Part of Me: Friendship, Texas #3

by Magan Vernon

  I quickly typed back.

  More awkward. Definitely more awkward.

  Johnny: You’re probably right. I left my movie at your place. Rain check?

  I chewed on my bottom lip, thinking about what he said. If by watching a movie he meant more sex, then I was definitely in. Suddenly, I was a sex fiend after having only it a few times now, but holy hell, I now understood what the movies and Tumblr talked about.

  I’d never had a real relationship, so to speak. I was always boy crazy, but awkward as hell and living in a small town, I didn’t have much choice of boys unless I ventured to a bigger city.

  But looking at my dad’s face light up as he texted his new girlfriend made me rethink the whole relationship thing. Not that it was what Johnny wanted. I was sure we were both in this for the orgasms, and I was okay with that. A fling never hurt anyone...except maybe some presidents.

  Rain check it is.

  Chapter 4

  New Year’s Eve always meant a big crowd at Conti’s Italian Ristorante.

  I didn’t technically work there, but Mama Conti could basically get anyone to do anything with one look. Besides, it gave me a good excuse not to go with Dad to the Q Ranch for their New Year’s Eve party.

  “How the hell did you get roped into this too?” I asked Jay as he filled up a soda from behind the bar.

  Customers occupied every stool and every table. The bar was mainly just people who came to catch a glimpse of the golden boy Olympian trying to serve drinks. His reputation preceded himself with a DUI before he turned twenty-one, but for someone with a partying vibe, he sure did mix a very shitty drink.

  “Mama Conti made Lia work since Sonny’s out with his girlfriend, so rather than sitting at home with Nonna and the goat, I offered to help,” Jay said, handing me two full glasses of soda with way too much foam.

  “Makes sense.” I nodded and took the two glasses to their table.

  Normally, Mama or Papa Conti stuck me with hostess duties, or sometimes, I delivered pizzas if Sonny was busy. But tonight, they had me as a drink girl, which I guess was better than driving around and having my car smell like pepperoni for weeks.

  When I went back up to the bar to get a few pitchers of water, my heart stopped as I caught a whiff of the familiar scent of boy cologne and chlorine.

  Jay leaned over the bar and a broad smile crossed his face when I was close enough. “Oh, hey, Sofie, Johnny was just asking about you.”

  Johnny turned in his stool toward me, and immediately, I sucked in a breath as I looked over the well-dressed guy in his slacks and blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up. The man was big for a swimmer—well, even bigger than Jay was. Tall, lean, and I’d seen more of him than I had anyone else in my life, but something about a well-dressed Johnny had me gulping.

  What the hell?

  I wasn’t supposed to have feelings for this guy. I didn’t even know him. I only knew what he felt like inside me and that was all I needed. No feelings. Just sex. That was all this was, right? Why else would he be with the former ugly duckling?

  “Hey, Johnny. I thought you’d be, uh, training or something,” I said, trying to keep my composure as I set two empty pitchers of water on the bar top.

  “I was, but then Jay texted me and said he was bartending here tonight. I’ve never seen the man work a day in my life, so I had to see this with my own eyes,” Johnny said with a large smile that made every part of me feel like it was on fire.

  “Well, he kind of sucks, so you aren’t missing much,” I quipped, watching Jay spill some water over the sides of one pitcher.

  “Oh, like you could do much better,” Jay said with a huff, placing the overflowing pitcher on the counter.

  Quickly, I made my way behind the counter and grabbed a towel, wiping up the mess with one hand and filling the other pitcher with the other. “Actually, pretty sure I can.”

  Johnny laughed, slapping his hand on the counter. “Damn, Jay, she got you on that one.”

  Lia came up to the bar like a hurricane, huffing and setting a tray full of empty dishes down. “Hey, Sof, the table in the back is bitching for water. Can you get those to them?”

  “Yeah, tell your boyfriend to improve his bartending skills,” I said, grabbing the pitcher and pushing off the bar top.

  I didn’t even look back as I made my way to the back tables and set their pitcher of water down. Before I could get to the front and check on more tables, my phone vibrated in my apron pocket.

