Say That You Wanna Be With Me Too

Rule #2:if a guy takes you to a bar as a second date, it’s not a date.

The phone kept ringing and ringing. I didn’t know what I was doing. Nick was right. I shouldn’t have called. I should just hang up before –

“Hello?” he answered.

Shit and there went that chance. I think this qualified as totally screwed. “Um hi Josh, it’s Schuyler,” she said.

“Who?” he asked, confusion filling his voice.

“Um Skye?” I prodded. “We went out the other night.”

He sounded pleased enough, didn’t he? Maybe he had called and then lost it or got really drunk or had memory failure, and I took a deep breath, telling myself to shut the hell up. I was rambling in my head.

“Oh right hey,” he said.

He remembered me. That was a good sign, right?

“Well um, the reason that I was calling was that um I had a really great time the other night,” I said, playing with my hair to calm myself. What the hell was I doing? I should just hang up now. But it was too late. If I did he would think I was a total loser, a complete moron, an utter disgrace.

“Oh yeah it was fun. Guys will you cool it for a second please,” he said. She knew he was talking to people in the background. That made her heart flutter slightly. Was he saying he really wanted to talk to her? Maybe get his friends to shut up so he could hear her better?

“So I was um wondering if you wanted to um go out again sometime,” I said timidly. Wow I was such a loser. Could I have said um another billion times?

“Um yeah sure,” he said after a moment. “I’m thinking about going to Nicole’s tonight, you know on Old Westbury. You should come.”

“Oh yeah definitely,” I said excitedly. We were going on a second date!

“Alright well I got to go bye,” he said, hanging up.

I excitedly dialed Nick’s number. He picked up on the second ring. “Hello?” he said.

“Guess what oh Mr. Love Guru,” she smirked.

“Oh god, you called,’ he sighed.

“Yes, I did,” I said smugly. “And I am just calling to tell you that you could not have been more wrong.”

“What happened?” he questioned warily.

I scoffed. Did he really doubt me so much? “Well for your information I called and we’re going out again tonight, so ha!”

“Oh,” he said in surprise. I wasn’t sure if the surprise came from my statement or the fact that I had said so ha like I was a thirteen year old. “Well um that’s great Skype. Where’s he taking you?”

“To Nicole’s,” I said. “Nicole’s? Hm I’ll have to look that up. Do you know what it is? I need to know so I know how to dress you know? Hmm maybe casual or maybe dressy, it all depends.”

“No, don’t go,” he said suddenly.

“What, why?” I asked. This time it was my turn to be surprised.

“Skye, Nicole’s is a bar,” he said.

“Oh so casual,” I acknowledged. A bar definitely meant casual.

“No Schuyler, you don’t get it,” he groaned. “He’s taking you to a bar on the second date? No guy who is really interested takes a girl to a bar on the second date. You’re still wooing her and throwing in countless surprises until at least 3 months. If he’s taking you to a bar, he’s not interested. He’s just trying to get laid.”

I had to move the phone away from my ear for a second to stare at it. Was he serious? I was slightly stung by his observation. So anyone interested in me was interested for one reason only? “All guys aren’t the same Nicholas,” I shot back coldly.

He sighed in frustration. “Yes they are Skye, especially if the asshole’s taking you to a bar on your second date or any date for the matter. Just trust me, okay? I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m looking out for you. And I’m telling you you’ll regret going.”

“You were wrong about calling him Nick,” I said. I refused to believe that. “And you’re wrong about this. I’m sorry. I have to go, okay?”

He sighed in resignation. “Fine but call me when you get home, okay?”

“I will, and don’t worry,” I smiled.

He laughed. “I’m your best friend. That’s in my job description.”

We hung up and I sighed, sitting on my bed. What if Nick was right? No. He couldn’t be. He could be wrong sometimes, right? I mean, he was human. Wasn’t he? I laughed at myself. I was losing my mind. I looked towards my closet. It was a bar so I had to be casual but sexy. Hm, what would I wear?

