Tucker and I fell into a routine over the next week. The first couple days, he came, pulled my ass out of bed, then we went jogging. After that, I managed to pull myself out of my comfy cloud of blankets and get ready by the time he showed up at my door.
The jogging was getting easier with each day that passed and so was spending time with Tucker. I seemed to crave it. Every morning when I woke up, I had a smile on my face knowing that he would be there shortly. It was pathetic, but I couldn’t help it.
We were on our last lap and somehow I didn’t feel like I was going to die.
“Look at you,” Tucker said beside me. “You’re doing so much better already.”
“I know,” I said dramatically. “I was checking out my ass in the mirror last night, and I think I need to go out for a night on the town.”
I laughed. He didn’t.
“Your ass looked amazing even before you started jogging with me. If a guy didn’t realize that then he doesn’t deserve you.”
“Awww. Thanks, Tuck.” I played off his comment as if his words weren’t affecting me.
“You’re not going to quit calling me Tuck are you?”
“Nope. You’re my bestie, and besties need nicknames for each other. You call me Firecracker.”
“That’s true, but that name is awesome. Couldn’t you call me something like Thor or Beast?”
I stopped mid stride because I couldn’t help bending over in laughter.
“Beast?” I snorted.
“Did you just snort?” He looked offended.
“Did you just call yourself beast?” I was still laughing, and my words were muddled.
“Yes. I am a beast.” His arms were flexed in a super hero pose, and I almost fell to the ground in laughter.
“Is that funny?”
“Yes.” I wiped at my eyes.
“If you saw other parts of my body, you would call me beast too.”
“Only men with small penises brag about their penis being a beast.” I pointed down at his crotch.
The laughter was knocked out of me in the next moment when Tucker threw his shoulder into my stomach and lifted me from the ground.
“What the hell are you doing?” I squealed.
People who were walking by us were all staring. I was laughing like a maniac, and Tucker was strolling through the park like I wasn’t hanging over his shoulder like a rag doll.
He smacked my ass. “That’s what you get for offending my best friend.”
I snorted again. “I thought I was your bestie?” I teased.
“You are the newest addition. He is my oldest. Tried and true.”
A pang went through my chest thinking about how tried his penis was, but I pushed it away.
“I hope you’ve had your tried and true tested.”
He bounced me on his shoulder, and I screamed when I felt like I was going to fall head first onto the sidewalk.
“Don’t be mean. I’m not a whore.”
“No. I think the correct term is man whore.”
He swatted my ass again, and I giggled.
“The beast is just fine. Thank you very much.”
He pulled me off his shoulder and slid me down to the ground against his body. Goosebumps broke out on my skin, and I prayed that my sports bra was strong enough to hide my arousal. He pushed some stray hairs that were stuck to my sweat off my forehead. I was looking up at him, and he was looking down at me.
I wanted him to kiss me.
I needed him to kiss me.
“Waffle place or smoothies?” His voice broke through the trance I seemed to be in.
“That’s a dumb question.” I took off toward the waffle shop and tried to clear my head of the insane thoughts I was just having. “I’ll race you there,” I called behind me.
He caught up to me quickly and passed by me without any effort at all. He didn’t even look back.
…
I walked into my apartment and waved goodbye to Tucker. There was a giant smile on my face, but I dropped it as soon as I shut the door and saw Brooke staring at me curiously.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She still hadn’t stopped staring at me.
“Spit it out. I know you have something to say.” I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and plopped down on the couch.
“You and Tucker seem to be getting really chummy.”
“Yeah. We’re becoming good friends.”
“Uh huh.” She smiled. I didn’t like the smile she was giving me.
“Uh huh, what?”
“Are you sure that you are just becoming friends? Nothing else?”
“Yes, Brooke. I’m sure. Tucker isn’t interested in a girl like me.” I rolled my eyes at her.
“But you are interested in a guy like him.” I couldn’t tell if it was a statement or a question.
“It wouldn’t matter if I was. We would never be together.”
“Okay. If you’re not interested then you should let me set you up. I have the perfect guy in mind.”
“I’m going to do a hard pass on that one.” I chugged some water down.
“Why? If you aren’t interested in Tucker than you should be free to date whoever you want.” She thought she had me backed into a corner, but she was dead wrong.
“I am. That’s why I’m not going to date a guy that I don’t want to date.”
There was no way in hell I was going on a date that she set me up on. I had been down that road before, and it typically came to a screeching halt before our entrees made it to the table. Not going to happen. Nope.
“Please?”
“Seriously, Brooke. You are the world’s worst matchmaker.” It was harsh, but it was the truth.
“I am not. I just haven’t found the right man for you yet. This guy’s name is Jake, and I met him at work yesterday.”
“That’s just what I need,” I interrupted her. “A great guy you met at a salon.”
“He was there working, asshole. He’s an electrician, and he is hot as hell.”
“So why don’t you date him?”
“Can’t. I’m going to go out with his work buddy, Andrew.” She fanned herself.
“So, let me get this straight. You’re going to go out with his super-hot friend, and you are leaving me the leftovers?”
“No. They are both equally hot. I was just drawn to Andrew.” She sighed, and I rolled my eyes at her again.
“Please don’t go falling in love on me. You haven’t even gone out on a date with him yet.” She always did that. She would go on two dates with a guy, and all of a sudden, she was in love. Then I was the only one there a week later when she realized he was really a douche nozzle.
“I’m not in love. This is called swooning. I’m allowed to swoon over a man’s looks. Just because you’re being negative doesn’t mean I have to be.”
“I’m not negative,” I said, offended.
“Says the girl who won’t even take a chance on a guy.”
“I’ll think about it. Okay?” I wouldn’t really think about it, but she didn’t need to know that. I just needed her off my back.
“Fine. Do you want to get dinner tonight?”
“Tucker’s going to pick up Chinese food and come over to watch Game of Thrones later. You want me to tell him to pick you up something?”
She groaned and threw her hands in the air like I was supposed to know what that meant.
“You frustrate the hell out of me.”
“Is that a no?” I asked cautiously.
She rolled her eyes and I grinned. “I want chicken fried rice.”