My lips form an O as realization dawns on me. I slap my forehead. “Oh my God, duh.”

“I always want to hold your hand and every part of you. Don’t forget that.”

Chapter Thirteen

“Took you long enough, what did you guys get lost?” Monica says as she grabs the bag from James that has her Greek chicken wrap that she didn’t even want at first. She has the container open and is ripping the paper off before we even reply.

“First of all, you’re welcome. And chill the fuck out, will you? We ate there. I thought you wanted pizza anyway.”

“Well yeah, but that was until you were going to Ray’s.” Ray’s Deli was a mom and pop convenience store that sold everything from beer and wine, to a handful of snacks and had a huge selection of made to order hot and cold sandwiches which became a staple in the community. It doesn’t matter who you are: a politician, college student, teacher, stripper, priest; everyone went there.

To be fair, we did not eat there, but in the car on the way here after we left the grocery store. But we needed something to buy us some time. “Do you guys want to watch a movie?” Monica’s standing at our island in the center of the kitchen not even bothering to sit before she takes a bite. “Fuck, I forgot how good this was.” She goes into the freezer and pulls out a bottle of vodka and hands it to James. “Can you make me a Cosmo?”

“You can make yourself a Cosmo.” He drops to one of the seats at the bar and steals a fry from her plastic container before he pushes the bottle back in front of her and she scoffs. We are all French fry fanatics so I’m sure Monica is about to freak that he’s stealing them from her. Sure enough, she glares at him and smacks his hand.

“Uh uh, no fries for you especially if you’re going to be a selfish ass and not put your bartending skills to good use. You know you’re better at making drinks than I am.”

“No, you’re just lazy and don’t want to do it yourself.”

I take the seat across from James and shake my head at their banter. James and I have never been like that. If I’d asked him to make me a Cosmo, it would have been ready before I even finished the sentence. And that was before we were exploring this new relationship.

“I’ll take one too, J, pleeeease.” I place my hands under my chin and give him my most innocent look.

He narrows his gaze at me before a smile plays at his lips. “Fine.”