Page 10 of Sexting the Pakhan

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

She reaches for my phone, and I slap my hand over it before she can get there.

“Absolutely not,” I say.

Her grin is feral. “He answered.”

I flip the phone over. There’s one message.

Unknown Number:That depends. How are you with strangers?

I just stare at it.

It’s not obscene. It’s not creepy. It’s not what I expected at all.

It’s… smooth. Annoyingly smooth.

Karina makes a strangled sound. “Oh, he’s good.”

“Stop sayinghelike that.”

“What else would I say? Mysterious sexy texter?”

“That’s worse.”

“It is, but it’s also accurate.”

I reread the message.

How are you with strangers?

There’s something about it that feels playful without trying too hard. Confident. Easy. Like this person didn’t blink at getting a random text from an unknown number. Like he just rolled with it.

I type before I can overthink it:Not usually great. This is me being chaotic under peer pressure.

I show Karina before I send it.

She clutches her chest. “That’s adorable.”

“It’s humiliating that you think adorable is helping.”

“Send it.”

I do.

We wait.

This time the response comes faster.

Unknown Number:Then I’m honored to be your bad decision for the evening.

I make a noise I do not mean to make.

Karina’s eyes go wide. “Oh, I hate him already.”