I woke up at around ten the following day. I had a headache, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d initially suspected. The water had helped.
I looked over and saw Ava sleeping with her face toward the wall, tucked right up against the edge of the bed. She’d left most of it for me.
I remembered the picture of Mia. The feeling it had left in me.
It was still there. Not as bad, but lingering somewhere in the back of my chest.
Damn.
I thought I’d gotten rid of that.
I started to stroke Ava’s back. She stirred and stretched, then rolled over and smiled at me.
“Sleep okay?” she asked.
“Well enough.”
“Last night was weird. What was up with Mateo? I’ve never seen him act like that.”
“Mateo likes pleasing people. Or, I guess, he likes knowing exactly what someone wants from him. Give him something to do, tell him he did it right, and he’s happy.”
Ava frowned slightly. “That’s all?”
I started playing with her hair.
“Pretty much. He likes rules. Knowing what he’s allowed to do, what he isn’t, what he gets if he behaves.” I shrugged. “It makes him comfortable.”
“And you figured all that out?”
“Eventually.”
“How did you know he wouldn’t freak out with me there?”
I tucked some hair behind her ear.
“He knew I’d be very angry if he did, and he wants to keep me happy.”
“You really know how people work.”
I let out a breath.
“If only…”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m smart, okay? I know all the things.”
She stretched again, then rolled on top of me, her head close to my chest.
“Well, I really liked last night.”
“What part?”
“You telling me what to do. Guiding me. Correcting me. And being happy with me after.”
“Oh, you like pleasing people as well?”
“Pleasing you, at least.”
I smiled at that.
“I need to go to the bathroom. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
I got out from under her, grabbed my bathrobe, and stepped out of my room. I peed and brushed my teeth because I could feel the coating on them.
When I stepped back into the hallway, Noah was standing there waiting for me.
“What do you want?” I asked.
He came closer and opened my bathrobe.
“I think you know.”
“Fuck off, Noah. You and I no longer have business.”
“What?”
“You said you would help me hide it from Ethan, but it turns out Ethan needed me hidden from Dahlia. And the worst fucking part is that you knew about her too.”
“Well, I would…”
“No. Don’t say anything. I don’t want to hear it. You no longer serve a purpose. Put your dick away and go back to your room.”
He seemed stunned by that.
“I…”
“I said go.”
He left and went back to his room, closing the door behind him.
I let out a breath, closed my bathrobe again, and walked back to my room.
“What was that?” Ava asked.
“What was what?”
“I heard you talking.”
“I was just wrapping up some loose ends.”
I let the bathrobe fall and walked over to the bed. Ava was still under the duvet.
“Comfy?”
She opened the duvet toward me.
“More if you joined me?”
I lifted the duvet, straddled her midsection, and started playing with her nipple.
“Whatever will I do with you?”
“Whatever you want?”
“That way lies deviancy.”
She smiled. “I’m okay with that.”
I shifted forward until my crotch was over her face.
“Didn’t you just go to the bathroom?”
“Pussy eaters aren’t germaphobes.”
I held her head with one hand and braced myself against the wall with the other.
Ava licked like she was trying to prove something. I rocked my hips a little, testing the pressure. It felt good.
I stayed there longer than I should have. Letting her work. Letting myself almost get there and then sliding sideways off the edge again. My thighs were starting to burn from the angle.
I pulled back.
Ava looked up, mouth shiny, breathing harder than me.
“You didn’t finish?”
“Not like this.” I swung a leg over and turned around, settling into sixty-nine. “Eat me properly while I take care of you.”
She made a sound that might have been agreement or just surprise. I didn’t wait. I lowered my mouth to her and licked a long, deliberate stripe up her cunt. She was already soaked.
Ava’s tongue found me again, messier now that she was on her back and distracted. I didn’t mind. I focused on her. Two fingers inside, curling, tongue working her clit in steady circles. She tried to keep up on me but her rhythm kept breaking every time I hit the right spot.