  The Contis had a strict “no phone” policy. Even though I wasn’t technically an employee, Mama and Papa Conti were pissed enough at me about the goat pen, so I tried to be on my best behavior.

  I ducked into the corner where the bathrooms were and pulled out my phone. Unlocking it, I read the text on the screen.

  Johnny: Going on a break soon?

  I didn’t know when or if I even got a break. I didn’t even know how long I’d be working today.

  I can, if you’re asking. Meet you out back by the employee’s entrance in five?

  He replied quickly

  Johnny: Sounds good.

  I tucked my phone back into my pocket and quickly made my way to the bar where the stool once occupied by Johnny was now empty.

  “Um, hey, Jay, can you tell Lia I’m just taking a little break?” I asked, fiddling with the string on my apron.

  Jay smirked, filling up a glass from the tap. “If, by that, you mean you’re meeting Johnny out back, then yeah, I’ll tell her.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Maybe not like that.”

  I made my way to the employee entrance through the kitchen, passing the back office as fast as I could so Mama or Papa Conti didn’t see me.

  I opened the door to take in the cool Texas night air. Before I could even inhale or shut the door, my back was pressed against the brick building and Johnny was leaning against me, his breath hot on my lips. “I’ve been thinking about tasting you all night,” he whispered before his mouth was on mine.

  Holy hell, could the guy throw out some hot words.

  I kissed him back eagerly, wondering if it would be frowned upon to have sex against the wall of Conti’s. The answer was probably, but I was so horny I didn’t care.

  My hands trailed down to his belt loop as his fingers wove through my hair. I was ready to get hot and heavy when the back door flew open. I pushed Johnny off me as if he was hot lava.

  “SOFIE!” Lia shrieked, her hands over her eyes. “Please put on clothes if you aren’t wearing any.”

  “I am. I am,” I said, straightening my shirt. “What’s up?”

  Lia slowly moved her hand down. “Uh. You have visitors.”

  “Visitors?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

  “Yeah. Your dad. And Abbey Dillinger and her mom.”

  I blinked once then twice.

  Holy shit, this couldn’t be happening.

  I didn’t even look back at Johnny as I followed Lia inside and to the front of the restaurant.

  Dad was in the nicest button-down shirt he owned with his white hair gelled and slicked back. His arm was around a tall brunette who looked more like my older sister than his new girlfriend. But her resemblance to the six-foot Abbey Dillinger was obvious. She stood next to them with her head down and her brown hair falling over her face, staring at her phone.

  “Sofie!” Dad said, beaming as he opened his arms and took me in a hug.

  He’d never been much of a hugger, so I knew it was for show in front of the new girlfriend, and I might have even obliged if he wasn’t wearing so much cologne I thought I would gag.

  “And I didn’t know your boyfriend was here.”

  Shit.

  Dad released me, and I followed his eyes to Johnny standing behind me.

  “He’s not my—”

  Before I could respond, Johnny held his hand out to Dad. “I’m Johnny Laughlin. Nice to meet you, sir.”

  Dad looked at me then back at Johnny as he shook his hand. “Glad to officially meet you,
Johnny. This is my girlfriend, Stephanie, and her daughter, Abbey,” Dad said, motioning to the two women.

  Stephanie’s smile reached the creases at the corner of her eyes as she shook Johnny’s hand. “You look familiar; did you go to school with Sofie and Abbey?”

  Johnny smiled, putting his arm around me like we were best buddies. “Nope. I’m kind of new in town. I’m friends with Jay, Lia’s boyfriend.”

  “He’s an Olympic swimmer, Mom,” Abbey mumbled.

  “Oh!” Stephanie’s eyes lit up with recognition.

  We were all silent for a few moments before Dad squeezed Stephanie’s shoulder. “Well, I was hoping we’d get to see you before heading to the Q Ranch. Think you’d be able to take a break and have dinner with us, Sofie? Your boyfriend can join us.”

  “I don’t—”

  This time, Lia interrupted when she put her hands on my shoulders. “I think drink girl can take a break for dinner.”

