EXES AND OH'S

Punches, Albatross, and An Unexpected Encounter

"Just, you know, hang out and chill." Levi shrugs his shoulders and takes a deep breath. 

"Hang out?" I repeated like a total idiot. What are we, fifth graders going to our pal's house living across the street, ride on our bikes, and order milkshakes and cheese fries from Joe's Diner? He's just luring me to have sex with him again. I'm pretty sure the term hang out is equivalent to boning with this dude. "Why would I want to hang out with you? We're not even friends. You're my boss, and I'm Jesse's assistant, that's just how we know each other."

He smacks his lips together and raises his eyebrows. "Well, we've hung out plenty of times before. You know, with Jesse and Isaac."

"Exactly, that's because we're at gigs and meets and that's just part of my job." I protest, raising an eyebrow back at him. Isn't it fucking clear to him yet that I'm revolted with his puny ass? "We're not friends." I maintain, typing away at my laptop again. Okay, that might have come out pretty harsh. But he deserves it. 

"Charlie, chill out. We're not gonna have sex if that's what you're thinking." Levi smiles and guarantees, totally ignoring the fact that I was being hostile towards him.

Okay, so if he really doesn't plan on banging me then why would he want to hang and spend time? Does he seriously think that I might want to be friends with him? And is he thinking that I want to have sex with him again? I decide to ignore Levi and just focus on completing the minutes of the meeting.

"Alright, let me clarify that. We can have sex only if you wanted to - like, totally casual." He proposes, like how a psycho maniac offers an unknowing kid a candy bar. 

I give him a deadly side-eye and stop from typing. "Ugh. You're a fucking pig!" Is this guy for real? If he weren't best friends with Jesse I would have already filed a sexual harassment case at HR pronto. "Get out of my hair!" I close my laptop and scurry up for the door when I feel Levi's hand grabbing for my wrist.

"Hey, Charlie," he turns me around and looks deep in my eyes. Damn, he has real pretty green eyes. "I - I mean it. I really want to hang out someplace tonight. Just talk with a friend, someone, anyone."

I gently yank my wrist out of his hand and cover my chest with my laptop, as if it will conceal the wild pounding of my heart.

"I mean, Jesse's away." Levi went on, his gaze dropping from my face to his feet. "And Isaac's with Nat. And it's not like all three of us hang out anymore like we used to. They've all got their own thing now."

Oh, fuck. Is he being all sad boy on me right now? Though he totally looks out of sorts and downcast. Well, that's what he gets for being such a manwhore. If maybe he put his time in making friends and getting a real hobby instead of burying his dick in some random chick's snatch he met from the Clix app, he probably wouldn't feel so alone right now. "Get a hobby, then. Levi, I'm not your fucking babysitter."

He purses his lips and looks me in the eye again like a sad, cute puppy. "I know. I just... I feel so fucking left out."

Shit. I let out a deep, frustrated sigh. How can I possibly turn down this fucker if he's going all Puss-in-Boots-sad-eyes at me? 

"Alright, fine!" I surrender, it's not like I'm doing anything tonight anyway. "But we're not going to have sex, capisce? And you're buying me food, I'm not going Dutch for this... stint. Like whatever I want, you're getting it for me."

"Sounds totally fine by me," Levi's face lights up like a kid, and this is the first time that I've seen him smile like that. He looks so fucking adorable. But I still want to punch his pretty face. No doubt. "Shall I pick you up from your place or what?"