I didn’t let up.
She came with her thighs clamping around my ears and a choked little noise that was almost a sob. I kept my mouth on her through it, slowing but not stopping, until her hips jerked away from the overstimulation.
Then I climbed back up, turned around again, and settled my cunt over her face the other way. Facing her feet this time. Hands braced on her thighs.
“Open.”
She did. Tongue out, softer now, post-orgasm lazy. I grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her mouth tighter against me.
“I didn’t say you were done.”
Ava made a muffled sound but she started licking again. I rocked into it, using her mouth the way I needed. The angle was better. Deeper. I could grind without worrying about her eyes.
The pressure built slower this time, but it stayed. Coiled low and mean. I kept her hair tight in my fist so she couldn’t drift off into that post-come haze. Every time her tongue got too gentle I tugged and she pushed harder.
Close.
I dropped my weight a little more, rolling my hips in short, controlled strokes. Ava’s hands came up to hold my thighs. Not pushing. Just holding on.
There.
I came hard, grinding down through it, jaw tight, breath punching out of me in quiet bursts. Ava kept her mouth working until I finally lifted off and collapsed sideways onto the mattress.
I stared at the ceiling.
The picture of Mia was still somewhere behind my ribs, quieter now. Not gone. Just… quieter.
Ava wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked over at me, eyes heavy.
“Worth the wait?”
I reached out and dragged my thumb across her lower lip, smearing the shine.
“Mm.”
I stretched and got out of bed. I looked around and saw the Bride costume on the floor.
I couldn’t really let this girl walk home in that.
I went over to my closet and found an oversized hoodie and some sweatpants.
“Here. Wear these. I’m not sending you home doing the walk of shame dressed as the Bride.”
She looked up at me, surprised.
“Really? Thanks.”
“Anyway, I’m heading into the shower.”
I grabbed my robe and towel and left Ava to get dressed.
When I came back to my room with a towel wrapped around my head, Ava was sitting on the edge of the bed in my hoodie and sweatpants, looking at her phone.
“Oh. You’re still here.”
She looked up. “Yeah. I can go.”
I looked at the time.
“You want to grab breakfast?”
“With you?”
“There’s a Mexican place down Second that does breakfast. It’s on your way home.”
She stood up and smiled.
“Sure. Sounds great.”
“Calm down, woman. I still need to get dressed.”
“Oh. Right.”
She sat down again.
We were out on the street about fifteen minutes later. I had to blow-dry my hair, and I couldn’t find my keys for the longest time.
Ava walked a little too close for comfort, but I didn’t bother moving away. It was only a few minutes.
We got to Las Panteras Negras and found it about half full.
I spotted Dev and Sophie at a table and immediately regretted the entire breakfast plan.
Ava waved at them and headed straight over.
Fuck.
I put on a fake smile and followed her.
Sophie greeted Ava and me with a fake smile that mirrored mine.
“Ava, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I spent the night. It got so late.”
Sophie looked her over.
“Is that Lillian’s hoodie?”
“And sweatpants,” Ava added.
“I couldn’t let her walk home in the Bride costume,” I cut in.
Dev looked at Ava.
“Where did you sleep? I didn’t see you on the couch this morning.”
“Lillian’s room.”
Dev looked between us.
“Wait. You and Lillian…”
“Yes,” Ava said.
“No,” I said at the same time.
We both looked at each other.
Dev blinked.
Sophie covered her mouth with her coffee cup.
“What?” Ava asked.
“Me and Ava are not a thing,” I added.
Ava’s face went red.
“I thought you meant slept together.”
I stared at her.
Sophie made a choking sound into her coffee.
A waiter arrived and asked if we needed more time to look at the menu.
“Maybe just a minute more,” Dev said.
I picked up a menu and covered my face.
We eventually ordered. I got the French toast, Ava went for pancakes. I guess we both had a sweet breakfast preference.
