by E. M. Leya
He got almost an hour of peace before Jeff came bounding into the living room. "Hey, how was your day?"
"Long." He stretched. "There's pizza left if you want some."
Jeff sat down. "I'm good. They had a party for one of the guys leaving work. Huge Mexican fiesta theme."
"You didn't bring me any home?" Les teased as he sat up.
"We can stop and grab something if you want before we go out."
"I'm good. I had pizza. Any idea where you want to go?"
"Thought we'd hit Pinkie's." Jeff stretched out, his legs hanging over the side of the loveseat. "That okay? I know it's quiet, but I'm not in the mood for loud tonight."
Les nodded. "Sounds good." He bit his lip, debating if this was the right moment to bring up his issues with them going out. He needed to get it off his chest. He just wasn't in the mood for the argument it would start. Jeff thought you went to the club to meet people, and nothing Les said was going to change it. "So, what time do you want to go?"
"About an hour?"
"Sure. I'll hit the shower and we can go." Les stood and tossed the remote to Jeff. Once again, he would suffer through another long night alone, all because he didn't want to upset his roommate. He sighed as he stripped and headed for the shower. He had only himself to blame. If he didn't speak up, nothing was going to change.
Once showered, he changed into a pair of black Levi's and pulled on a black t-shirt. He ran a brush through his hair, not bothering to take too much time with his appearance. He wasn't going to meet anyone at Pinkie's. It was the same bar they'd went to last time Jeff picked.
He'd be more excited if Ax might be there, but when they'd talked earlier in the week, Ax mentioned having some birthday party for a friend. They talked about planning a camping trip together before the weather took a turn, but other than that, he wasn't sure when they'd hang out again.
"Ready?" Jeff stood in the kitchen, a bottle of water in his hand.
Les raised a brow as he looked at his outfit.
"What?"
"Pink?" Les grinned at the pink jeans and the bright pink shirt that Jeff was wearing. "Your shoes don't match." He nodded to the black tennis shoes.
"Yeah, I couldn't find pink ones in my size. They make 'em for girls, but nothing in men's sizes."
"Guess I know what to get you for Christmas." Les shook his head. "Let's go."
"You can borrow my clothes anytime." Jeff hip bumped him as he went past.
"First time in my life I've been glad to be heavy."
"Oh, shut up. You're not heavy." Jeff glared at him.
"Heavier than you."
"Your mom is heavier than me."
"Still, I'm glad your clothes won't fit." Les grabbed his car keys and headed out the door.
Jeff shut the door and followed him to the car. "You don't like my clothes?"
"They look great on you." Les unlocked the car and slid inside.
"You're just jealous you don't have great stuff like this." Jeff climbed in beside him and smiled.
"One good thing about it, I'll be able to find you across the bar."
Jeff grinned and laughed. "That you will.
By the time they got to the bar, there was already a growing crowd. The music was nowhere near as loud as at the other club, and Les was thankful for that. This place was just a step up from your neighborhood watering hole, and that meant it never got too wild.
Jeff led them to their normal table, centered to the side where he was able to scout out everyone in the building. The dance floor was to the left, the door, and more seating to the right. Les followed along, looking forward to a drink and unwinding.
"You want to head to my brother's Sunday? Ricky turns four." Jeff waved to the waitress as he spoke to Les.
"No can do. Mom has summoned me to a family dinner, but tell your nephew that four is a good age. Stay there. Don't grow up."
Jeff rolled his eyes at his joke. "So, a summons to dinner. That sounds important. I don't remember you ever going to dinner there except like Christmas."
"Yeah, she sounded nervous. I'm not sure what is up. Kinda worries me."
"Maybe they struck it rich and have decided to travel the world."
"I can only hope it's something like that. My luck, it's probably more along the lines of they lost everything and need to move in with us for a few months."
Jeff's face paled. "Don't even joke about that."
