Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has gotten this far and is still reading! This is my first foray into the world of FanFiction and I'm really excited for any and all feedback, positive or negative-as long as it's constructive! I fully plan on taking this story to its end. I can promise you I will not quit half way through! So if you enjoy it, please stick with me! And feel free to let me know as well. :-)
"Ok Jessie, this is crap!" Kelsey yells at me while I'm applying some sheer pink lipgloss in the mirror above the end table next to our front door. "I am losing serious best friend time here and you're not even getting laid! If you were, I could accept that, but come on!"
"Kels, you're being ridiculous. I went for coffee with Dean three times this week, and two were after Creative Writing. You know, the class he and I are both in together? It's not like I'm blowing you off," I tell her, screwing the cap back on the lipgloss.
"But we always go for coffee together," she pouts at me. She really is a big baby sometimes, but I love her.
"Kelsey…would you like to come to grab pizza with me and Dean?"
"Well, since you asked so nicely." She hops off the couch and slides on her flip flops before bouncing up to the door.
"You really are a child," I roll my eyes and open the door, letting her go out ahead of me.
"That is Dean?!" Kelsey turns to me before we approach the outdoor table at the pizza place.
"Yes, I know, he's very hot, and very gay. Embrace the disappointment. How's Paul by the way?" I ask her pointedly.
"What a shame…" Kelsey says with another glance at Dean and a shake of her head.
"Ok shut up now before he hears you,"
We walk the rest of the way to the table and I introduce Kelsey to Dean.
"Oh, Kelsey and I have met before. A couple of times actually," Dean says, surprising both me and Kelsey.
"We have?" she asks, obviously trying to wrack her brain.
"Not officially, but yes. You've been around the Sigma house a couple of times in the past. Mostly in the morning. Paul's room is next to mine," he explains, avoiding looking Kelsey directly in the eye.
"Oh god. Seriously? You've witnessed my walk of shame?" Kelsey looks horrified.
Dean and I laugh at Kelsey's mortification.
"Don't worry, it only counts as the walk of shame if you're one of many. I can tell you, you're the only girl Paul's been interested in for a while. He doesn't shut up about you actually," he tells her.
"Really? What does he say? What about—,"
I cut Kelsey off as my stomach starts to rumble, "Ok, no offense but I'm starving! You can give Dean the Paul Inquisition after we order."
Twenty minutes later, our pizza arrives and Dean looks like a deer in headlights as Kelsey continues to bombard him about Paul. What he says, how he says it, what his facial expressions are when he talks about her. Poor guy is probably never going to want to hang out with us again.
"Kels, give it a rest. The guy is head over heels, take it for what it's worth," I tell her, taking a slice from the tray and folding it in half before I take a bite.
"Jessie, don't be bitter, we'll find you a guy of your own to obsess over and then you can be just as happy as me," she teases with a smile and a wink. "Hey Dean, any single straight guys on your radar these days? Aren't your people supposed to have impeccable taste? Let's try to find Jessie a date."
"Uh…my people?" Dean looks at Kelsey confused.
"Don't worry, no judgment. Though it is a devastation to the female population that someone who looks like you is playing for the other team."
"Kelsey!" My eyes must be ready to pop out of my head, I know Dean must be just as embarrassed because he chokes on his drink at the same time that I shout at her. Kelsey doesn't have much of a verbal filter.
"What?! It's true," she shrugs.
I turn my attention from Kelsey to Dean. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think it was a big deal, I should've kept my mouth shut. I don't want you to feel like I outed you or something. I just…" I trail off, not knowing what else to say.
Dean narrows his eyes at me, then seems to consider something for a moment before he finally says, "Don't worry about it, not offended at all. And trust me, you definitely didn't 'out' me." He winks at me just as Kelsey did.
I breathe a sigh of relief. "Good. I mean, my brother is gay, and he's so open with everything. I guess I just didn't think."
"No worries," he smiles. "So, what are our plans for tonight ladies?"
"Well, there's this party…," Kelsey starts.
"NO parties!" I exclaim. I've had my fill of sweaty bodies crammed into one room and drunken frat boys looking for a one nighter.
Dean chuckles to himself and Kelsey looks at me with a frown. "Jessie, how are we going to find you a guy if you insist on being a social outcast?"
"I don't get this sudden obsession with finding me a guy. I am perfectly content with my social status, and not wanting to be drunkenly slobbered on doesn't make me a social outcast," I shoot back.
"Dean, is it so wrong for me to want my best friend to find a nice guy of her own?" she asks him.
"Hey, don't get me involved here, I'm just enjoying the show," he leans back in his chair and dusts pizza crumbs off his t-shirt before folding his arms and smirking at me.
"Forget it. Let's just go see a movie or something," I suggest, trying to change the subject.
"There's nothing good playing. How about we go to Cabo Cantina? It's Friday so there's bound to be a ton of single guys on the prowl," Kelsey wiggles her eyebrows at me.
"Uh, wait, how about Q's?" Dean interjects, "It's a little less raunchy than Cabo on a Friday, and we can rent a table for the night. Kelsey, you should invite Paul. He's a kick-ass pool player."