  I glared at Lia over my shoulder, and she just beamed. “Take a break, Sofie. I’ll let Ma and Dad know.”

  “Johnny, would you like to join us?” Stephanie asked.

  I tried to give Johnny a look that said for him to make an excuse, but of course, he didn’t get that. “I’d love to.”

  Lia clasped her hands together. “Great. We have a table in the back for y’all!”

  I’d gone almost a year without seeing Johnny. It was not for lack of trying, though. We never exchanged numbers after our first make-out session, and with everything going on with Lia and Jay and their crazy relationship, we just didn’t run into each other. When Lia moved to California with Jay in June, I figured that was the end of me ever seeing him.

  Now, just in the past few days, I’d seen him three times and in various positions. This could all end badly, and I did not want to insert him into my life with my dad and his new relationship if that was the case. I’d had a lifetime of talking to counselors and other people after losing Mom, and if I lost someone else I cared about, I feared I’d fall into the same cycle. Not that I thought I would go crazy or anything, but I was just getting over the looks of pity from people when they would ask how I was doing. Or when someone new would find out my mom passed away when I was in high school. I didn’t want that same look from my dad or anyone else if I had a relationship and lost it. Nope. I could do this. Strictly dickly or whatever people said.

  Dad pulled out a chair for Stephanie and Abbey at the table then Johnny pulled out my chair like some odd gentlemanly thing that felt super weird.

  Johnny took the seat to the right of me with Dad on my other side and Stephanie next to him. Abbey sat between Johnny and Stephanie at the round table. None of us looked at each other or spoke until Lia came back with the menus.

  “Can I get y’all started with anything? The house wine is a white, and our special for tonight is Polpo bollito with a side of crostini,” Lia said, smiling way too wide for what I’m used to from my best friend.

  So I might have given her a lot of grief when she dated Jay. Well, not when she started dating him. But when his ex-girlfriend came into the picture and he broke Lia’s heart more than once, I wasn’t sure what to think. He redeemed himself, and the ex was crazy, but I still worried about her and anyone associated with him. Especially a sexy swimmer named Johnny.

  “I have no idea what you just said, and I’ve been to Italy a few times. I guess maybe I should have stepped out of the pool and got something other than pasta while I was there,” Johnny said with a laugh, looking up from his menu.

  “Octopus with lemon juice and bread with sauce basically, in swimmer’s terms,” Lia said, nudging Johnny’s shoulder.

  “Oh, sweet. I’ll try that and a large pizza,” Johnny said, handing Lia the menu.

  Lia wrote down his order. “Is the pizza for everyone or just you?”

  “What do you think?” He raised his eyebrows.

  Lia scribbled on her pad. “Stupid question. You need the carbs.”

  Stephanie and Abbey ordered salad, and Dad ordered the steak Sicilian. I probably should have ordered a salad or whatever girls usually ordered, but instead, I went with the octopus.

  “So if we both don’t like the octopus, does that mean I have to give you some of my pizza?” Johnny asked, bumping my shoulder as if we regularly shared witty banter.

  “I’ve had Polpo bollito before. It’s chewy but kind of tastes like chicken. If chicken was rubbery and lemony and swam in the sea,” I quipped, looking down at my hands as if they were the most interesting things in the world.

  “Oh. Cool. Then maybe I’ll like it,” Johnny said, and then the table went silent again.

  This was why I didn’t want to have dinner with my dad and his new girlfriend. If that wasn’t awkward enough, we had to add in her daughter and the guy I was currently fooling around with.

  “Johnny, I have to admit I’m not much of a swim fan, so I’m not as familiar with what you do,” Dad said, offering a small smile.

  Johnny put his arm around the back of my chair, and I wanted to just slink under the table and die instead of having this conversation.

  “Well, sir, I’m an Olympic backstroker. I came to Texas with Jay and another swimmer who does the freestyle and our coach from California. Jay and the other guy went back to Cali when our coach’s time was up, but I stayed and started working with a guy out of TCU this past November.”

