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I winced. It sounded cheesy and stupid. Who didn’t like fun? But when I tried to think of anything more clever I fell into a trance from those delicious abs, and the sharp lines of his oblique muscles…
“Alrighty then,” I said. “See you in a little while.”
I turned away from the door to find Dorian staring at me from the bed. He raised his eyebrows in an amused expression. I rushed past him and back into the hall before he could comment on what had just happened.
Alrighty then. Who was I, Ace Ventura? I felt like the female equivalent of the douchebag guys who stared and got all stupid when they saw a big pair of tits. Maybe it was because I’d been caught off guard. I expected Andy to be the least buff dude in the house, not the most shredded.
As I retreated back to my room, Ryan called out from his open bedroom, “You alright?”
I paused in my doorway and said, “What do you mean?” a little more casually than I intended.
Ryan walked to his door. “You look like you’re running from zombies. The fast kind.”
I shook off his comment. “Just thinking about all the things I have to do to get ready. Girls take more prep time than guys before a date.”
“Right, right,” he said carefully. He brushed back his messy red hair and then reached up to grab onto the upper frame of his door, which made his arms bulge. “Have fun tonight. Make sure you don’t go to bed unsatisfied.”
I scoffed and sputtered at the comment. “It’s our first date. Andy wants a serious relationship, so…”
I left the rest unsaid, but Ryan only smiled. “I didn’t mean Andy.” He winked. “Have a good time.”
And just like that, he disappeared back into his room.
25
Nadia
I plugged in my hair straightener by the bedroom dresser, and while waiting for it to heat up I looked at my wardrobe. It was a mild night, so I chose one of my dresses with lighter fabric. It was blue with white dogwood flowers all over it, with a waist that could be tied to show off my frame. Andy’s definition of fun could have been a lot of things; if we were going dancing I would want to wear flats. Instead, I chose a pair of strapped heels that would give me a little extra height. I wouldn’t have worn them with Ryan, but I was in no danger of being taller than Andy.
He was waiting downstairs, and looked as sharp as I had seen him. Black slacks, with a soft green polo that accentuated his emerald eyes. He had his hands in his pockets while pacing back and forth in the hall. When he saw me, he gawked.
“You look stunning,” He said.
I reached the bottom of the stairs and did a little twirl. “You clean up nicely yourself.” Now that I had seen him shirtless, it was impossible not to imagine the muscles hiding just under the surface. It made me look at him in an entirely different light. Yeah, it was kind of shallow, but still. He wasn’t just the brains of the house.
Braden and Dorian came out of the kitchen. Dorian put his arm around Braden and pretended like he was getting choked up. “They grow up so fast!”
“Don’t stay out too late,” Braden said in a fatherly tone. “Be home before curfew.”
Dorian suddenly took on a high-pitched, nasal tone. “Your father and I don’t want to ground you, but we will if you do not respect the rules of this house!”
Andy looked embarrassed, but I enjoyed the moment as they watched us grab our coats and leave. I also noticed that he grabbed a black felt bag from the table and put it in his coat pocket. He pretended like nothing had happened.
“So where are you taking me?” I asked outside.
“You’ll see.” He looked at his smart phone. “The taxi will be here any minute.”
“Taxi?” I asked. “We going that far?”
“No, but taking a taxi is more special than the subway. Especially with you dressed so nice.”
I’d never been able to afford a taxi in the city, and it was such a novelty that I actually enjoyed it. Our taxi driver was from Egypt, and drove as aggressively as someone delivering a pregnant woman to the hospital. As we raced and swerved through the city I grabbed hold of Andy’s hand and squeezed it for comfort.
The taxi took us to Midtown, stopping outside of a microbrewery called Hops Fusion. “Hope you like beer,” Andy said as we got out.
“Sorry, I hate it.”
His eyes widened behind his glasses as he looked down at me. I kept a straight face for about three seconds before giggling.