I also got a large latte, while Ava ordered an iced tea. Dev and Sophie both went for enchiladas.
“Sooo, how did last night work out for you two?”
I figured I might as well step directly on the landmine instead of waiting for it to go off by accident.
Dev looked at Sophie, and Sophie looked back at him. Some invisible exchange passed between them before Sophie turned to me.
“We had a long talk after our very public discussion, and we’re looking at options for moving forward.”
“Oh? What sort of options?” I asked, because why not.
“Mostly what we want this relationship to look like going forward.”
“And what’s on the table?”
Sophie glanced at Ava before answering. I don’t think Ava noticed.
“Opening things up a little. Trying some different arrangements.”
I speared a piece of French toast with my fork and pointed it at Dev.
“Sounds interesting. What do you think, Dev?”
He swallowed and looked at Sophie.
“I think we need to support the people in the relationship if we want the relationship to stay healthy.”
“That wasn’t really what I asked.”
Dev gave me an awkward smile.
“I know.”
Sophie reached over and squeezed his hand.
“We’re figuring it out.”
Ava took a sip of her iced tea.
“I think trying things is probably better than wondering about them forever.”
Sophie looked at Ava in surprise.
“Exactly!”
She said that perhaps a bit too enthusiastically.
I had finished my food and decided to go pay. When I got up, Sophie joined me.
“Just so you know, I wasn’t talking completely hypothetically earlier.”
I looked at her.
“I figured.”
“Dev’s trying.”
“I also figured that.”
Sophie hesitated.
“I don’t want to hurt him.”
“Then don’t.”
“Very helpful, Lillian.”
“You want something he doesn’t. This isn’t gonna end well.”
“What guy wouldn’t want another woman joining them for sex?”
“The kind who can see his girlfriend is more into the other woman than she is into him.”
We reached the front of the queue, and the waitress asked what I was paying for.
“Pancakes, French toast, latte and iced tea.”
I paid and went back to Ava, who was still working on her food.
“Give me your phone.”
She handed it to me.
“You need to unlock it too.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
She took it back, typed in her code, and handed it to me again.
I opened her contacts and added myself, then gave her phone back.
“I already paid for this. You can get the next one. I’ll see you around.”
When I got home, I found most of the apartment in cleanup mode.
Ethan, Dahlia, Mateo, Oliver and Noah were all in the main living room, taking down decorations and sorting trash into different bags.
Mateo greeted me with a smile. Oliver glanced over, and I smiled back.
Noah ignored me completely.
Dahlia gave me a small wave, while Ethan seemed very focused on not looking at me.
I saw the sink was mostly full, so I started rinsing things off and loading the dishwasher.
Noah dropped off another pile without even looking me in the eye.
Okay. Fine. I told him to fuck off. I guess I deserved that.
The dishwasher was full, but I still had a pile of pots and pans to clean. By then, most of the living room had been cleared out.
Mateo was getting out the mop and bucket, and Oliver was beating the pillows out on the balcony.
The others had left the living room, and the apartment suddenly felt considerably more welcoming.
Once Oliver was done with the pillows, he came over and started helping me dry.
“Noah mentioned the deal was off?” he asked, a little awkwardly.
“He kept secrets. I don’t like that.”
Oliver smiled, but tried to hide it.
“Understandable.”
Then he went back to drying the pans.
When I finished the dishes, Mateo was about halfway through cleaning the floors. I wiped down the sink area, then headed out of the living room and back to my room.
Back in my room, I had a look around. It hadn’t been hit as hard as the rest of the apartment, but I started picking things up and doing a general tidy anyway.
I found Ava’s underwear on my bedside table. Not sure what that meant, other than that she was going commando on a cold November day.
Her Bride jumpsuit was actually fairly sturdy. I wasn’t sure if it was a rental or something she had bought, so I put it on a hanger and hung it in the wardrobe.
With the room mostly back in order, I sat down at my desk and opened my Art History paper.
