Playing His Game (The Reynolds Brothers) (12 page)

Me: No houses
to show?

Scott: I
rescheduled everything for tomorrow. What are you doing today?

Me: Boring day
too. I'm off tonight so I'm probably just going to stay in my warm bed and
read. It's cold for October.

Scott: You
should wear the lime green Snuggie. I love the Snuggie on you.

Me: Yes, I
know. I'll wear it just for you.

Scott: Awesome.

Scott: What
should I annoy Autumn with today?

Me: I think you
being there will be annoying enough :)

Scott: Funny

Me: She just
doesn't find you as charming as I do.

Scott: And boy
am I glad you find me charming. You going to call me tonight or do I have to
call you?

Me: I think you
should call me. I like to feel like I'm wanted.

Scott: You're
always wanted. I'll call you around nine.

★★★

November

Scott: Happy
Thanksgiving!

Me: Happy day
that the white people came to America, stole the Indians' land and then
celebrated with a feast that we made the Indians cook for us.

Scott: Oh,
you're one of those.

Me: A realist.
Yes, I'm one of those.

Scott: So you
don't celebrate Thanksgiving?

Me: I celebrate
but that's mostly because it's an obligation to see family that I only ever see
once a year. I mostly just watch football.

Scott: What a
coincidence, me too! Who you cheering for this afternoon?

Me: The
Bears... ALWAYS!!!

Scott: What?
Okay we definitely need to make a bet on this game. Your Bears are going to
lose.

Me: You're on.
What's the wager?

Scott: Hmmm....

Scott: If I win
you have to let me teach you how to surf.

Me: I'm
surprised you didn't go for anything sexual in this wager.

Scott: You
didn't let me finish. I'll be teaching you while you're naked.

Me: Oh, okay
and WHEN I win you have to take me to The Grove for the afternoon so I can shop
and you can hold my bags.

Scott: I still
don't understand your obsession with that place. It's a fucking outdoor mall.
It sucks.

Me: It's on TV
all the time and I want to go but you, Autumn, and Jared all refuse to take me.
That's the wager. Take it or leave it.

Scott: I'll
take it.

Chapter Eight

It's been several
months since our weekend in Chicago and Scott and my friendship has evolved
nicely. After he woke up Saturday morning alone, Scott found me on the small
sofa bed at the other end of the room and woke me up. We spent all day Saturday
exploring the city and he pleasured me all evening Saturday night.

He definitely gets
an A in foreplay.

Then Sunday we
spent our time near Rosemont. We had a nice lunch at a local steakhouse and
after begging him for a half hour, we went to the casino for a few hours before
I drove him to the airport to catch his flight. Then I made the journey back to
Michigan.

I spent the entire
drive home thinking about him. Scott's a thoughtful lover. I'd never been with
someone who always made sure my needs were met in the bedroom first. He's also funny,
incredibly smart and knows how to have a good time. This all was a pleasant
surprise and I found myself craving more time with him. We didn’t really
discuss what would happen in the future with us. We just enjoyed every moment
together.

A few days after
being back home he called me and we talked for hours. It's so easy to get lost
in conversation with him and we never find ourselves with nothing to say. It
was in that first call that we decided to be friends with the occasional
benefits. I know, very immature and irresponsible of us, but I trusted Scott
not to have unprotected sex with anyone he decided to hook up with in my
absence. He trusted me to do the same.

Little did I
realize that he would have nothing to worry about. I haven't hooked up with anyone
but Scott since our weekend together and it's been what? Six months now?

Wow.

I'm only ever
monogamous when I'm in a relationship and Scott and I are definitely not in a
relationship. We just talk on the phone several times a week and it usually ends
after an amazing round of phone sex. We also text each other all day, everyday.
Occasionally, our texts turn dirty and I love that, too, but I find it’s our
simple conversations I love the most. I can tell him anything and he's a really
supportive friend.

When my boss
wanted me to start stripping more for bachelor parties, Scott was the person I
ran to for advice. He told me to tell my boss to kiss my ass. I don't strip and
that the last time was a lapse in my better judgment. I was nervous to say
those things to him but with Scott's support I was able to. I think my boss
respected me a little more after that day and I've never had to strip at a
bachelor party again. I strictly serve or dance in my lingerie now.

We've been
discreet about sleeping together, not wanting anyone, especially our siblings,
to find out. I've been out to see Autumn on several weekend getaways over the
past several months and during those trips Scott and I always find time to be
alone.

It never really
mattered where we got privacy, we were usually so desperate by the time we got
to be alone together that he was pummeling me before I could get my clothes
off. I was able to sneak him in after everyone went to sleep during one of my
visits. The problem with this was he fell asleep and I wasn't able to wake him
back up. I ended up sleeping on the couch again. It wasn't until Jared was
waking me up on the couch with a cup of coffee that I started freaking out.
Scott wasn’t able to sneak out until early afternoon that day.

Then there was the
weekend when Scott and I left to pick up ice cream from the local convenient
store. What normally would have taken fifteen minutes took almost an hour. We
pulled off into an isolated area and went at it in his car. When we're
together, we're insatiable.

That's why I'm
nervous about this visit. It's Christmas Eve and I've just flown in from
Michigan... with my parents. We're celebrating Christmas at Autumn and Jared's
new place in Calabasas and I'm a nervous wreck. What if I look at Scott the
wrong way, or he touches me and someone sees? I'm worried that with one wrong
move we're going to give away that we're screwing behind everyone's back.

