then back at Rosie, resting back into my chair and settling in. Rosie looks increasingly uncomfortable as she resorts to shoving food back in her mouth and trying to deny the words with a shake of her head.