"See now that is an idea I can get behind. Not every single girl has to be 'on the prowl' Kelsey," I fold my arms mirroring Dean and lean back, full from pizza and tired of the uncomfortable topic of my nonexistent love life.
Kelsey rolls her eyes before agreeing. She calls Paul and I look over at Dean. He seems to be deep in thought. I wonder if he'll want to invite his boyfriend to come along. I'm about to ask when Kelsey grabs my hand and pulls me out of my thoughts, and my seat.
"Let's go! Paul's in, we need to go home and get ready. We should probably ask Jamie if he wants to tag along," she yanks me away from the table with Dean following behind us shaking his head.
I step under the steamy stream of water and prepare for a five minute shower since Kelsey spent half an hour using up most of the hot water in the apartment's shared tank. Our little outing has turned into a group gathering. Jamie is coming with his friends Brit and Christina, Paul is meeting us at the bar, and Dean is patiently waiting in the living room for Kelsey and I to finish primping. I may not be the girliest of girls, but I like to get dressed up every once in a while. Contrary to Kelsey's belief that I'm a social outcast, I like to go out and let loose occasionally. Just not at a party with people I don't know that well, and many that I don't even like. Since we're heading out with a group of people I'm actually quite fond of, I've got no problem putting in a little effort and 'removing the stick from my ass' as Kelsey would say.
Like clockwork, the shower turns frigid just as I'm washing conditioner out of my hair. I quickly rinse away any leftover soap suds and turn off the water before wrapping myself in a towel and stepping out of the shower. My bathroom is cramped but that's the tradeoff. I get my own bathroom while Kelsey and Jamie share the big master bath. I'm totally fine with that considering neither of them understand the concept of hanging up a wet towel, or replacing an empty toilet paper roll.
Since there's no room to move around in the bathroom, I towel dry my hair quickly then rewrap the towel around my body and exit the steam-filled room. I open my bedroom door and nearly have a heart attack when I see Dean reclining on my bed with his outstretched legs crossed at the ankles, both hands folded behind his head. He smiles at me with the crooked smile that would cause me to melt into a puddle at his feet if I didn't already know he'd be more likely to hit on my brother than me. I clear that thought from my mind quickly and walk across the room to my bureau.
"Make yourself at home," I say sarcastically, giving him a sidelong glance as I open my top drawer to take out a bra and matching pair of panties.
"Nothing I haven't seen before. And remember, I'm 'tragically gay' according to Kelsey, so no need to be shy around me. I was getting bored staring at the walls out in the living room." He uncrosses and recrosses his legs, completely at ease.
"Well, make yourself comfortable. I need to brush my teeth and dry my hair," and with that I take my underwear and walk back to the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later I walk back into my room to get dressed. Dean has made himself busy with my Kindle, which I left on my nightstand. I'm standing in the doorway of my closet picking out an outfit when I hear a sharp intake of breath followed by a coughing fit.
"You ok?" I look over my shoulder to see Dean staring up at the ceiling with his fist covering his mouth as he coughs.
"Yep, I'm good, totally good, just swallowed wrong, no worries." He continues to stare at the ceiling and cough.
"Ok…" I turn back to the closet and select a pair of stonewashed jeans and a sheer, black, lace long-sleeved top with a black tank top underneath. I bend to grab my chunky black open toe heels and hear Dean clear his throat.
"You sure you don't want some water or something?" I ask, straightening and walking to the bed with my clothes.
"Yeah, you know what? That's probably a good idea. I'll grab it," and with that he gets up off the bed and quickly exits my room.
I'm jumping up and down as I tug on my jeans when he returns. He leans against the doorjamb with a bottle of water twisting in his hands and his lips pressed together trying not to laugh.
"What? Have you never seen a girl trying to get into a pair of skinny jeans?" I ask, out of breath from hopping.
"No, I can honestly say this is a first. But by all means, don't stop on my account," he snickers and flashes a smile that makes me blush. Off limits. Get over it. Stop looking at his smile.
"Ha ha," I say, tugging the black tank top over my head followed by the lace overlay. "Here, make yourself useful and help me buckle these stupid things," I point to my ankle as I slide on my shoes and flop down onto the bed.
He crouches down in front of me and rests my foot across his knee to buckle the first shoe.
"So, no date tagging along tonight for you?" I ask, switching feet so he can buckle the other shoe.
"Nope, no date for me tonight. I thought it'd be fun to hang with you and your friends. That's okay, isn't it?" He looks up at me, hopeful.
"Of course it's okay. I'm going solo, and so is everyone else. With the exception of Kelsey and Paul of course," I look down at him with a reassuring smile.
"Good," he says, his hand still resting on my ankle. The warmth from his hand on my skin and the scent of his cologne filter through to the part of my brain that forgets all reasonable thought. I blink twice and tell myself to stop being stupid, then I pull my foot away slowly and stand up.
"So," I twist from side to side as he stands up, "how do I look?"
He pauses for a minute to look me up and down, considering, then looks me straight in the eyes and says, "Absolutely beautiful."