I still had plenty of time before it was due, but I had already done most of the research and had enough notes that there really wasn’t any excuse not to keep going.
I spent most of the afternoon working through the section on post-war nightlife imagery, comparing how French and German artists depicted women in cafés, bars and dance halls.
By the time someone called out that dinner was ready, I had added another two pages and was feeling pretty good about where I was.
Dinner was a strange experience. Ethan and Noah avoided eye contact, while Dahlia was warm and talkative.
Neither Dev nor Sophie were there, which I was quite happy about.
I had barely gotten back into the section I was working on when someone knocked on my door.
“Come in.”
Mateo opened it.
I looked him over and told him to lock the door behind him.
He came over and glanced at the bed.
“Can I sit?”
I looked down at the floor.
“If standing is a problem, you can kneel.”
He got down on his knees in front of my chair.
“What made you come knocking today, Mateo?”
“I have some questions about what happened yesterday. I was hoping you could clarify.”
I thought about that.
Fair enough.
Mateo had gone through a lot of new territory yesterday, and I hadn’t really considered what any of it meant for our arrangement.
“What kind of questions?”
“I was wondering if Ava can order me around now too. And if I should listen to her even when you’re not there. Is she your partner in this?”
“No. Ava doesn’t get to order you around unless I tell you she can. She is not my partner.”
“Does she get priority for cleanup? I really liked that part.”
Poor boy. He thought he was being replaced by Ava.
“No. That’ll be a spur-of-the-moment decision, Mateo. You’re not competing with Ava. She doesn’t have your role.”
He smiled at that.
“How did you enjoy the release you had yesterday? Does it make the caging more tolerable?”
“Oh, yes. I…”
Another knock came at the door.
I looked quickly toward the door, then at Mateo.
“Get in the closet,” I whispered, then called toward the door, “One second!”
He looked at the closet. It would be a tight fit, but nothing he couldn’t manage.
“Now,” I stressed.
He scrambled over and squeezed himself into the cramped space.
I closed the closet door on him and walked over to unlock my door.
Oliver was standing in the hallway. He gave me an awkward wave.
“Can we talk?”
“Sure. Come in.”
I went over to my desk, closed the laptop, then sat down on the bed. I indicated the desk chair to Oliver.
“Soo…” I started.
“Yeah…” Oliver said, then went quiet again.
“You’re wondering what” – I moved two fingers back and forth between us – “this is now, with Noah out of it?”
He nodded.
“I guess I’m not great at expressing this. I’m not really experienced in…” He made the same back-and-forth motion with his fingers.
“Okay, so let’s talk about it. What did you think was on the table before Noah was removed?”
“I was kinda just following him around, hoping I’d get to do that again.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Well, let’s start with calling ‘that’ what it is. Sex. And I can help you define it a bit more. You would gain the status of ‘friend with benefits’, but no boyfriend status.”
He swallowed.
“I… think that sounds good. I haven’t really had many relationships before, so this is fine.”
“What do you mean, not many relationships? You weren’t a virgin, right?”
“No, I had a girlfriend for two years during undergrad, but… well, we didn’t really have a lot of sex. And with the work needed for law, it’s just not been a priority.”
“So you had a dry spell?”
He laughed. “Yeah. Before last night, it had been close to three years.”
“Three years? I’m surprised you still remember how it all works.”
“It’s like riding a bicycle.”
“No, if you think sex with me is like riding a bicycle, you are very mistaken.”
I unbuttoned my trousers and pulled them off with my underwear.
“Let me show you how it’s actually done.”
I got out of bed and started unbuttoning my shirt. Oliver was just sitting there, looking at me.
“This is the part where you also get undressed.”
He came back to himself and quickly started undressing.
Once he was fully naked, I noticed he was still flaccid. Not the normal reaction I got from guys seeing me naked, but it was probably just nerves.
“How about you start by showing me what you know about eating out a woman?”
