On His Knees by Tabatha Kiss
Chapter 62
Jenna
“What about this one?”
I glance up from the clothing rack full of costumes in plastic bags. Heidi stands in the middle of the aisle holding a sexy pirate corset up to her body.
“I thought you did the pirate thing last year,” I say.
“No,” she says. “That was a sailor.”
“What’s the difference?”
“This one has a peg leg and an eye patch!”
I chuckle as I abandon yet another sexy animal variation. Sexy penguin? Seriously? “So, you want to spend the evening limping and bumping into things?” I ask her.
Heidi pauses, her little eyes squinting questionably at the costume one more time. “On second thought...” she muses before tossing it back onto the rack.
“And this is why you always bring me when you shop for Halloween.” I smirk. “Remember sophomore year?”
“Which one?”
“Exactly.”
With a happy sigh, she joins me at my rack. “Anything here?”
“Not really.” Sexy walrus? Are you fucking serious? “Whatever happened to just... simple, classic costumes? Who signed off on this crap?”
Heidi cringes. “Is that a sexy lobster?”
I twist away. “And we’re done with this section.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I discreetly allow Heidi to pass around me before reaching for it.
“It’s not like I need the sexy costume this year anyway,” she says. “Drew’s not here to see it.”
I tilt my phone upward. A fresh text from Seth awaits.
Are you alone?
“Dress up for him when he gets back,” I suggest to Heidi as I tap out a reply.
Big nope,I send back.
Almost every moment this week has been one big nope to that question. Afternoon hook-up? Nope. Heidi wants to have lunch with big brother. Late-night phone sex? Nope. Heidi and I are binging romcoms. Friday night fuck-a-thon? Nope. Guess what? Heidi’s here.
I forgot how needy she gets when she doesn’t have a boyfriend.
“In November?” Heidi pouts, then shrugs. “I guess that sexy turkey costume would come in handy by then.”
I laugh. “He’s coming back November first, Heidi. That’s barely even November.”
“It sounds so far away, though...”
“It’s literally two days.”
“Two whole days?”she fake-whines.
“Out of seven,” I say. “You’re in the homestretch, babe.”
My phone vibrates again. I check it between two dresses on the rack.
I need your sweet pussy again.
My brow piques.
“You’re right,” Heidi says. She picks up a bright pink wig, then sets it back down. “Sorry if I’ve been clingy this week.”
“If?”I tease.
“I know. I know,” she says. “But I can’t help it. I miss him when he’s gone — and it’s the first holiday we’ve ever spent apart. It sucks.”
Fucking Newburys.
Drew Rose is not allowed to leave town again. I cannot balance these two on my own.
Another vibration. I check it as several texts rapid fire onto my screen.
The next time we’re together, you’re going to come on my face.
I’m going to tongue-fuck you until I drown.
And then I’m going to eat that ass.
Oh.
Oh, hell yes.
I bump right into Heidi in the aisle. “Sorry,” I say, shifting a step back.
“Who are you texting?”
“Hm?” I say, keeping my phone safe.
“Who are you texting?” she repeats.
“Uh...”
Not your brother.
Definitely not your brother.
“New guy?” she asks. “Please tell me you have a new guy. I need some sexy details, stat.”
“No,” I say, thinking fast. “Not new, no. No one new.”
“Someone old?” Heidi raises a judgmental brow. “It’s not Bobby, is it?”
“What? No.” I recoil. “God, no.”
“Good.” She abandons a rubber mask on a pile. “Because I have nothing to do this week and I am fully committed to keeping you from making that mistake again.”
I chuckle. “Not necessary. But thank you. I appreciate that.”
“So, who is it?” she asks, clearly not letting me off this hook.
“Uh... well, it’s a guy.”
She nods. “I figured.”
“A guy that I... met... in my sketch class.”
“Really?” she asks, perking up.
“Yeah, he’s a model,” I say, nearly choking. “He modeled for my sketch class. Advanced Figure Drawing.”
“Aw!” She swoons. “Just like me and Drew.”
“Yes.” I nod. “It’s... just like you and Drew.”
“Is it Raul?” she asks with interest.
“No.”
“Oh, Josh, then?”
“No.”
“Cameron?”
“Nope.”
She squints. “Who else is modeling this semester?”
Nice going, Jenna.
You crafted an easily fact-checked lie centered on her fucking department.
Thumbs up.
“He subbed, actually. Just once,” I say. “Cameron couldn’t make it one day, so they found this other guy in the theatre department.”
“Named...?”
Fuck.
“You know, I didn’t quite catch it,” I say.
After a moment, she chortles. “Well, I’m sure he’s great. Those theatre guys are a hoot.”
Cool. She bought it. Score one for slutty Jenna.
I guess?
“Maybe when Drew gets back, we can set up a double date,” she says.
I should have seen that one coming. She’s obsessed with making double dates happen, even after her last choice turned out to be a total dick.
“Actually,” I say as I sidle toward the next rack, “this one’s not the double date type. It’s not that serious.”
“Well...” She pauses as the little muscles in her face twitch. “Don’t you think it’s about time you... you know...”
I stop to look at her. “About time I... what?” I ask.
Heidi exhales. “Don’t take this the wrong way,” she primes. “But you don’t seem to find a lot of serious guys to date. Ever, actually.”
I wait for more. “So?”
“So... wouldn’t you like to?”
“It’s never really been a priority. Excel in college. Get into med school. Rid myself of my mother’s oppression shackles. That’s the priority.”
“But you made it!” she says. “You’re in, so... maybe it’s time to find a serious guy?”
“You say that as if I’ve never tried,” I argue.
“Have you?”
“You know, not everyone magically meets their soulmate at eighteen, Heidi.”
“See, now, this is you taking it the wrong way!”
“How the hell am I supposed to take that?”
Heidi winces, her entire foot clearly nestled between her cheeks. She reaches across her chest with her right hand and taps her left shoulder twice.
Her left wing. My right wing.
We complete each other, so we can’t stay mad.
I sigh, letting it go as I cross my left hand over my chest and tap my right shoulder twice. “I understand your concern... but I’m fine.”
“I just want you to be as happy as I am,” she says.
“I am.”
I am?
Am I?
“I mean...” I clear my throat. “I’m sure I will be. Someday. I just don’t feel the need to force it. There’s far too much on my plate right now as it is.”
“Okay,” she says, her voice more timid than usual as she hovers beside me. “Are you getting that?”
“Getting what?”
“The dress in your hand?” she says. “You’ve been holding it for a while...”
I look down, realizing that I have indeed been grasping the same dress long enough for my fingers to feel stiff. I relax my hand and check the label. Fairytale Princess, it reads. Shiny and blue with an included thick headband. Generic. But classic, at least.
Heidi scoops it up and sighs. “Remember when this was the dream?” She chuckles. “Meet a rich, handsome prince. Get swept off your feet. Live happily ever after.”
“That’s...” I playfully glare. “That’s literally your life, Heidi.”
“I know.”
She grins as she drops it on the rack again and saunters off toward the next row of cheap gowns.
I nearly leave it as well, but I let my eyes linger on it a little longer.
Generic. Classic.
A little fancy, too.
I smile as my phone vibrates again. I don’t bother trying to smother it this time as I turn it up to check it.
I’m heading to work, Seth says. Talk after?
I bite my lip as my gaze strays right back to that shimmering blue dress.
I’ll do you one better, Newbury.
Winky face.
Kiss lips.
Eggplant emoji.
Send.