Nothing

Chapter 24

This time I didn't turn up my nose at the food Tyler offered me. It may have only been a sandwich, but it was delicious. Tyler figured I would be hungry when I woke up, so he had brought something back from dinner. I finished the sandwich quickly and thanked him.

"No problem," he waved it off. He walked back over to the black bag he had thrown onto the shelf. Shifting through the bag he said, "I should have a bottle of water in here somewhere... Ah! There it is!"  He pulled a small bottled water out of the bag and handed it to me with a muttered,"Here."

I gladly excepted the bottle and took a few generous gulps. I was about to swallow another mouthful when a thought struck me. What if Tyler had poisoned the food? I guess it was too late if he had.

He must have saw my thoughts on my face because he asked, "What?" A second later a knowing look crossed his features, "Ya think I poisoned the water?"

I didn't answer.

He leaned closer as if to tell me a secret, "Well ya see, Tequlia Girl, I just had you in my bed for four hours and I don't want ya there any longer, so why would I drug you again?"

My face burned at his insinuation. "Are you saying you don't want a girl in your bed, or is it just me?"

He laughed and leaned back on his elbows. "I don't particularly want any girl in my bed."

My eyes widened a fraction. Did he just say he was..?

"Gay?" he answered my unspoken question. Still, he remained very nonchalant about the turn our conversation had taken. "I don't like girls in my bed," Tyler added to his earlier statement, "because I prefer guys."

I stayed quiet. Tyler didn't seem gay... but I guess looks could be deceiving.

"I know what you're thinking," he continued, "I don't look "gay" enough or act the way a gay man should. But, I don't think a person's personality, or sexual preference, should be based on appearance."

"I... I don't either," I whispered softly.

"Now, just between you and me," his voice dropped and he leaned closer, "I do think Elijah is hot. There's a nice booty on that one."

I sputtered as my eyes grew round, "What?!"

Tyler chuckled, the movement jerking his shoulders.  "I figured that'd be your reaction."

I let out a short breathy laugh. At least he was comfortable enough to joke in this awkward situation.

He laughed harder at my awkwardness. "You should see you're face," Tyler said when he had calmed, "I have never seen anybody so red." He poked one of my flaming cheeks. He let out another chuckle when I slapped his hand away. "But really, Tequlia Girl," he sombered, "have you seen Elijah's @ss?" Tyler burst out laughing again.

"Okay...," I tried to steer the conversation away from Elijah's butt, "Where is he exactly?"

"Elijah? Oh, he went to tell your roommates where their lost package got off to." He answered nonchantly.

My roommates. I slipped my hand into my pocket and felt that my phone was still there. Dead as ever, but still there. I needed to charge it. For them. For Maris and Isabelle.

"Hey Tyler," I said as casually as I could, "Do you happen to have a phone charger that will fit this?" Pulling my phone from my pocket, I showed him the connector.

"Uhm..." he mumbled, lost in thought, "Hold on. Let me check." He turned around and shuffled through the large black bag again.

A few seconds later, he pulled a long black cord out of the bag's confines.