Tame Me If You Can

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

***

"I hate you." I say to Jake.

"I'm sorry! You were really loving it..."

I wince again as he caresses the red, swollen — his very own — hand mark.

"Poor baby," he chuckles softly. "That does look painful." He kisses my forehead then applies the frozen bag of peas back on my ass, soothing the lingering burn.

We're swimming in a black wave of silk bedsheets, cloaked in the 3 AM darkness. The only light source is glaring from the flat screen TV.

I'm in one of his black shirts, a bare leg over his hips, and my cheek on his chest. He has his strong arm wrapped around my waist.

"What do you like to watch?" he asks, lifting the remote control.

"Porn."

He snorts. I smile and continue. "Mm, it depends on my mood...I like everything. Psych thrillers, anime, K-dramas, Bollywood, rom-coms...you?"

"Bollywood?"

"Shah Rukh Khan in 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' was bae."

He chuckles. "W-what?"

I deepen my voice. "Oh, I'm sorry. I only watch manly shit, like animal documentaries to learn how lions hunt."

"It's interesting!" he yells, eyes wide. "I fucking love the Discovery Channel."

I pound on his chest. "I King Kong. I defend."

He gives me a lazy smile and presses the frozen peas harder, making me yelp.

"Let's watch Friends." I settle back on his chest.

"Down."

~

It's Sunday. I have brunch with Jake and Naomi at 12 PM — still have no idea how Jake convinced me to go, guess I'm that stupid — and I have Molly's birthday at 3.

I suppose knowing that there's a time limit helps. The more predictable the event, the less painful it will be. People often wonder how I manage two hundred students, but can't carry a one-on-one conversation — the answer lies in structure and preparation.

Hence the cannabis oil I'm about to drop on my tongue to emotionally prepare for the anxiety of 'will she like me?' or 'will she pretend to like me, but actually hate me?' and of course 'will I have to pretend that I don't see that she is pretending to like me?'

You know what, let's add a couple more drops for safety measures.

~

I can't wait to meet this amazing woman and bond with her over bread.

Why was I so worried? Peas don't worry when they float in a cup of noodles. They just flow. Yippee.

At 11:30 AM, Kayden calls and I put down my noodles to answer.

"This better not be about my Romeo, Kayden." I roll my eyes. "I told you, I'm not bringing him."

"It's canceled. Sorry for the last minute notice."

"What?" I frown at his distant tone. "What happened?"

"Nothing, it's... ugh, it's Natalie." He sighs, traffic noise in the background. "I had told her about this months in advance and she called me just now, saying she has fifty people coming over because she's planned a special party."