Friends, Lovers, or Nothing

“Hampton Inn please.” I informed the cab driver of the street the hotel was on before I sat back in the seat. I smoothed my black pencil skirt over my thighs and pulled my black blazer down until I was happy with the way my clothes lay on my body. I was quiet in the backseat, trying to process what had just happened.

I had just finished up my interview at HarperCollins, and it had gone so well that I honestly wasn’t even sure what to do. Mr. Franklin had loved me. He thought I was perfect for the job, and he wanted to hire me right away. But, since the job was in California, he was giving me a few days to decide.

I had a huge decision to make, and I wasn’t going to make it in the back of a dirty cab when I was all by myself. I had to talk to Danielle.

When the cab dropped me off at the hotel, I snapped out of my daze. I had gotten the job! I just had to accept it, and it was mine, all MINE! I told myself. This gave me a burst of energy and I hurried inside, wanting to get to our room as soon as possible. I got into the elevator and hit the button for our floor, waiting impatiently while it took its good old time getting to my floor. When the doors open, I burst through, practically running to our room.

I struggled with the key, so i just started banging on the door. “Danielle!” I whisper-hissed. “Open the door!”

Minutes passed before she finally opened it up. “How did it go?!” she asked excitedly, pulling me into the room.

I laughed, and almost started jumping in excitement. “I got the job! He loved me and wants me to start immediately, if I want to accept the job offer!”

Danielle screamed, grabbing me by the shoulders and pulling me in for a hug. We both started laughing and jumping up in down, having a hard time containing our excitement.

“So what’s this mean?” Danielle asked excitedly when we finally stopped jumping around and squealing like little girls.

“It means...” I trailed off. The excitement high was wearing off, and I was back in the shocked phase. What did this mean? “Well, it means California, Dan. But I don’t know what that means,” I admitted sadly.

“Peyton,” she reached out, rubbing my arm softly. “You aren’t thinking of Josh are you?”

I sighed and shook her off, heading over to the “living room” section of our hotel suite. I sat down on the couch and brought my legs up under me before crossing my arms in front of my chest. “I wasn’t, but now I am.”

She followed me, sitting beside me on the couch. “Peyt, you can’t make this decision based on him. You guys are just back in each others good graces. I mean, I hate to be the voice of reason here but there’s always that what if, right? What if you guys don’t work out? I mean, what if you don’t take this job and you guys don’t work out and you just totally resent yourself and maybe even him for it?”

I didn’t answer, because I didn’t have to. That had been the same thought that was running through my head ever since I had left HarperCollins.

“It’s not just about him though, Danielle. I mean, yeah he’s a part of it. But there’s also my mom, and even my dad and Hanna and Max and all the guys and our family at home. You know? There’s so much to think about.”

She nodded in response. I groaned and climbed off of the couch. “I need to change, and then I need to see Max.”

***

I knocked impatiently on the door of the apartment door, but no one answered. I was just praying Max would be there and not at the studio, but as time went on and no one came to the door I was starting to lose hope. “Seriously?” I said, mainly to myself. I knocked once more, but no one came to the door.

I let out a frustrated sigh before turning around to leave. Before I even got two steps I was running right into someone’s body. I stumbled backwards and felt their arm steady me before I looked up into Josh’s eyes.

“Aye love, careful there,” he smirked.

I smiled, pulling him closer to kiss his cheek. “Where have you been? I probably look like a crazy girl, knocking on the door for ten minutes.”

He chuckled, while I stepped aside so he could get into the apartment. “You knocked for ten minutes?” he asked over his shoulder as he unlocked the door and opened it.

I shrugged nonchalantly, brushing by him. “Two minutes, ten minutes, what’s the difference?”

He laughed and followed me inside, closing the door behind him. “Wait!” he said suddenly as I was peering around the apartment, looking for signs of life. I found none, so I turned slowly to face him.

“What?”

“How did the interview go?” he asked excitedly.

My face instantly dropped. I didn’t want to tell anyone but Max until I had made my decision. “Oh, yeah. Well...” I trailed off, unsure on what to tell him.

“Aw, I’m sorry love. Not so good?”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “He offered me the job actually, but thanks for the confidence boost,” I muttered, crossing my arms tightly in front of my chest.

“That’s great!” he exclaimed, ignoring my tone and acting genuinely excited for me. “This is so great, Peyton!” he hugged me, coming close to the excitement level Danielle and I had been at.

I returned the hug, becoming excited as well. But I was still torn, and since Max wasn’t around, Josh was going to have to be my help for the time being. “I don’t know what to do, though,” I answered, pulling away from him. “I mean, this is a big decision, y’know? I’d have to move to California, which is a hell of a lot further from Boston and it sure as hell isn’t close to England either.”