  That was actually more than I knew about the guy. Suddenly, I felt sleazy about our whole situation. I didn’t know why I thought I could do a “friends with benefits” thing, but the fact that I didn’t know much about the guy, except for what little I found on the internet, was sinking in.

  Dad and Johnny continued their small talk. Stephanie and Abbey tried to talk to me, but I kept giving them one-word answers. I wished that the restaurant would get slammed, and they would need me, but no such luck.

  By the time Dad and Johnny wrestled for the bill, and Johnny won, it was time to say goodbye and for me to possibly go in the back kitchen and put my head in the pizza oven.

  Dad hugged me goodbye way too tightly at the front door and whispered in my ear, “Johnny’s a nice guy. Maybe bring him out in the daylight every once in a while.”

  I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see it and let go, giving my niceties to the new girlfriend and even waving at Abbey.

  I thought maybe Johnny would take that as his cue to leave, but instead, he stood next to me in front of the big picture window with Conti’s sign lit above it.

  “I guess you’re heading out too?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

  Johnny smiled, slowly stepping closer until we were toe to toe. “Well, I don’t have anywhere else to be, so I could hang around until you’re off.”

  I shook my head and sighed. “Johnny, I don’t know what we’re doing.”

  “I should get what you mean by that, but I really don’t know how to answer that either,” he muttered.

  “We’ve known each other for a year. We made out at the bowling alley because you felt bad that Christy was giving me shit for being my awkward, nerdy self. Now, you’re back here and we had some drunken sex then some Christmas fooling around, but you know...I guess when we’re not giving each other orgasms, I have to wonder what the hell’s going on? Are you hanging around because you want something? That’s the only thing that makes sense if you’re trying to chitchat with my dad, but why now? Why not months ago?” I spit it all out like word vomit.

  Johnny blinked then raked his fingers through his hair. “Wow. That was a lot, and I don’t even know how to begin to answer any of that.”

  I put my hand up. “Look, I’ll make it easy for you. I’m not a hookup kind of girl. I mean it’s fun, but it’s not me. If you’re one of those dudes who doesn't do relationships, I get that. So just save me the trouble now.”

  Johnny opened his mouth to say something then it was as if he thought better of it and closed his mouth, nodding solemnly before he spoke again. “Okay.”
<
br />   “Okay? That’s really all you have to say?”

  I wanted this to be like some romantic movie where he took me in his arms and said he wanted more from me. That he’d been thinking about me the past year but couldn’t let anything get in the way of his swimming career.

  But he did none of that.

  “I really don’t know what else to say right now. I like you. I like hanging out with you, so can we just see where this goes?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  I let out a deep breath then nodded. “Yeah. We can do that.”

  Before either of us could say something else, a large white SUV slowed and pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant. The passenger window rolled down and there in the reflection of the moonlight was my arch nemesis: Christy Quinn.

  “Hey, I thought I recognized you, Johnny. Long time, no see.” She fluttered her too-long-to-be-real eyelashes.

  Christy Quinn was heir to the Q Ranch fortune with a tiny Asian mother and a cowboy father who looked like an old-time movie star. She had the looks, the glossy, straight black hair and that soft voice I swore held haughtiness while still sounding like she sucked a balloon full of helium.

  Johnny squinted his eyes as if he couldn’t place her then waved his hand. “Hey.”

  “You coming out to the ranch tonight? I know it was fun last time with you and Scotty in the hot tub,” she said then smirked. I swore her eyes narrowed as she glanced in my direction. “Sorry, Sofie, didn’t recognize you for a minute. Finally get your eyebrows done?”

  Johnny put his arm protectively around my waist. “I think Sofie and I are going to call it a night. But you have fun.”

  Christy narrowed her eyes and said something then Abbey came bounding around the corner, opening the passenger side door. “Sorry, I’m late, Christy. Had to go through the whole goodbye routine with Mom even though we’re gonna see her in like two minutes.”

  “No problem. I was just catching up with the locals,” Christy said, half-muttering.

  Abbey offered a small smile as she looked out the passenger side window but said nothing else as they took off in the night.