I had finally decided on skinny jeans with my black boots and a black top. I wasn’t too over the top, but just enough. I sat down at the bar, ordering a beer. I could do that, couldn’t I? Have a beer to calm my nerves before he got here? I took a deep breath. Everything would be okay. I looked around the bar and saw Joe there with some blonde chick. They were clearly on a date. Nick’s words came back to mind. Joe was definitely trying to get down her pants, that much was clear. I wondered how much of Nick’s dating expertise on low life guys came from Joe. He did seem to be the master of it. They were leaned in really close, kissing every now and then. I almost choked on my beer as I suddenly had an image in my mind of me and Joe like that. What the fuck was wrong with me? It was official. I had been sex deprived in way too long. Still sex with the guy I hated would be hot right? I mean all that frustration and disregard for my being able to walk afterwards. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t care about that. No, I stopped myself from thinking about that. I could not picture Joe and me in my bed like that. I forced myself to turn my attention back to my beer, chugging it down. I ordered another one from the bartender and looked around to see if Josh was there.

After what seemed like hours and about 5 beers, I realized he probably wasn’t going to come. I sighed. Nick had been right. I pulled out my phone and dialed his number. “Hello?” he said.

“Hey it’s me,” I said, my words slurring slightly.

“Skye, are you drunk?” he asked.

“Yeah a little bit, but that’s not why I’m calling,” I went on.

“What’s up?” he asked warily.

“Josh didn’t show,” I said sadly.

“Oh what a douche,” he said angrily. “I’m so sorry Skye.”

I shrugged, forgetting that he couldn’t see that. “It’s okay.” I noticed someone sit down next to me. To my horror, I saw that it was Joe. “Hey Nick, I’m going to go, okay?”

“Okay, call me when you get home,” he said. “Bye.”

“Bye,” I hung up and rounded on Joe. “What do you want?”

He didn’t answer, gesturing to the bartender to get us drinks.

“Where’s your date?” I asked suspiciously as he placed a beer in front of me.

“Who Reese?” he smiled suggestively. “Oh she had to leave.”

“What are you still doing here then?” I asked.

He shrugged and took a swig of his beer. “Thought I’d find out what Nick was so stricken about. I mean I honestly cannot see why my brother bothers with you. Maybe I’ll find a way to convince him to throw you away.”

“Fuck you,” I glared at him. “Nick and I are always going to be best friends. Just get the fuck over it.”

He laughed now. “Okay fine. Then at least let me find out what he sees in you. I mean I’m at a loss here.”

“Wow thanks,” I rolled my eyes. “It’s great to hear that there’s no reason anyone would be my friend.”

He laughed again. “It’s not that. It’s Nick mostly, and the fact that I have yet to learn how to deal with you.”

“I don’t really care what you think though so it looks like your little conversation won’t help,” I said, taking another sip.

He stared at me for a moment. “Humor me.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Alright well what do you want to know?”

“Why are you here tonight?” he asked, motioning to the bartender again for another round.

I squirmed a bit. “I had a date tonight.”

He looked around, smirking slightly. “Am I going to get beat up for talking to his girl right now then?”

I sighed, looking at my hands. “He didn’t come.”

“Oh,” he said, looking at me again. He had a weird expression on his face. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“No you’re not,” I laughed once. “You can give me your bullshit about wanting to get to know me better Joe but don’t think for a second that I’ll believe your sympathy crap. In fact, I’m sure inside you’re probably thinking something about my obsessive annoying behavior.”

He smiled slightly, looking me up and down. “Well I guess I underestimated you.”

“Yeah I guess so,” I said, chugging down the rest of my beer.

“Hmm,” he said, leaning back as he got us another round, this time of liquor. “Well how about we make up for it now then?”

I didn’t know how I had ended up here. Well I mean I knew how I had gotten into my room but being here with him like this. But however it came to this, it had. We were here, we were together, we were kissing, his arms were around me, and my shirt was off. His lips were hard on mine, his hands like fire on my skin.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against my lips as he moved us back to my bed. “Now I see why Nick keeps you around.”

He lay me on my back, expertly on top of me so I didn’t feel his weight while his lips moved with mine. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Had everything Nick said been wrong? Did Joe actually like me? Was he showing that to me now? Well I wouldn’t make him regret this. I moved my hands to his back , trailing down slowly until I touched the hem of his jeans. Then I moved my hands around to the button of his pants and propped it open.

He pulled back, moving himself up to smirk at me. “Feisty aren’t you? Show this to Nick too?”

“I’ve never slept with Nick,” I said quietly, too lost in the heat of what was happening on top of me.

“Hmm well apparently you two aren’t as close as we are about to be,” he smirked, leaning down again as his hand went between her thighs.