Page 143 of Just for the Cameras
And I want to hold on to the feeling she gives me whenever she’s around.
I meant it when I said I wanted to pursue her, and that hasn’t changed.
I take down the rest of my beer, then I set the bottle on the coffee table. “I want to make her mine.”
“Oh shit.” OC gasps and then holds his arm out and points at it. “Chills. He just gave me chills.”
“Can you not make a spectacle?” I ask.
“I mean, hard not to when you make a strong statement like that,” Bennett says. “That’s some good shit you’d find in a romance novel.”
Both OC and I turn to him, questions in our arched brows.
“I’ll take this one,” OC says to me. “Umm, romance novel?”
“Yeah.” Bennett casually shrugs.
“Yeah, what? Do you read them?”
“What if I do?” Bennett asks. “You have a problem with that?”
“Just…didn’t think that was something you’d read,” OC says, looking Bennett over. “You don’t seem like the kind of guy who would read, let alone read a romance book.”
“Of course I fucking read.”
“Clearly. Just didn’t think it would be romance novels.”
“What do I look like I read?” he asks.
Both OC and I take a second to study him and then I say, “Something like…hidden ballpark mysteries.”
OC snaps and points at me. “Yes, that’s exactly what he’d read.”
Bennett shrugs. “I’ve been dabbling in romance because my sister’s friend sent me some recommendations.”
OC’s eyes widen and I can see the whirl of questions he wants to ask, but I stop him before he can get going. “Don’t,” I say sharply. “We’re focusing on my situation. Deal with him later on your own time. Don’t waste mine.”
“Jesus,” OC says. “You know, Gladdy Daddies isn’t just about you.”
“Gladdy Daddies is about to be nonexistent.”
Sighing, OC says, “Fine, but we’re coming back to the sister’s friend thing. I think that’s the second time you’ve mentioned her, and I’m not about to just let it go.”
Bennett just shrugs casually.
“Okay.” OC takes a deep breath. “Graydon wants to make Maple his, and he’s clearly put an obstacle in the way of that by humiliating her this morning. Dug us quite a hole, my man, but I think we can work with it. My boys on the Agitators have offered up some great advice before, and there’s no doubt in my mind that they’d agree a grand gesture is the way to go. So, big guy, what kind of secret talents can we use to our advantage?”
“Secret talents not in the bedroom,” Bennett adds.
“Yes, because you can’t just try to attack her with your dick, especially since she’s not even talking to you. Imagine going into her apartment and wielding your penis with an apology note hanging off it.”
Bennett snorts as I look at OC, expressionless.
I really hate him most of the time.
“Say something else stupid, see where it gets you,” I threaten.
OC leans toward Bennett and whispers, “Think I should see what he would do?”