Les laughed. "My homophobic parents wouldn't last a night living with you."
"I'm not that bad."
"No, from the sounds coming from the bedroom, you're not bad at all," Les teased.
"I'm not as loud as you say."
"You are. Any one of our neighbors will back me up."
Jeff stuck out his lip in a pout. "You're so mean to me."
"Mean? I'm the one losing sleep."
"Hey, you two. Good to see you back." The same older waitress as last time set a bowl of pretzels on the table. "What will it be?"
"I'll take a Budweiser." Jeff snagged two pretzels.
"Bourbon and Coke for me." Les handed her a twenty.
"Be right back." She winked at Jeff and rushed off.
"Well, if it isn't anything major and you want to drop by, I'm sure we'll be there late." Jeff sighed. "Mom asked me again when I was going to settle down and get serious about someone. She wanted me to bring a date, but I told her there wasn't anyone I was seeing."
"You can't blame her for wanting you to be happy."
"But I am happy. I like being single. The thought of being tied down to the same person makes my stomach hurt."
They'd had this conversation a million times, and Les wasn't going to get into it again. Jeff wasn't going to let anyone push him into something he didn't want. Les respected that, but he wished it didn't mean listening to his wild sex life every few nights.
"You going to want anything from the kitchen?" The waitress set their drinks down, along with their change.
"No thanks, we already ate." Les handed her a five-dollar bill for a tip.
"Thanks, sweetie. You give me a wave when you need another."
"We will." Jeff took a long gulp of his beer. "Damn, I needed this." He swiveled his stool around to look over the bar. "Hey, check out the redhead over by the bathrooms. I haven't seen him before."
Les glanced up to see a guy leaning against the wall. He looked like he belonged on the football field with his thick thighs, large shoulders, and wide chest. He was just Jeff's type. "Guess you picked your prey."
"Yeah, if he's alone. He looks like he might be waiting for someone."
Les took another drink, almost counting down the seconds until Jeff wandered over there. This was how it happened every time. He could almost do a play by play his roommate was so predictable.
"I'm going to go talk him up. I'll be back in a bit."
"Good luck." Les watched as Jeff casually made his way across the bar, stopping to talk to a few friends before making his way to the redhead. The two of them talked for several minutes before Jeff reached for the guy's hand and led him onto the dance floor.
Les sighed. Another long night alone.
"I think I owe you a drink." Slender fingers with polished nails pushed a glass in front of him. "Bourbon and Coke, right?"
Les tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat at the sound of Ax's voice. He turned and smiled, his breath catching as he stared at her. She wore her hair pinned back this time, some kind of twist going from the front, down over her ears to settle against her back, her deep blue eyes highlighted with makeup, and a perfectly fitting, 'show off every curve' red dress. Les stared for longer than he should have. He cleared his throat, trying to find his voice. "You look beautiful tonight."
Ax grinned. "Thank you. You mind some company?"
"Not at all. Glad you're here. I didn't expect you."
Ax climbed onto the stool and crossed her long legs. "The party was canceled. The guest of honor has a kidney stone."
"O
uch." Les frowned. "Guess his bad luck was my good." He glanced at her legs, seeing she wore a pair of red platforms. They weren't as sexy on her as the heels, but they still looked damn good.
"Keep staring at my feet, I'll think you have a foot fetish."
"Legs actually," Les admitted. "I've always been a leg man."
"Butts for me. Though, I shouldn't have told you. Now you'll know why I walk behind you all the time when we hang out."
Les's face heated. "You do not stare at my ass."
"Whatever. Why do you think I was okay at the gun range for so long? When you'd be up there shooting, I could look to my heart's content." Ax covered his hand with hers. "Now, it's no different from you checking out my legs, and I caught you doing that quite a bit last time we were here."
Les sucked in a breath. Had he been that obvious? He took a long drink before shaking his head. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Sure, you don't. It's not nice to lie to your friends. It's okay. I like that you look. I'd hate to spend as much time as I do shaving them to have no one notice." She kicked her leg out. "Wanna' feel?"