He nodded. I sat down on the bed, and he got down on his knees.
His cunnilingus ability was competent, if unenthusiastic. Perhaps the complete opposite of Ava’s performance yesterday.
I heard a creak from the closet as Mateo most likely tried to move into a more comfortable position.
Oliver stopped and tried to lift his head. I grabbed it and put him back in place.
“It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
Another sound came from the closet, followed by a small, “Fuck.”
Oliver stood up and turned toward the closet.
“What the fuck was that?!”
I mumbled, “Goddammit,” and sat up in bed.
Oliver opened the closet door and found Mateo in a really awkward position. His leg looked like it was cramping, and he was biting his lip, trying not to make a sound.
“Mateo?! What the shit, man? Are you some sort of perv?”
Mateo’s eyes went to me, then back to Oliver. I decided I needed to step in before this got any worse.
“Calm down, Oliver. Me and Mateo have an… agreement.”
“An agreement? You have sex in front of him for what? Money?”
“No, it’s not like that. Mateo was in here to discuss the agreement, and when you knocked, I told him to hide in there. Then I forgot about him. I didn’t set you up to be watched.”
“You and Mateo aren’t… fucking, right?”
“Not like that. He’s seen me naked enough, though. He’s safe. Don’t worry about him.”
“But like… he wants to watch? Sorry, I don’t get it.”
I noticed Oliver was suddenly very hard. I went over, hugged him from behind and started stroking him.
“Don’t worry about him. He won’t touch us. He won’t bother us at all.”
Oliver looked down at Mateo, who was nodding.
“Okay… I guess if you don’t mind.”
I moved Oliver to the bed, pushed him onto it and mounted him. I guided his dick into place and sank down on it, letting out a short moan.
I slid up and down on him a few times.
“You have a really nice cock, Oliver. Do you know that?”
“Mm,” he said, while keeping an eye on Mateo.
I looked back at Mateo, who was watching intently.
“Does it bother you that he’s watching?”
“It feels weird that he’s clothed and we’re naked.”
“Mateo, naked. Now,” I told him.
He stripped down quickly and efficiently.
Oliver started moving again, trusting me.
“What’s that thing on his dick?”
I moaned and leaned forward against Oliver.
“It’s a chastity cage. It’s to stop him from getting hard.”
“Does it work?”
I looked back at Mateo.
“Does it work, Mateo?”
He nodded and tried to cover the cage with his hands.
“No, no. None of that, Mateo. If Oliver wants to see it, you let him see it.”
He held his hands at his sides again, leaving the cage exposed.
“So Mateo can’t come unless you unlock him?”
I kept a steady rhythm while we talked. It was exciting to show off Mateo this way.
“Oh, he can come just fine. Just not from penis stimulation.”
“Like, from anal?”
“Got it in one.”
I felt Oliver start breathing faster, and within a few more thrusts, he came in me.
Fuck. Did not get off.
I rolled off Oliver and told Mateo, “Your turn.”
Mateo crawled over to me and started scooping Oliver’s cum out of me with his tongue.
Oliver seemed fascinated by this, watching closely as Mateo worked.
“You want to take his place?”
“No, no. It’s just… you control him so well.”
“Yeah. Mateo likes to please.”
I stuck my hand in Mateo’s hair and started grinding against his face. I was already fairly far along from fucking Oliver and just needed a bit more to get off.
I came better than I had in a long time, then patted Mateo on the head.
“Good boy.”
He smiled up at me.
“Can he do me too?”
I looked over at Oliver.
“Do what?”
“Clean me up?” He pointed at his crotch.
I looked at Mateo.
“Could you clean up Oliver’s cock, Mateo? It would make me very happy.”
He looked at Oliver, a bit unsure, but went over and put his dick in his mouth.
I heard Oliver groan and felt him start to grow hard again.
Mateo put more effort into cleaning him, which had now turned into a blowjob.
