Give and Take - Joe Burrow AU

Chapter 2

The black Escalade pulled up the long windy driveway leading up to your house, letting out everyone one by one, like a clown car. AJ thanked the driver and discreetly handed him a tip during their handshake.

Entering the 6-digit code to your front door, everyone followed behind you to take a seat around the island in your spacious kitchen.

"Your house is dope." Ja'Marr says with wide eyes, looking around the modern, shiny style of your newly renovated home.

With a quiet 'thank you', you pull out a bottle of vodka from the liquor cabinet. You were plagued with a weird feeling you had never felt before. Alcohol seemed to be the only way you were going to be able to calm down.

Was he looking at you like you were looking at him?

You always were able to play it cool. Having male friends, and hell, being one of the most successful artists in a male-dominated genre of music, you had to have confidence. But this was different. Joe attracted you in a way that previous boyfriends had not, and you weren't sure why.

"Let's play a game or something!" Tana exclaims, throwing back another shot she had poured herself when you weren't looking.

"Ooou like what?" Your mutual friend, Nick, questions pulling his stool closer to the island.

"Never have I ever?" She suggests, wiggling her eyebrows.

AJ audibly groans, "That's so middle school."

Everyone laughed in agreement but Tana persisted.

"No guys! We can make it ... adult," She says with a smirk, "... expose everyone."

"We have guests," AJ says, motioning between Joe and Ja'Marr. "... do we really need to subject them to your perverted questions?"

Another burst of laughter from the group still does not stop Tana from insisting.

"You guys are so boring. This is a surefire way to get comfortable with new people!"

After more protesting, it is decided that you all would play for a few rounds.

While Joe and Ja'Marr asked generic questions, your closest friends seemed to be targeting you.

"Never have I ever ... not had sex in so long that I basically became a virgin again." Tana says confidently, looking right in your direction.

You could feel the heat rise to your face. There was no way you were going to put a finger down to a question like that. Sure, your friends knew of your bad luck in relationships, but you were focusing on your work. Tana was always hounding you to hook up with people for the hell of it, but that wasn't appealing. Plus, you weren't sure you had totally overcome the trauma from your past relationship.

Everyone looked around at each other in curiosity to see who would move. No one did, and thankfully, the question was dropped fairly quickly. Giving Tana a glare, she knew you guys would be hashing it out later.

Around 2 a.m., no one was able to hide their yawns any longer.

"Yo, if you want, y'all can crash here." AJ tells Joe and Ja'Marr. "You know ... rather than having to have a car bring you back to a hotel."

The three look between each other and nod, thanking AJ for his offer. You offer to help grab linens for the guest rooms since Tana had snuck off to bed upstairs, and Nick chose to curl up on the couch.

"Is this room OK?" You ask, throwing sheets and a blanket on the mattress of one of your many guest rooms.

"This is more than OK! Thank you." Joe replies. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and looks at you.