Les laughed. "Would you stop already?"
"Fine, but you're easy to tease. It's hard not to do it."
Les huffed. "So, you came here alone?"
"Yep, I was dressed up with nowhere to go. I thought about calling you to see if you wanted to go out, and then remembered it was Jeff's night to pick. I hoped you would be here." He glanced across the bar. "I see your roommate has already found a victim."
"It took him all of five minutes."
"Thick and meaty. Bet he makes Jeff scream loud tonight."
"I'm trying not to think about it."
"You know my guest room is yours if you need it."
"Thanks, but I shouldn't have to need it. I just can't seem to find a way to politely tell Jeff he needs to keep it down or find somewhere else to have sex."
Ax twirled the straw in her drink. "Maybe there isn't a polite way. You might just have to be blunt on this one and tell it like it is."
"Yeah, probably. Still not looking forward to it." Ax finished his first drink and reached for the one Ax had brought him. "Thanks for the drink."
"I always keep my promises." Ax lifted her drink. "To long-lasting friendships."
"To friendship." Les tapped his glass against hers.
"So, do you have any big plans for the weekend?"
"Nothing really exciting. My mom called and asked me to come over for dinner Sunday. That's unusual for them to do. Now I'm worried something is wrong or they have some kind of news to break to me."
"She didn't give you any hints?"
"None."
"Hmm, well hopefully it's nothing more than they want to see you." Ax covered his hand with hers. "Don't worry about the unknown."
"Thanks." Les had to fight the urge to turn his hand over and link their fingers. He quickly pulled his hand back, trying to act casual as he picked up his drink. "So, what about you? Any plans?"
"I promised to help install an engine on a friend's car tomorrow, and then I have laundry and housework waiting for me on Sunday. So nope, nothing exciting." She suddenly stood up. "Come dance with me. I love this song."
"What?" Les was stunned.
"Come on. No one here cares. I want to dance." She held out her hand to him. "Just think of me as any other girl. Come on."
He stared into her blue eyes, unable to find a reason to refuse her. She was right. No one would think anything about them dancing. Those who didn't know Ax would think she was all woman, those who did know her, didn't care or were used to her dancing with men. Still, he hesitated.
"Please, before this song ends. Just one dance." She tilted her head to the side and smiled.
Les let out a long breath, unable to refuse her. He could handle one dance. "Okay, but I'm not very good."
"Neither am I." She linked her hand with his and led him out on the floor.
He held her just as he would any woman. The song was slow, so with a hand on her hip, the other on her shoulder, he started to move.
Ax laughed. "Can we at least look like we are friends? I feel like I'm fourteen and at my first junior high social. You know, where we have to keep six inches between us at all times." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "I don't bite."
Trying to hide his nervousness, he let his hands fall to her waist and closed the distance between them. Their chests brushed as he closed his eyes and focused on the music, on the dancing, and tried to ignore who was in his arms. It wasn't that easy. Ax's perfume was intoxicating, and now, holding her this close, he felt how soft her skin was. His palms touched her perfectly curved hips, and God save him, realized how perfect she felt in his arms. He opened his eyes to find her staring at him, and he was lost in the blue of her eyes.
"See how easy?"
His hand pressed to the small of her back as he nodded, lost in emotions that scared him, but also made him feel alive. She was who he was looking for all those nights in the bars. She was the one who stirred his desire, and caused him to long for more than just a dance.
He pressed his forehead to hers as they moved, unable to speak. He couldn't have her, but just for tonight, just for a few minutes, he would enjoy holding her in his arms. They moved around the dance floor together, slowly at first. Timid. When the song ended, he didn't pull away. He wanted to keep dancing. A faster song started to play, and he raised a brow at her in question.
