“Well, it looks good on you.”
“Thanks.”I look down at her and smile.Her body is molded against mine and I thinkdamn,she fits good here like this.
“I didn’t realize how much better it is actually looking into your eyes instead of looking at them in your picture.”She says, taking my hand and walking us back toward the car she arrived in.
“Same.”I say, squeezing her hand in mine.
We grabbed her suitcases from the trunk and met Steff in the apartment.It was late-afternoon but Ellie hadn’t eaten all day since she was on the plane so while she unpacked her clothes, we decided where to eat for dinner.After some back and forth, we landed on Taco Bell and hopped in Steff’s car to hit the drive through before going to Ryan and Chris’s house so they could say hi.
We didn’t plan to stay at their house long because Steff had to get back to the apartment since she had to wake up early for work.I could feel Chris staring at Ellie as soon as we walked into the house.He had a thing for her back when we first met and it’s not a surprise that he would still have a thing for her now and especially with how amazing she looks in those jean shorts she’s wearing.
“Damn Ellie, look at you, all grown up.”Chris said waving his hand in front of her.
She pursed her lips into a tight smile “Thanks.”And then turned to Ryan to tell him how great his apartment looked for being a bachelor pad.
I tried to hide my smile at that – to know she didn’t care that he thought she looked good – that was an inside high five for me.
“You still don’t have it.”Ryan laughed, slapping Chris on the shoulder.
“What?!She wants me, she’s just playing hard to get.”Chris came back shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Right!Keep telling yourself that, Chris.”Steff was laughing.“You do know she’s here all summer to see Lee, right?”
Chris looked at Ellie, then at me and back at Ellie again, “You and this dude still?Really?”he scoffed, and that made her look at me with a shy smile.“Okay, alright, I see how it is then.”Chris said, walking to the kitchen to nurse his bruised ego.Ryan hazed him some more and then he reluctantly brought out glasses of coke for each of us.
I hadn’t talked to Chris and Ryan since last summer; we weren’t that close and we don’t usually hang out without Steff, so Chris wasn’t filled in on the whole me and Ellie situation.I tried to cut him some slack since he didn’t know she was unavailable.Listen to me, already laying claim on her.I don’t know that she actually is unavailable, but that kiss earlier sure made it feel that way.
As we played a round of air hockey with the guys, I noticed Chris eyeing Ellie again as she stretched across the table to reach the puck, her tanned legs becoming the center of attention.His lingering gaze made me uncomfortable, and I balled my hands into fists at my side.Luckily, Ellie didn’t notice his ogling and she excused herself to go to the bathroom.When she was out of earshot, I knuckled his arm to get his attention, “Dude, could you stop staring at her ass like it’s a piece of candy.Show some respect.”He feigned hurt and held up his hands, like he accepted defeat in an invisible war we were fighting for her attention.
I started to reach for my glass of coke and then had to quickly cover Ellie’s glass when Ryan tried to pour rum into it.He rolled his eyes at me and whispered, “Come on, it’ll loosen her up for you.”.
“I don’tneedto loosen her up.”I narrowed my eyes at him, and he backed off.Steff heard this conversation and glared at him.I just shook my head and when Ellie returned, Steff stood up and said we should head out.
“Did I miss something?”She asked, looking between all of us and feeling the tension in the room.
“It’s nothing, I’m just tired and ready for bed.”Steff yawned.
Thank God.I didn’t want to stick around for these two to play any other tricks because if Steff didn’t punch one of them, I sure as hell would.
* * *
On the ride back, Steff told me I could use the car to drive Ellie around as long as I took her to work and picked her back up – and filled it up with gas.That meant that I got to spend the night with Ellie.For the first time ever.For fucks sake, I’m as giddy as a kid in a candy shop over the fact that I get to sleep in the same room with this girl.She’s got such a hold over me and she doesn’t even know it.
It was about 8’oclock when we returned to Steff’s apartment and her neighbors, Sarah and Erica, were on the patio waiting for us.
“I didn’t know you guys would be here.”Steff said, unlocking the door and holding it open for everyone to go inside.“I thought you went to the beach.”
“We were going to” Sarah said “but it turns out, I got the dates mixed up for our condo rental.So now I have a week off work to stay home.”
“Thought we’d see if you guys want to join us in the pool.”Erica chimed in, shaking her beach towel for emphasis.
“What do you think?”Steff asked nodding in our direction.
“Maybe just for a bit?I have an early morning.”
“Cool, let me just throw on my suit.”Ellie rummaged through her plastic dresser in the living room and pulled out a navy-blue bikini.“I’ll be right there.”She said as she walked into the bathroom to change.
“We’ll meet you outside in a sec.”Steff said.
