Page 39 of The Big Oh
The map on her phone showed the Uber driver rounding the corner just down the road from Des’s. She ran to the front door and crammed her feet into her shoes. No matter which way she spun it, this was going to be a disaster of a day.
16
When he got home from work that night, there was little trace of Cami to be found. It didn’t look like she’d taken him up on his offer of breakfast. The covers on his bed were flung back haphazardly, and he found one of her socks on the floor. Had she left wearing only one sock? The thought made him smile. The least he could do was return it to her. It was no glass slipper, but it would be a shame to let the dryer take the blame for another missing sock.
He was out the door before his brain kicked in so he texted Cami to warn her.
You busy?
It was gratifying that her response came almost immediately as he was settling onto the seat of his motorcycle and picking up his helmet.
Just got home. What’s up?
He grinned as he typed.
Is it okay if I stop by? I’ve got a present for you.
He didn’t wait for her assent before he left for the store, just assumed it was forthcoming. When he pulled into a parking spot in front of Sex on the Beach, there was a one-word text waiting for him:
Sure.
He’d never been to her apartment, hadn’t even been aware enough to take notice of the space above the store until she’d pointed out she lived there. He popped his head into the store to ask about the entrance, and Tristan directed him to the side of the building where a metal staircase led to a door halfway up the brick wall. It looked a little rickety, but he figured it was safe to assume that if it didn’t meet safety standards, Lenny wouldn’t have let Cami live there.
He climbed the stairs, helmet tucked under one arm, and knocked on the door.
It opened, and Cami was there, wearing a tank top and a cute little floral-print skirt. He’d seen her that morning, when she’d been asleep in his bed, but the sight of her now still made something in his chest squeeze. He cleared his throat into his fist, trying to shake it off the tight sensation, and cast her a smile. “Hey. Can I come in?”
With her brown eyes wide and her brow furrowed, she stepped aside and waved him in. As he did so, the clean, muted floral scent of her enveloped him. Not just from being near her, but it saturated this little apartment of hers. The place was comfortable in a mismatched, homey way, and the air was warm and inviting. It was a converted studio and used to just bestorage space for the storefront below, but Cami had made it her own.
He turned toward her and held up her abandoned sock. “Your present. You forgot this at my place.”
To his amusement, she flushed and snatched the sock out of his hand. “Sorry,” she said. “I woke up late for class and left in a rush.”
He cocked his head. “Did you make it in time?”
“Almost.” She sighed, glancing away from him. “Do you want a drink?”
“Water would be great.” He followed her to the kitchenette, leaning one elbow on the breakfast bar attached to the counter. As she retrieved a glass from a cupboard above the sink and filled it from a filtered jug in her fridge, he considered her. He wasn’t sure if it was just that he was in her apartment, or something else, but she seemed nervous. Her movements were jerky, and she wouldn’t look at him. “Everything okay?”
When she held out the water glass for him to take, she took a breath and straightened her posture, then fixed on a smile. “Of course.”
“Okay.” It was the least convincing thing he’d ever heard her say, but he decided to let it go. “Then there’s something I’d like to address.”
She wavered in front of him, her smile almost slipping off before she righted it. “Right.” But before he could say anything, she launched into her own spiel. “I’m so sorry I fell asleep last night. You could have woken me and sent me home, I wouldn’t have been offended. Sleepovers were never part of the deal, and you’ve been so great, and I’d never intentionally take advantage of that. It was an imposition, and I’m truly sorry.”
He blinked. “Oh. No, Cami, it’s fine. You don’t have to apologize. There’s no problem, really.”
“Then—” Her brow furrowed adorably with her confusion. “Then what did you want to talk about?”
He probably should have taken some time to figure out how he wanted to phrase this before he rushed over. He moistened his bottom lip and laid his glass of water on her counter. “Well, you asked me to finger you.”
“Oh my God.” Her cheeks started to flush, and she covered her face with her hands, but he couldn’t help but laugh at her mortification.
“I mean, I get it. I have great fingers, and significant manual dexterity. But that wasn’t part of the deal, so I didn’t feel comfortable going that route at the time.” She still hadn’t lowered her hands, but she’d cracked her fingers apart so she could peek at him. “I’m not ruling it out, if that’s the way you want to go. But we should talk about it when you’re not on the verge of a mind-melting orgasm.”
She inched her hands down and studied him. He did his best to look earnest. “What does that mean? That you’re not ruling it out?”
“Well,” he considered, “we could amend the rules. So far, this has been strictly toy review. We could open the door to using...enhancements, as we see fit—like fingers, or...tongues, maybe.” The flush on her cheeks reignited, but this time her hands stayed by her sides. She licked her lips, and, her gaze dropped to his mouth. Her reactions were intriguing and more than a little flattering. “It’s probably safer to keep things strictly toy-related.” The admission came with some hesitation. “It’s less complicated that way.”
