Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
I tried to tell her, “No, Nana, I’m fine. You don’t have to—”
She interrupted with, “I’ve got plenty, just wait right there,” and bustled through the kitchen, then out the door on the other side.
“Just let her hook you up,” River said with a smirk. “She absolutely lives for shit like this.”
When she returned a minute later, she was carrying a towering stack of condom boxes. “I bought these for last year’s Pride parade, and somehow we didn’t give them all away. I’m not sure how that happened. But I got cute new ones for this year in rainbow colors, so you can have these boring regular ones.”
As she dropped part of the tower and River bent to pick it up, Cole explained, “We didn’t give them all away because you literally brought a truckload, Nana. It was enough for ten Pride parades.”
Nana shrugged her skinny shoulders. “Well, like I always say, more is more.”
She pulled a clear plastic shopping bag out of the cupboard and stuffed the boxes inside it as I said, “I’ll never use that many before they expire, Nana. There must be over two thousand condoms here.”
River and Cole were both fighting to keep a straight face, and River said, “Sure you will. We all believe in you, Ash! You just have to work hard and apply yourself. If anybody can do it, you can.”
I shot my friends a look and said, “Thank you for your support.”
Chapter 4
I spent all afternoon with my friends. When it was time to go, I tried to conveniently “forget” the rubbers, but Nana remembered and sent me off with a huge smile and instructions to have fun. Riding the bus across town with a clear plastic bag bulging with condoms got me plenty of smirks and comments, which was to be expected.
The bus took forever, so it was almost five-thirty by the time I reached my apartment. I offloaded half the boxes in Jasper’s room with a little note that said “from Nana, I’ll explain later” and tossed the rest onto my bed, then took a quick shower. After that, I stood in front of my closet and stared at my wardrobe.
I assumed Wes would be dressed up, based on what he’d worn to meet me the day before, and because he might be coming straight from work. Since I didn’t want him to feel out of place, I couldn’t go with what I usually wore at home, which was different combinations of sweatshirts, tank tops, sweats, and shorts.
I tried on five different outfits and rejected each of them for being either too formal, too casual, too uncomfortable, or just meh. When the buzzer sounded at exactly six p.m., I was in nothing but a pair of briefs. I swore under my breath as I ran to the front door, and after I hit the intercom button, I said, “Hey.”
“Um, hi. This is Wesley Bennett. Is this Ash?”
“Yup, I’m buzzing you in. I’ll leave the front door open, so come on up to the third floor, apartment 300-B, and make yourself comfortable. I’m still getting ready.” I pushed the other button on the panel to unlock the security gate, then left the door ajar and hurried back to my room.
All the clothes I’d rejected were piled on a chair in the corner. I rifled through them quickly, then picked them up and heaved them onto the floor of my closet. While I was doing that, I heard Wes call, “Hello?”
“In here.”
He followed the sound of my voice, then blurted, “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you were…” His voice trailed off.
I glanced at him over my shoulder and smiled. He was so cute, and dressed up as predicted in dark blue pants and a white shirt, along with a navy sweater vest with thin, yellow stripes, and a yellow bowtie. He ran his gaze down every inch of me, and then he moved the satchel he was holding to hide the bulge that was developing in his pants.
“It’s fine. Have a seat,” I said, indicating the chair beside the small desk near the door. “I’ll just be a minute.”
While I pulled on a pair of jeans, I glanced around my room and wondered how this must seem to him. It was a small space with lavender walls, dominated by a queen-size bed that was heaped with pillows and blankets, all in white, purple, and lavender. Oh, and eight boxes of condoms were on full display. I’d forgotten about those, but if he noticed, he didn’t say anything.
Other than the bed and nightstand, the only other furniture in the room was the desk and chair, and a deep purple upholstered chair in the corner by the closet. The walls were decorated with posters of various bands, along with flyers for clubs and music festivals where I’d worked. Above the desk was a big corkboard totally plastered with photos. The room, corkboard, and many of the posters were outlined with strands of tiny twinkle lights, which gave the room a soft glow.