I was fascinated by the sight. I had seen Mia give Dan a blowjob, but seeing Mateo give one at my request gave me a whole new sense of power.
“Mateo, can you make sure Oliver comes again? I really want to see him cum down your throat.”
Mateo gave an affirmative grunt and started fondling Oliver’s balls while jerking him off and sucking him at the same time.
Oliver got up from the bed, leaving Mateo on his knees in front of him.
I got up and stood next to Oliver, looking down at Mateo.
“Take control, Oliver. Fuck his face.”
Mateo shot me a look, but Oliver threaded his fingers into Mateo’s hair and started moving his head for him.
“That’s right. Keep the rhythm.”
I started touching myself.
Oliver was moving his hips more than Mateo’s head at this point, repeatedly hitting deep in his throat. Mateo was gasping, with snot and saliva running down his face.
“You’re doing so good, Mateo. You’re being the best boy.”
I felt another orgasm building.
“Yeah, this feels amazing,” Oliver said.
“Cum down his throat, Oliver. Do it for me.”
He sped up his rhythm. I could see Mateo struggling a bit with it, and watching him pushed me closer.
Then Oliver pushed deep into Mateo and didn’t pull back. He let out a groan as Mateo’s eyes went wide.
That pushed me over the edge, and I came standing next to Oliver as he finished with Mateo.
I collapsed onto the bed afterward, and Oliver sat down next to me. Mateo was a mess and breathing hard, but he was leaking from his cage, so clearly he had been into it.
“That was new,” Oliver said.
“Yeah, that happens a lot if you hang out with me.”
“I’m glad Noah showed me this side of you. I don’t think I ever would have made a move otherwise.”
I stretched.
“Mateo, you okay?”
He nodded.
“Good. Get dressed and get out.”
I looked at Oliver.
“And despite our new arrangement, you are not sleeping here. You have your own room.”
“Of course. I’ll let you be.”
After they both left, I was lying naked on my bed, scrolling on my phone, when I got a text.
Ava: Hey, this is Ava.
Me: Took you long enough.
Ava: Yeah, was not sure what to open with.
Me: Well, you did a fine opener.
Ava: I washed your clothes. You want me to drop them by?
Me: It’s almost eleven at night, Ava. Are you comfortable walking at this time of night?
Ava: Sure. Sophie is here. She is on edge, so any excuse to get out.
I looked up at the ceiling. I knew what I should do. I should push this girl away. But it felt like beating a puppy.
Me: Fine, you can come over.
Ava: Okay, be there in 15.
That would be fast from her dorm. But true to her word, fourteen minutes later, there was a knock at my door.
I grabbed my robe and opened the door.
Ava was standing outside, breathing perhaps a bit too hard through her nose, but smiling at me.
“That was fast.”
“Needed to get away from Sophie. I don’t understand what got her so worked up.”
I shrugged and walked back to my bed as Ava stepped inside.
“What are you doing?”
“Well, it’s late, Ava. I have school tomorrow. I was thinking about going to bed.”
She was already getting undressed and hanging up her clothes.
“Did you bring my clothes?”
She stopped halfway through removing one of her boots.
“Fuck… they’re in a bag on my bed.”
I let out a sigh.
“I can run back and get them for you.”
“No, it’s fine, Ava. I don’t need the clothes right now. Don’t worry about it.”
Like a distracted puppy.
I slipped out of my robe and into bed and looked back at Ava.
She was standing near the door, one boot still on, looking like she had suddenly forgotten what she was supposed to be doing.
“What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know what to do…”
“Get undressed. Come to bed.”
Ava smiled at that and got her other shoe off. She shed the rest of her clothes as she walked toward the bed, then slipped under the covers with me.
“I should bring a toothbrush here.”
“You should absolutely not do that. We are not moving in together.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll brush my teeth before coming over then. Maybe pack some gum. It’s you who’ll have to deal with my stinky breath.”
