Page 59 of Stroked Long
Bodi: And here I was going to ask you to have her autograph something organic for me.
Ruby: I would have had her sign Oreos. What a treat that would have been for you.
Bodi: Can’t let the Oreo thing go, can you? Okay, I give, who did you make eye contact with?
Ruby: Reese King!
He doesn’t respond right away which makes me nervous. I’ve always heard about their rivalry but I didn’t really buy into it. Whenever you see them on the pool deck together, they seem to act normal around each other. No glaring eyes, punches to the face, or kicks to the shin. But now I’m second guessing that thought.
Making my way slowly down the aisles to see if Reese is still in the store, I stop abruptly when I see him standing in front of a stack of coloring books, hands on his hips and a scowl on his face.
Does he like coloring? Adult coloring books are all the rage right now, and I have about five in my apartment at the moment. Maybe he wants to have a coloring party with me.
Disguising myself next to a pile of two-liter Coke bottles, I stare at him, wondering which coloring book he’s going to choose, when my phone vibrates with a text.
Bodi: I thought he would be here in Omaha already but his schedule doesn’t call for him to arrive until later. Go say hi.
Ruby: Are you insane? I’m not going to go say hi.
Bodi: Why not? He’s chill. Tell him you’re friends with me.
Ruby: Yeah, because I’m sure people don’t lie about that all the time.
Bodi: Why are you so nervous? You’re outgoing. Just say hi.
Ruby: I don’t want to disturb him. He seems to be in deep thought.
Bodi: Over what? You’re at the grocery store, what can be so consuming?
Ruby: Coloring books. He can’t seem to choose one he likes.
Bodi: Even more perfect. You know about art things. Just go say hi.
Ruby: I can’t.
I feel a blush creep up my cheeks from the mere thought of going up to him. I can fangirl—believe me, I know how to fangirl like a professional—but I fangirl like a professional to myself, never outwardly. I’m too much of a coward and honestly, I’m too concerned with bothering people. I don’t want them to get annoyed with me. If it were me who was famous, I would wear a sign that would say,I don’t mind, come hump my leg. That way no one would ever feel nervous to approach me.
Looking over the soda, I scan Reese’s body for any kind of “hump my leg” sign but don’t see anything. Damn. Would he get mad if I approached him? Would he think I was insane if I ran up and said I was friends with Bodi Banks?
Scanning my outfit, which is a purple dress, red cardigan, yellow flats and a green belt cinched around my waist, I can almost guarantee he would slink away, praying to the gods that I don’t try to pluck a hair from his head for a Voodoo doll.
My phone beeps.
Bodi: Are you really not going to say hi? I’m going to text him.
That little comment shoots panic straight through my fangirling body.
Ruby: DON’T YOU DARE BODI BANKS!
Bodi: Lol.
Lol. If only I got to see that in person. Did he really laugh out loud? A part of me thinks he did. And why do I find it so cute that he wrote “Lol”? Do guys usually write that?
Ruby: Seriously, did you text him?
Bodi: No, do you want me to?
Ruby: NO! God, that would be humiliating. I’m trying to get a picture of him for you.
