Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“Oh … did you give it to him?”
“I wanted to ask you first if you wanted him to have it.”
“Oh.”
When I don’t say anything else, he gives my hand, which has been wrapped in his, a squeeze. “What’s the hesitation about? What are you thinking?”
We’re already among the banks of slot machines, which, just like at Metro Station, are right next to the door, seemingly placed there to pull people in and relieve them of their money.
Erik steers us over to a somewhat quieter corner, which is also filled with slot machines but isn’t full of people. The machines, however, seem to play all by themselves, still buzzing and flashing their lights as if ghosts are hitting jackpots.
He leans against the side of a cluster of vacant machines and pulls me close, looking at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.
“I’m already dating two men.”
Erik remains quiet, still watching me, his free hand stroking my arm in a way that’s much more distracting than the noisy gambling machines that surround us.
Erik has been my friend for a long time and I know him well. I’ve been getting to know Brax for a while, and I already had a pretty good idea about what kind of man he was before I went out on a date with him. Gray is an unknown variable that could completely unbalance what already feels like a delicate situation.
“I have worries about being … the right kind of person to date Gray. You and I are taking things slow, and so is Brax —”
“You have a good read on Gray,” Erik says, nodding his head. “He’s not the type to take life slow.”
His words trigger a pulse of heat in my belly. I’m very appreciative of Erik and Brax agreeing to be patient with me, but I get a vision of Gray ravishing me—even though my image of what that would look like is fuzzy—and I like it.
Though liking something as a fantasy is very different from wanting it in reality.
My distracted mind forgot how closely Erik is watching me, because now he’s looking at me like he’s watched my naughty thoughts dance across my face, and I feel a blush rise to my cheeks.
“Gray can be wild, but he’s a good guy,” Erik says. “I know he’d treat you right.”
Of course, his phrasing brings even more ideas to my increasingly-dirty mind, and I drop my eyes down to the floor, hoping Erik can’t see all of my thoughts.
“Would you like me to talk to him for you?” Erik offers. “He’s probably aware of your church upbringing, but I could talk to him about how you haven’t dated much.”
“I guess I’d feel better if he knew I didn’t have much experience. If we went out on a date, I might seem awkward.”
“There’s no special trick to dating.” He squeezes my hand again. “Just be yourself, like you are tonight, and have fun.”
“You make it sound easy, but I’m sure there are … expectations.”
Erik takes a step away from where we’ve been standing, and pulls me along with him. “Just think of dating like going out with a friend you want to know more about. It doesn’t have to be hard.”
That’s how it is with Erik, but something tells me a date with Gray would be a different kind of experience altogether.
AVA
We walk among the rows of slot machines, and I’m amazed by the variety of themes. You don’t live in Las Vegas without seeing these things—the games are even right out in the open at the airport!—but I’d never paid attention to them.
Beyond the typical lucky sevens, bars, and cherries, there are countless designs. We pass machines featuring popular tv shows and movies, a lot of animal themes, a surprising amount of ridiculously silly machines, like one where cows are abducted by aliens, and several that look dark and sexy, mostly with mysterious women showing a lot of cleavage.
“What would you like to try?” Erik asks.
“I don’t know. What do you recommend?”
He shrugs and we continue to weave up and down the short rows of the maze of machines, until he stops. “Here’s one for you.”
The machine is called “Kittens and Ka$h” and the screen is filled with a variety of cats and their toys. I’m confused at first. I like animals, but I don’t have any particular affinity for cats, but then, as the digital reels spin on their own, I see what drew Erik’s attention.
“Oh my gosh. Yarn!” There are balls of it in green, blue, and pink, and when the machine lines up a row of four balls of the same color, it dings and flashes, and carries on like something fabulous has happened.
“This might be your lucky machine. Want to try it?” He swivels the chair in my direction as he reaches for his wallet.