Chapter 17 - Netflix and chill

The week went by just fine. I spent it as usual, working then hanging out with the guys, bonding with them, having fun. Nothing hot happened, but I was perfectly fine that way.

Will is seriously becoming a whole different person from the nasty jerkface I was used to, and I'm actually glad, because this other guy is pleasant to be around, not a sunshine, but at least he smiles more and laughs more. It's refreshing.

We were getting into August, and in a couple of weeks it would be my birthday, but I haven't told anything to the guys, simply because I don't want them to know. You see, I've quit celebrating three years ago, for obvious reasons, and I really don't want to change that. It would be too depressing.

Especially because, along with my birthday, the horrible anniversary falls. I should count it as a week later, but I'll always count the night I saw him for the last time. Hence, 31st August, to me, doesn't mean I'll be turning 23, it'll mean that it's been already four years since I lost the love of my life. Nothing to celebrate, is there?

I like to focus on the matters at hand, though. It helps keeping sorrow at bay, and hanging out with the guys is like a manna to my mood, even more now that I'm not cranky because of Will and his nasty comments.

One problem I'm having now is that the ice cream parlor closes at the end of August, because it only opens for the three months of summer, my boss counts September as already Fall, so nothing. Hence, I gotta find a new job within four weeks. Lucky thing that Jackson still won't go to school, therefore I'm still needed as babysitter. I don't wanna start having problems with rent and such, therefore I was already seeking a new place to work at. Found nothing, useless to mention.

Now, where was I? Working, obviously. It was a Saturday, where else could I be other than at the ice cream parlor? There were less people than usual, so I could kinda slack off, reading The Three Musketeers, which is proving to be really interesting. Will said we'd discuss it as soon as I've finished it, and I can't wait, just to have someone to share my opinions with.

The truth is, I've got no friends aside from the guys. And that's a bit sad, I guess, so I've decided I'd carve out some time to meet new people as well. Easier said than done. With how much I work, I'm always too tired to go out, and I actually don't even want to, because it's just perfectly nice hanging out with the guys, playing with them, laughing and chatting.

It makes me smile that neither of them goes out anymore to stay indoors with me. They're just so cute when they act like that. Well, Will does go out, but it's for work. I think I'll be paying him a visit at his bar one of these nights, just to do something different.

Now, I was about to finish a chapter, when the bell hung at the door informed me we had new clients, therefore I lingered enough to finish reading the last sentence only, then grabbed my notepad and walked over to the couple that had just sat in one of the booths beside the window. Once I was closer, I realized the girl was familiar, in fact she looked at me confused as well, but I couldn't quite remember where had I seen her.

I asked what would they like, and the guy – not very tall, but with broad shoulders, kinda stocky, meaning that he might have had a grand physique back in the day, but age kinda had it disappear, Hispanic, not very good looking, seemingly close to 40– ordered for both of them, I glanced to the girl – dark skinned, long curly dark hair and piercing dark brown eyes, very beautiful – to see if she was okay with it, and she nodded, even if a little warily.

It wouldn't have taken me long to make the ice creams, but I was too busy studying the couple. The girl looked so familiar ... where did I see her? Those eyes sure leave an impression. Dark brown eyes. My social circle isn't very wide, therefore I don't even know many girls, aside from the ones I've met last weekend at – oh! Maya! Byron's Maya, that's who she is! I knew I'd seen her somewhere.

I quickly finished making their ice creams and walked over to them, she thanked me, her guy barely even acknowledged me, but I remained there and smiled at her. "Hey, Maya, how are you doing?" She was surprised and frowned, seemingly studying me to remember me, therefore I lent her a hand: "I'm Rebecca. We met at the Barrows' barbeque."

Her eyes lit up and she grinned. "Ah, right. Rebecca. I'm fine, you?"

I shrugged, would have wanted to make a small talk, but the guy with her sent me spiteful glares, therefore I couldn't really do anything, not to mention that new clients had arrived. I did linger a few moments to ask when did she come back to New York and how was the wedding coming along, though. She responded politely, but seemed nervous about the fact that the guy in front of her was listening.

"I'm guessing this is your groom?" I asked, just to involve him, so that he would quit glaring at me.

Maya nodded, half smiling. "Yeah, this is Josh. Honey, this is my friend Rebecca."1

I suspect she didn't mention Al for a specific reason, but okay. Maybe Josh here is a jealous type. He barely nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to his ice cream, engaging Maya in a different conversation, I bet to get rid of me. I got it, loud and clear, therefore saluted her, making the guy scowl by expressing the wish to see her again soon, and I backed away.

All throughout their snack I watched them. They didn't seem very much in love to me. She seemed annoyed and bored by him. He seemed to be just a conceited ass. If this is her spouse, then Byron has way more chances than we believed. Yay!