I figured I might as well be honest.

Josh’s face softened. “Peyton I can’t tell you what to do. You have to make this decision all on your own. I mean, I’m sure it wouldn’t be the last job you’d get because you’re so amazing at everything you do,” he smiled, cupping my face with his hands, “but I also don’t want to tell you not to take it if you want it.”

I chuckled softly. “What about my family though, Josh? I mean, I’d be thousands of miles away from them! And who knows when I could go home to visit because it’s such an important job!” I exclaimed, stomping my foot in frustration. “Can’t you just make the decision for me?” I pouted.

He smiled, kissing me on the lips. “You know I can’t.”

I shook my head, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him back into me. I kissed him again, intensifying the kiss ever so slightly but still getting a response from him.

He started to pull back, but I shushed him. “Shut up,” I whispered against his lips before I returned to kissing him. I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck and felt his hands travel down to my hips. The kiss was slowly becoming knee-weakening, but I didn’t want it to end. I backed up, pulling Josh with me, until I felt my back connect with the wood of the door. Only then did we break the kiss, and it was so Josh’s lips could connect with a different part of my skin.

His lips ghosted over my collarbone, causing shivers to go up and down my spine. “Is anyone here?” I whispered, my voice cracking at the end of the sentence when Josh’s mouth happened to travel over the sweet spot right under my ear.

“Just you and me,” he whispered into my ear, making me tingle.

“Let’s do this right then,” I said, pushing him away (unwillingly of course). “Bedroom?”

He smirked before grabbing my hand and pulling me towards his room. Within what felt like merely seconds, we were in his room with the door closed. The atmosphere changed drastically almost instantly and suddenly everything felt frantic. But I didn’t want it to be frantic and hurried and over like that. That was how we always were, at least the times we had been together when we were mad. I wanted this to mean something more.

We went over towards the bed, Josh’s knees connecting with the frame so he fell back onto the mattress. I smirked as I stood in front of him and slowly stripped off my jeans. He followed suite before I climbed on top of him. I straddled his waist, smirking from my position above him. He propped himself up on his elbows and smiled as well. “This is alright, yeah?”

I nodded enthusiastically. “Couldn’t ask for anything better. I mean, we aren’t fighting, we aren’t rushing... what else could a girl ask for?”

Now he was smirking, pulling me down on top of him as my laughs echoed throughout the room.

His lips connected with my own, and while my smile was still on my face, there was still an undertone of urgency to the kiss. I’m not sure either of us could help it though. Despite wanting this to be “special”, we were still human for God’s sake. His lips traveled from my mouth, down my neck, and before he reached my collarbone we we’re flipping over and he was hovering overtop of me. He ghosted kisses over every inch of exposed skin while his hands traveled under my t-shirt.

I pushed him up then, stripping my t-shirt off while he did the same. I was now in nothing but my bra and panties and Josh was in only his boxers as well. I smiled deviously, eyeing him hard while he stared at me. “Do you like my new bra, Josh?” I tried my best to look seductive, and when he did nothing but eye my chest, I was sure I succeeded.

I pulled him down on top of me then, before whispering, “Whatcha’ gonna do about it, Joshua?”

He all but growled in... frustration, and then those were the last full sentence we spoke.

We kissed again, wiggling our ways into the bed, while my hands raked through Josh’s hair. I bit down carefully on his bottom lip, dragging it between my teeth, earning a groan from him that sent tingles through my entire body.

“Fuck, Peyton,” he hissed, and I just laughed.

He brought his lips down to my collarbone, trailing kisses all around, carefully ghosting his lips over the lace of my bra and the delicate skin of my chest, earning a moan from me as well.

That was all it took to put us both over the edge.

We were tangled -- in the sheets, in each other -- but it still wasn’t like it had been before. There was no urgency, no get it over with feelings. While there was definitely a fire in both of our veins, it was like we didn’t want it to end.

Just like that, I felt like we had connected in the ways we used to. I felt like I had Josh back, and I didn’t want to let go.

When we were finished, I was cuddled next to Josh with my arms wrapped around him while his arm was wrapped around my shoulders. I felt his fingers tracing delicate patterns into my skin, and I sighed, content. I felt him place a kiss on my forehead before he said softly, “I honestly don’t think there is anywhere else in the world I’d rather be right now.”

I nodded. “I honestly can say I agree with you.”

I felt a laugh shake his chest gently before he spoke again. “And not to put a damper on the mood, but have you made your decision yet?”

I smiled and nodded. I looked up at him then and said, “Yeah, I think I have,” before I placed a kiss on his lips.