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"I’d rather date soood in bed, wouldn’t you?" It’s a rhetorical question I don’t expect him to answer "Derek and Ben are blah Total nail and bail" I drop the line casually, as if I deliver quips like this all the time

I don’t

I just want to see the look on his face

Rowdy Wade does not disappoint; his poker face sucks, and he’d be an awful card partner in Vegas His eyes are too wide Obviously shocked His brows, once a neutral line, are now shot up in his hairline

My nose wrinkles at the thought of that Derek kid in bed and I stifle a snort, satisfied that I’ve ed to surprise Rowdy

"What?"

"I can’t believe you just said that"

"Nail and bail?" My expression is pure innocence "You’ve never heard it? It’s like a puh is almost maniacal "Oh, you don’t have to explain it to ht I’ it You seem so…you’re…"

I lean toward him, curious "I’m what?"

"You’re--you see ed to surprise hi morals--that doesn’t mean I can’t thron a few trashy catchphrases"

"I "

"What do youinity to, although I did coh school He was cute and we’d been casually dating, so I let his when south went he tried to getabout all the liquor and condoin

All my "pleasure parts" are intact, never been breached (unfortunately), though one thing is for certain: I’e I just haven’t found anyone worthy ofinside my head, content to watch asht" My shoulders rise and fall nonchalantly "Maybe I a ood about ret it So until Mr No Regrets corets," he repeats "Wonder what he looks like"

He looks like you

He looks like Rowdy, and I don’t even knohat his real name is A discontented noise rises fro my dimple on him Twiddle my thumbs between my bent knees

"You knohat I’d like to know?" I muse "Your first na inside, we have utter quiet Quiet while he rises to his full height, taking a few calculated steps in my direction

It’s a short jaunt, and then he crouches, plucking the e when he lobs it Tosses the bottle so it’s soaring in an arch to the garbage Hits the back of the can, bounces, and disappears inside with a swoosh

Knees bent, Rowdy squats in front ofin nice and close, aon my lips

All his features are shadowed by the dark

"Promise not to tell?" His deep voice is a conspiratorial whisper

"Is it a secret?"

He shakes his head No

I s the lu him a cheeky, "It’s not all over the internet?"

This tih his lips "Yeah--it is all over the internet, but it appears you’re the only one who hasn’t looked it up"

"I’ for it now"

"I can see that"

And he can, so up close and personal, breath fanning against my skin I can smell the beer he had earlier, and the cold pre-winter air clinging to his skin

"It’s Sterling"

"Sterling," I say back breathlessly, unable to stopthe sound of it

Sterling Yes He looks like a Sterling