Soon enough, they came to pay their bill. Maya lingered a minute more while her fiancé stormed off, and she gave me a small smile, apologizing for his rudeness, said he wasn't always like that, he was just in a bad mood. I had troubles believing her, but okay.

Before she could leave, I dared ask if she was up for a coffee or something, she was startled, so I sheepishly admitted: "Aside from the guys I don't know many people, and I could really use a girl friend, you know."

Maya smiled sweetly, nodding, and wrote her number on a napkin, inviting me to call her when I wanted to go out, we could go shopping maybe.

To be honest, it would be great to have a girl friend. I mean,they guys are awesome and all,but... sometimes a girl needs another girl to relate with. For as much fun as hanging out with my guys is, it gets tiring to hold back girly talk because they'll get bored.

Not that I'm the type of chick that'll go on and on about nail polish and sales,but...it'd be nice to talk to someone that understands me when I say I'm in pain,other than clumsily turn to the other side, ignoring the fact that I'm informing them I've got my period.

Yes,the guys do that. It's been only two months,but I already know they'll get on the defensive whenever they start sensing I'm in pms mode. So you see Al cutting off his cocky jokes in fear of my reaction,Will steering clear...only Byron is kind enough not to make a big deal out of my situation. I guess because having three sisters guided him in the right direction.

Either way,that's not the main reason why I asked Maya out. She seems nice,yeah,and might be a great friend,but...well, that was all an excuse to put in action my mastermind plan to get her back with Byron.

I obviously informed Al about it, and he said I better gain Maya's trust first, she's not easy to get along with, which sounded weird, but I agreed.

The rest of the day went by in a blur, and in a heartbeat I was closing the parlor, as my boss asked me to. I was startled to feel somebody tickling me, and I flinched ... having Al laugh like the child he is.

"What are you doing here?" I asked,pocketing the keys in my purse.

He shrugged. "I was just passing by,and decided to surprise my favorite roommate."

I smiled,hooking my arm to his, and we walked home together, chatting about our day, but I was mostly pondering about when could I carve out some time to go shopping with Maya.

I work every day, sadly, I've got only nights free ... mmh, I guess we could organize some sort of girls night. Wait, maybe I could kill two birds with one stone and both hang out with Maya and go pay Will a visit when he works at the bar.

At least I'd have a known face in case things go south. Hilarious, only a week ago I wouldn't have considered Will Foster a friendly face. Actually, a week ago I would have murdered him in his sleep, now I actually consider him a real friend.

He's been gentler this week, kinda hinting I could unburden myself with him whenever I felt like it, and while sexual innuendos and teasing weren't missing, we were slowly getting to the friendship I have with the other two guys, which is awesome if you ask me.

As Al and I entered the apartment, I texted Maya, asking her if she was up for a peaceful night at a bar I know, maybe on Thursday, I also explained that I kinda work all day every day, therefore I didn't have much spare time, but I would really love to hang out with her ... a bit pathetic maybe, but I didn't care. She replied almost immediately, agreeing, and I grinned in victory.

When we entered, we found Byron sprawled onto the sofa, watching some game – usual – while Will was in the kitchen making dinner – very common sight.

I kinda startled Byron by abruptly wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing his cheek, gleefully greeting: "Hello, darling! How was your day?"

Of course, he barely paid attention to me, eyes fixed on the TV. Al snickered and plopped down next to him, therefore I shrugged and walked into the kitchen, finding the sexy sight of our chef stuffing among stoves in just undershirt and jeans. I was tempted to be naughty and startle him, but I retained myself.

"Hey." I greeted with a small smile.

Will turned around, flour on his cheeks, nerdy glasses on his nose, hair disheveled, and while he was indeed startled at first, when he saw me he cracked a small smile. "Hey, Becca. Come here, taste this sauce."1

I complied, giddily walking up to him, and nearly moaned when I did what he asked, making him grin, of course, a little cheekily too, maybe. "What is this?" I asked, delighted.

"Curry."

"Just curry?"

He chuckled, mixing the sauce in the bowl. "With a secret ingredient."

I arched an eyebrow at him. "You should be a chef, not an engineer."

He laughed, shaking his head. Gosh, why doesn't he laugh more often? He's so cute when he laughs! There's that small crinkle on his nose that forms, and it's so adorable! I guess I shall take it upon me of making Will Foster laugh more. Mmh, sounds about right. Laughing helps, especially when you're grieving, finding the best in everything helps a lot. I wouldn't have survived otherwise.

"Nah, I cook for a hobby, nothing more."

"Would you teach me?" I asked, actually not really thinking it through.

He turned to me, surprised. "To cook?"

"Yeah, I barely know how to make basic meals, I'd like to learn more."

Will blinked his eyes, then shrugged, agreeing. "If you promise to be an obedient student, though."