I know if we got
caught Scott would just laugh it off and let everyone know it's not serious.
We're not dating so that shouldn't bother me, but it does. I don’t have
feelings for Scott. I really don't, but because he's the only guy I've been
intimate with in months, I've formed an unhealthy attachment to him. So
unhealthy that two months ago I let him know that I didn't want to hear about
any of his conquests out in California.

He laughed it off
and said there were none to talk about, but I'm not stupid. He goes out
regularly and even if he couldn't find a girl to sleep with for the night,
there's always Tawny.

Tawny. She's
another wild card in the mix this Christmas. Things are no longer awkward
between us but Tawny has issues keeping her mouth shut. I'm afraid she'll let
something slip about our threesome in front of Jared and Autumn, or even worse,
my parents. I'm going to have to keep my eyes on her the next few days.

We're standing in
the arrival terminal when I spot Scott standing beside his new Dodge Ram 3500.
He called me right after he bought it. He needed something with a bed for his
boards. Although he lives on the beach, he likes to surf in other areas and his
new truck is perfect to carry his stuff.

He sees me and
lifts his hand, waving us over. His dark hair has gotten longer and it looks
good. I take in a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. I exhale before
turning to my parents. "Scott's here. Let's go."

My parents follow
me and when we reach Scott's truck he takes my bag and puts it in the bed of
his truck. Then he greets my parents and takes their bags as well. He opens the
passenger door and the door to the back seat before looking back at us
hesitantly.

"Sorry,
there's not a lot of room. I came straight from the beach, otherwise I would
have taken a different vehicle. It seats four comfortably. Two upfront and two
in back."

I move to hop in
the back seat when my mother reaches out and grabs my arm. "Your father
and I will sit in the back. You sit upfront, dear."

I nod and let her
sit in the back, knowing never to argue with my mother in the presence of
others. That's just how I was brought up.

My parents slip
into the backseat and I hold onto the door and attempt to pull myself up. It's
hard to get up in such a large vehicle for a vertically challenged woman like
myself. Scott comes up from behind me, placing his hands on my ass and lifts me
up. He softly slaps and squeezes my cheeks discreetly before releasing me as I
scoot in the passenger seat.

A smile spreads
across my face, but I hide it quickly before my parents can question what has
me grinning. Within a few seconds Scott is getting back in the driver's seat
and driving out into the airport traffic.

We make small talk
the entire way to Calabasas. My parents haven't really ever had a chance to
talk with Scott in the past. They're usually solely focused on Jared, trying to
find a flaw. They'll be looking for a long time because Jared's pretty much
perfect.

"So you're a
real estate agent? How's the market out here?" my dad asks him as Scott
maneuvers the truck through traffic.

"The market
suffered here like everywhere else in the country, but the median home price is
so high that I've been able to keep my head afloat."

"Must have.
This new truck must've cost a pretty penny."

"Dad!" I
shout and then quickly lower my voice. "Daddy, don't be rude."

"It's okay,
Winn," Scott says, glancing in my direction and winking at me before
turning his eyes back on the road. "I actually came into a little money so
I was able to pay for it in cash. I try not to loan money from banks."

His answer
startles my dad, and quite frankly it startles me, too. He doesn't make the
kind of money Jared does. How could he afford to pay for this in cash? I'm
quickly taken out of my thoughts when my mother starts asking Scott about his
family. She's really excited to see his parents and hoping these Christmas get
togethers become a tradition. It's nice to get out of Michigan in the dead of
winter.

By the time we
pull up to Jared and Autumn's new place my mother is fawning all over Scott and
Scott looks exhausted. Unfortunately, there isn’t much time to rest because the
next two days are packed with family activities.

I promised to help
Autumn and my mother prepare some of the dishes for Christmas dinner tomorrow
and Scott is going with Jared and my dad to go get a Christmas tree. It's not
because a Christmas tree isn't already up. Autumn has had a beautiful fake tree
fully decorated in the living room for weeks. It's because my crazy mother
wants a real tree at Christmas. It's a Midwest thing.

The day drags on
agonizingly slow and all I want is some alone time with Scott. We haven't seen
each other in a while and I want what he's been promising me in our endless
phone sex conversations. After a long day of cooking, cleaning the house and
catching up with my sister, the boys are back with the real pine tree and we
all start decorating.

I have the tedious
job of stringing popcorn on a long string of thread to drape around the tree.
I'm halfway done stringing the second popped back of popcorn when my phone
vibrates in my pocket.

Scott: Hi

For some reason
this simple text lightens my mood and I'm smiling down at my phone as I reply.

Me: Hi

Scott: I miss
you

Me: You miss my
body

Scott: Well
that's a given

Me: I miss your
body too!

Scott: I
already knew that ;)

I look up to see
Scott watching me, waiting for my reply.

Me: Always so
arrogant

Scott: Lucky
for you I have the goods to back it up.

Me: Too bad
we'll have no privacy for you to prove that to me.

I glance over at
him while he reads my text and starts to reply. His fingers are moving
frantically on his phone so I know this text will be a longer one. I smile at
something my mother says, hoping she doesn't realize who my attention is on and
then my phone vibrates in my hand.

Scott: I'm
going to get out of here soon. Stay up. I'll be back around eleven for you to
sneak me in through the bedroom window. It'll be easier this time since it's a
ranch. Make sure you're in the first room on the left.