Page 37 of Against The Boards

It made me feel like a dick because I wasn’t ashamed of what we did. I didn’t do one-night stands, so this was unfamiliar territory for me. I didn’t want to hide that I slept with her, but I understood why we needed to keep it a secret. It was just sex; it wasn’t like Rox and I were dating.

“It’s none of their business,” I said.

“My brother doesn’t have to know. I know he believes so strongly in ‘the code,’ but that’s a load of bullshit.”

I pointed at her. “Agreed.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. What a load of misogynistic BS! What, I can’t date your sister because we’re teammates? Pretty sure women have their own brains.”

“I’ve really misjudged you all these years.”

“To be fair, I might have goaded you into arguments over the years.”

She put her hands on her hips, which just made me notice her tits more. I snapped my eyes back up to her face, but by the scowl across it, she caught me staring.

Again.

“My eyes are up here! And what does that mean? Why would you do that?”

“Rox, don’t be dense. You know why.”

“Why?”

I walked towards the front door and grabbed the keys to my SUV. AKA far enough away from her that she couldn’t hit me for what I was about to say next.

I gave her my cockiest grin, the kind I gave a woman before I was about to go down on them like it was my last meal. “Because I think you’re hot when you’re mad.”

I heard her shrieking, but I was already out the door.

Chapter Eleven

ROXANNE

In hindsight, I was glad Benny came with me to look at apartments. Mostly because the landlord, who sounded very sweet on the phone, stared at my tits the whole time he showed us the apartment.

Benny looked around the apartment with a grimace and his lips in a tight line. When the listing said, ‘Near UPenn campus,’ that hadn’t been entirely truthful. The landlord didn’t like that I brought a man with me. I didn’t protest when Benny slipped his hand into mine. Or when he squeezed my hand and called me ‘baby’ in front of the guy, even though I hated being called that.

The next apartment was a studio in a house across the street from UPenn’s main campus. Despite the small size, I didn’t mind the apartment, but I was concerned with how hot it would get inside during the summer. It already felt like it was a thousand degrees inside, and it wasn’t quite summer yet. It was also next to a frat house, which I didn’t love.

The landlady was a nice old lady who asked us how long we had been married.

“Oh no,” I corrected her. “We’re just—”

“Friends,” Benny answered for me.

She eyed him and then turned to me. “Oh, good idea to bring someone with you, dear. You never know with some people.”

Benny gave me a triumphant look, and I glared back at him. “When is it available?” I asked.

“July.”

That was too far away for my liking. I needed to find something sooner unless I was okay with crashing on the couch when Tristan returned from Russia at the end of the month.

I frowned. “I’ll have to think about it. I’m looking for something sooner.”

She nodded. “I understand. I’ll call you if I have anything sooner.”