I giggled, biting my lip when I saw his lean muscles flexing while he minded all those stoves. He's got nice biceps. Not overly pumped but neither small, just the perfect size, enough to tell he's strong, but not enough to make him look like he could snap you in two. A normal guy that works out now and then.

Because I decided to tease him a little, I went closer and rubbed his bicep, biting my lip as I mentioned: "But if I'm not a good girl, then you can punish me ..."

There was a glint in his eyes, a lustful glint that betrayed his thoughts, but all he did was turn off the stoves and turn to grab plates as he mentioned: "Be careful what you wish for. Especially when I'm on short."

I laughed, unable to retain myself. "On short? Why?"

He shrugged as he placed neatly the first course onto the plates, and explained: "We fought."

"Yeah, so?"

"So ... I'm not the one-night-stand kind of guy."

I furrowed my eyebrows, surprised and confused. "So you're saying ..."

"I'm saying you're the only girl I've bedded after ... well, my ex."

"Oh." It kinda took me off guard, even if I knew he wasn't a player like Al, I mean, given that we loathed each other, I thought he wouldn't have much scruples in bedding other girls, besides, why shouldn't he have? We've never had a deal or anything, and I've bedded both his friends.

"Don't let it go to your head. It only means I'm no player like I wanted to." Will mused with a small smirk, throwing some flour to my face.

I wrinkled my nose, not liking the smell of flour right under it, but forgot about it when he laughed, so I looked up, seeing him amused as ever. "What?" I asked, confused, but pleased to see him laugh so openly and without a single care.

He shook his head, holding his stomach as he cracked up. "Nothing. It's just that ... your face ... you look like a cute baby bunny when you do that."

I blinked my eyes, puzzled at the comparison, not even sure how did he even think of it, but Will quite simply rinsed his hands onto his jeans – something he does often, he's a pretty messy cook, he's always dirtying his clothes, not to mention how do I find the kitchen after ... at first I thought he made a mess on purpose, because he knew I would clean up – and came to me, making me yelp as he blocked me against the island.

He rubbed his thumbs over my cheeks, wiping away the flour with a small smile, especially as I wrinkled my nose because his touch kinda tickled me, given the flour.

Will stroked my cheeks with his thumbs some more, but this time without a real reason, a small smile playing on his lips as he explained: "That thing with your nose, you remind me of a cute baby bunny when you do that."1

"Then you should have cooed, not laugh." I scoffed, mostly to bypass the weird tension, which wasn't sexual, just kinda sensually tender, for how weird that sounds, especially as that smile didn't want to hear about dropping off his yummy lips.

Will snorted, but without moving. "I'm a man. Men don't coo."

I scoffed, playfully pushing him off me, and he chuckled, coming back, once more cupping my cheeks. His sapphire blue eyes travelled to my lips for a moment as he bit his, and he kinda startled me by softly stating in a murmur: "I'm gonna kiss you now, don't move."1

I would have laughed at his having to inform me of that, but I was too busy waiting for those delicious lips to come in contact with mine ... they never did.

The guys came in before they could, and Will pushed off me as if I were on fire. This guy is getting weird.

We settled to have dinner, usual places: me beside Byron, Will and Al across from us. The conversation was a little boring in the beginning, at least for me, because Byron and Al kept talking about the game they'd just seen, which honestly bored the hell out of me, therefore I butted in the meekest way possible: talking about books.

I filled in Will about how am I finding The Three Musketeers, and this way we were both able to ignore the sporty blubber neither of us can stand. In the end, the other two joined us as well, and it became one of our usual times together, we also talked about the renewal of the vows Al's parents will be having in a month, I got to know they were designed respectively best man and groomsmen, therefore I instantly hogged Byron as my partner to get to the altar – I would have said Will, but it would have been awkward, I think, not sure why. He didn't seem to bother anyways.1

The dinner went by smoothly, as it always does now that we're a harmonious group, everybody cuts in, I just love it. I know I'm repeating it often, but you just gotta consider that the guys are the very first friends I have after Tom, therefore it's all very new to me in this sense.

I started going to school only by the age of 10, and I wasn't able to make friends there because of my sisters, I never got out unless it was necessary, because, well, you never knew whether my sisters were in good spirits or not, therefore Tom suggested me to lock myself into my – then our – room, so that they couldn't get to me. Of course, it happened that they caught me anyway a couple of times, but still.

The truth is, Tom advised me to stay locked up because I recounted him of those times when my lovely sisters kinda ambushed me while I took a walk or something and, well, it didn't go too well. Sometimes I would go hang out by the garage he worked at, his boss didn't mind, as long as I didn't distract Tom, of course. In truth, before I started working, my days were pretty dull.