Ax smiled and nodded, her hands releasing his neck as she gripped his hip in one hand and arm in the other and started to move.
Her body moved against his, brushing and touching him in perfect rhythm with the music. She laughed as she arched back, her hair catching the light, her breasts… Les swallowed hard. They weren't real. He needed to remember they weren't real. No matter how right everything about her was, there was one huge difference from other women. One that Les just wasn't sure he could get past.
Still, he danced, refusing to let the fear ruin the fun they were having. He moved with her, watching her movements, and following them, working his legs between hers, bending against her, and pulling back right before things became more than he could handle.
Her gaze locked with his as they moved. To anyone watching, they probably looked like lovers, enjoying the dance as foreplay. Hell if his body wasn't reacting as if it was. His cock was aching as his palms moved over her.
When the song finally ended, he stepped back, breathless, and sweaty, but smiling. "Thanks, that was fun." He pulled her into a hug. "I need a drink, but maybe some more in a little bit?" He tried not to notice how soft her hair was against his cheek as he held her.
"I'll hold you to that." She followed him off the floor. "I thought you said you couldn't dance."
"I guess I just need a great partner." He sat down, taking a long drink.
She chewed on an ice cube as she watched him. "Thank you for that. Thank you for not refusing."
"I'm glad you didn't let me." His body slowly started to recover as he ordered another drink for each of them.
They stared at each other for a long moment, and he wondered what she was thinking. Did she feel this connection between them too? It wouldn't be as big a deal to her, she was attracted to men, but for him, this was all new. He'd never had feelings like this for a man before. What made it more confusing was did he feel them all the time or only when she looked like this? Would he be able to take Ax in his arms as a man the same way he did as a woman? Would his body react the same?
The only thing he was sure of was he didn't want the friendship to end. The connection was real, and no matter how attracted he was to her, the friendship meant even more, and he would do all he could to make sure it didn't end.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ax stood, looking at herself in the full-length mirror. She ran her hands down the silk teddy that covered her, adjusting the pads against her chest to make sure they were even.
She found the shipment of lin
gerie waiting for her when she got home Saturday night, but she was too tired to try it on and went to bed. When she woke, she forced herself to get housework done first before trying any of it on.
The red was her favorite. It stood out against her ivory skin. The little flowers lining the top of her breasts looked almost like real tiny roses. She hesitated on placing the order, but now as the silk rubbed against her body, she was glad she did.
She turned, looking at her ass in the mirror, wishing she had a three-way mirror to get a better view.
She jumped as her doorbell rang. "Damn it." She rushed for her pink robe, wrapping it around her body, hoping whoever it was would go away quickly.
As she opened the door, she stepped back a little, surprised to find Les standing there. "Hey." She narrowed her eyes as she looked closer at him. His eyes were red and puffy and his body tense as if he was struggling to keep his composure. "You okay?" She gestured him inside with a wave of her arm.
"Sorry, I didn't know where else to go. I didn't want to go home." He stepped inside and without waiting for her to say anything, he took a seat on the couch. "I probably shouldn't have come here, but I didn't…" He shook his head. "I just needed someone to talk to, and Jeff, well as good as friends we are, he's just not the serious type."
"No, it's okay. I'm glad you came here. Do you want something to drink? A beer?"
"Just water, please." He ran his fingers through his hair, and laid his head back on the cushion.
Ax hadn't talked to him since the bar. When they'd left, they talked about meeting up soon, but didn't make any plans. She thought she might have freaked him out with the dancing, but he seemed okay when they parted. Now he looked as if everything was falling apart. She handed him a glass of water and sat down beside him. "You had dinner with your parents tonight, didn't you?"
He nodded.
"You want to talk about it or just sit and relax for a bit?" She wasn't about to force him into anything.
He sighed as he took a drink of water. He glanced over at her and his eyes went wide. "Were you getting ready for bed? I can go. I shouldn't have just dropped by like this." He went to stand.