I let out a sigh. This was a bad decision. But today was already almost over. I would be better tomorrow.
I turned off the lights and closed my eyes. I felt Ava move around beside me, then a wet mouth on my nipple.
“You are such a goon, Ava. How come you don’t have a boyfriend to take this out on?”
“Frat boys are not very interesting, and it’s hard to find a man who wants to date an eighteen-year-old student for her intellect and personality.”
“And you think you’re here because I’m interested in your intellect and personality?”
“No. I’m here because you’re interesting.”
“Why on earth am I interesting to you?”
She stopped fondling me, and in the dark I could see her looking up at me.
“Yesterday, I had a threesome with a girl and a guy in a chastity cage who came on the floor because of a prostate vibrator. The whole thing was orchestrated by a woman who commanded the guy to make me cum, then forced me to get her off. And the first time I met this woman, she made me and my roommate worship her until she came.”
I felt her shrug.
“Like, I have girlfriends who talk about sex with their boyfriends, but nothing they’ve done comes close to that.”
A chill ran through me.
Ava was into me the way Mia had been into Leah.
The way I might have been into Leah.
“Okay… don’t get too excited, Ava. I’m not some sexual adventure magnet. There’s no reason any of that means more weird shit is going to keep happening around me.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
She went back to sucking and fondling me.
I placed a hand under her cheek and lifted her face toward mine.
“Let’s just sleep tonight. You’re allowed to stay. I’m not throwing you out. But I just want to sleep, okay?”
“But?”
“I’m not angry with you. I’m just tired and don’t feel like it right now. Okay?”
“Sure…”
I moved her to the inner side of the bed and turned her around so I could spoon her. She settled against me, and soon I was holding her and falling asleep.
When my alarm woke me in the morning, Ava was no longer in my bed. Her clothes were gone too, but her boots and jacket were still near the door.
I walked into the kitchen and found Ava cooking while talking to Mateo.
“Morning, guys. What’s up?”
Ava jumped at my voice and turned around.
“Morning, Lillian. I’m making you some breakfast.”
“Oh?”
“Well, you bought me breakfast yesterday, so I thought I could make it for you today.”
Mateo whispered something in Ava’s ear, and she laughed.
“Yeah, she does.”
I looked at Mateo and back to Ava.
“What did he say?”
“Oh, nothing.”
I looked at the stove.
“What is that?”
“Grits.”
“You make good grits in South Carolina?”
“The best.”
“Okay, give me your best shot.”
I felt icky about eating Ava’s food after using her for company last night. But it smelled good, and I’d slept really well.
I always slept well when there was another person beside me.
She placed a bowl of grits on the table in front of me and took one for herself. There was some bacon in there, and something green.
“Are there jalapenos in this?”
“You can’t handle spicy?” Ava teased.
“No, it’s just… that’s not something that goes in grits.”
“Try it.”
I took a spoonful. The grits were creamy and buttery, with the salty crunch of bacon, then a little heat from the jalapeno cutting through it.
“Okay. That’s actually really good.”
Ava grinned. “Told you.”
“I still don’t think jalapenos belong in grits.”
“You’re eating them.”
“Pineapple. Pizza. There’s a difference between tasting good and being ethically allowed to mix.”
“That’s food racism.”
“If not putting pineapple on pizza makes me a food purist, so be it.”
“When is your first class today?”
“Ten. I’ll head out after this, do some reading beforehand.”
“Mine’s at eleven. I’ll join you for the walk.”
“Sure.”
“You still put too much jalapeno in this.”
“You ate the whole bowl.”
“I don’t waste food.”
Ava smiled and went back to her grits.
I looked at her for a moment.
Two nights ago, she had been Sophie’s roommate who had shown up at our Halloween party.
Yesterday, I’d taken her to breakfast.
Last night, I’d let her back into my bed.
Now she was making me breakfast and walking to school with me.
This was starting to look suspiciously like something.
Not a relationship, though.
Obviously.