Because I only had school, and I pushed through in there, given the bullying from my sisters and their friends, then I would retire in my room to do my homework, but because I didn't have a computer or books to read, I was stuck doing nothing. That's why I was glad to start working. Especially because then I would quit being afraid that they would just tear down the door and come get me.

Once dinner was over, the guys and I headed over to the living room, deciding for a movie. I did ask why didn't they go out, but they all shrugged, saying they weren't in the mood. Now, Will, yes, he barely ever goes out, he's been stuck studying in the weekends till a couple of weeks ago, Byron, I think he stayed mostly to keep me company, Al was the weird one, given how he'd quit his libertine ways out of the blue.

But I wasn't going to complain. I was perfectly comfy, sprawled onto the couch, snuggled up to Bye, Al on my other side, Will at my feet – said he likes better to sit on the floor when he watches a movie – as we watched Brave New Girl.

You see, it was my turn to pick a movie, and because I knew the guys would groan in annoyance – like they did –, I picked a chick flick, even though I don't really like them, I mean, some of them yeah, but not many. This one I like it, even if I know it's a bit silly, but it's mostly about a girl and her dreams, therefore it felt kinda fitting, even though I don't exactly have dreams, I mean, I don't even know what to do with my life, I'm too busy working my butt off.

"At this point it was better Bring It On. At least we would have had cheerleaders jumping up and down. That would have been a nice sight." Al scoffed, gaining a light slap on his shoulder from me, and a chuckle from Will.

"How do you even know such girly movie?" Will asked teasingly.

Al shrugged, biting his lip. "I...well,don't kill me,Bye,but I took Gabby to see it when it came out."

"You what?!" Byron snapped forward, nearly squeezing my head that was on his lap.

Al threw his hands in the air. "Chill. She was still a kid,I did nothing." He bit his lip. "Now...it'd be a whole different thing now..." Cue the glare from our friend.

Before Byron could kill Al, I asked naively: "Who's Gabby?"

"Gabrielle,one of Byron's sisters, she's your age." Will answered, dropping his head back against the couch, kinda getting close to mine, and there was a moment when our eyes connected that...I don't know,I spotted something odd. But maybe it was just the cute smile he offered me to confused me.

In order to get back to normal,and because the other two were annoying me with their banter, I shut their mouths with my hand, reminding them I wanted to see the movie.

The rest went by how I expected it: the guys commented on every single scene that didn't make sense to them, but I shut them all up for the final scene, where she sings a piece from the opera Carmen mixed with Britney Spears' Stronger Than You Know. I just love that part. Once it was over, because they'd been annoying all the time, I punished them ... Mamma Mia! Ha!

Will was the most restless, by half movie he seemed about to carve out his eyeballs not to watch it, which only had me laugh internally. Byron left, saying he couldn't resist anymore, claimed he'd go to sleep before breaking the TV due to the nth song they were idiotically singing. I giggled when he placed a small kiss on my temple as he wished me goodnight.

I went to better sprawl onto the sofa, but Will prevented me, taking Byron's place, so that when I lay down, I found my head onto his lap, better said, half of my body was onto his lap, the other half onto Al's.

I turned to lay on my back and watched them curiously when they switched off the TV and glanced at each other. They had something in mind, that much I could tell. It was almost midnight, I should go to sleep, considering I'd have work tomorrow, but I was curious as to what where they up to.

It became fairly easy to guess when Al started rubbing my thighs – I was wearing a denim miniskirt – while Will rubbed the skin between my neck and collarbone, subtly undoing the buttons of my chambray shirt. I smirked, knowing what they were after, but wondering if they had the guts to go on without telling me anything.1

Al cleared his throat, quitting his moves. "Uh ... Becks, Will and I were wondering ... it's been a while since we talked about a little something, and ... we were wondering if you were still ... up for it ..."

Case in point. They didn't have the guts to seduce me without my explicit consent. Such lovelies these guys are, despite the tough exterior. Will surprised me, given our past, but I guess it's part of this return to the old William, the one pre-Mel, as Byron called it.

I smirked subtly, shifting, so that I kinda rubbed myself against them. "Up for what?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

Al smirked, letting his hand travel up along my thigh. "You know what."

"Do I?"

He chuckled. Will undid the first button of my shirt unceremoniously. "If you're not convinced, we'll stop right here."

I bit my lip, already feeling aroused. It's been a while since Al asked me about that queen of their bed thing, I needed time to cope with the idea, then nobody mentioned it, and it just dropped. Now ... "You guys want it?"

They looked at each other for a moment, then nodded, turning to me. "We want you, babe." Al informed me. That kinda stirred my hormones, can't deny it. I smirked, wanting to play it cool, even though I was already erupting inside.3

Gosh, even only thinking of having them both had me feel hot all over. I guess I'll be a bit of a mess tomorrow at work. But it'll have been worth it. So much worth it.