Free Freeing by E.K. Blair Page A

and responds, “Same as Jase—Architecture.” She looks over at me and Mark adds, “That’s how we know each other.”
    I smile at Mark as he continues to talk with Candace. I get up and walk over to the grill to cook the burgers. I keep turning my head to the two of them and love that they are having an easy time talking to one another.
    “He’s really hot,” Kimber says as she steps next to me, nudging her arm against mine.
    “Yeah, I know.”
    I start taking the meat off the grill and then get a beer before sitting next to Kimber at the fire pit. I leave Mark with Candace since they seem pretty inseparable at the moment. Mark says something to her and she laughs out loud, tossing her head back as he starts to crack up as well. I have no idea what they are talking about, but seeing the two of them laughing like they are, makes me laugh too.
    The afternoon passes quickly, and I spend most of it with Kimber, drinking and bullshitting around, all the while, watching Mark and Candace from across the backyard. They’ve been talking and laughing non-stop.
    “Help me clean up?” I ask Kimber, and she rolls her eyes at me. “You are such a spoiled brat. Get off your lazy ass, and help me out.”
    Sighing in exasperation, she says, “Fine.”
    Candace and Mark join us in the kitchen after a while and we decide to call it a night.
    Walking us to the door, she says, “It was so good to meet you, Mark.”
    “Same here,” he responds.
    She pulls him in for a hug and tells him, “You’re welcome anytime, and you don’t need Jase with you to stop by.”
    I laugh and shake my head at her when she says this.
    “Thanks,” he says.
    Kimber yells her “goodbye” from the kitchen and we yell it right back. I grab Candace and give her a tight hug. She whispers softly in my ear, “He’s perfect.”
    “I know,” I mumble quietly. I give her a chaste kiss and then head out. Walking to my car with Mark, he takes ahold of my hand and gives my neck a few pecks. We stop at the car and I kiss him. Seeing him so comfortable with my best friend, my only family, makes me happy, and I smile against his lips as we continue to share our slow kiss.
    Mark whispers over my lips, “What’s so funny?”
    I move back and look at him. “Nothing’s funny. I’m just happy.”
    He wraps his arms around my waist and says, “Me too. I see why you love her so much. She’s great.”
    “Yeah, she is. So are you.”
    The smile that grows on his face is beautiful, so I take one last kiss before we get in the car and start driving back to my place. Since neither one of us has an early class tomorrow, Mark decides to stay the night.
    After changing clothes and sliding into bed, Mark wraps his arm around me as I ask into the darkness, “Did you have fun today?”
    “Yeah, I did,” he responds softly. “Thanks for introducing me to your friends. Did you know them before coming to Seattle?”
    “No. I met Candace the first quarter I was here. We had a Gen. Ed. class together. I also had a Communications class with Kimber, but I never spoke to her until I found out she was Candace’s dorm mate.
    “So what’s her story?” he questions. “She seems so different from you and Candace.”
    Letting out a laugh, I tell him, “I don’t know where to begin with that chick. I’ve always found it odd that Candace is such good friends with her because they are so opposite.” I start laughing harder when I think back to our Communications class we had together freshman year. “Oh my God. You wouldn’t believe this speech she gave in that class we shared.”
    “What?” Mark chuckles as I try to control my own laughter.
    “We were assigned an informational presentation. We were free to choose our own topic, but we had to perform a demonstration. So she walks to the front of the class with a blow-up sex doll. No. Shit. Mark. Mouth open for a blowjob, big tits, sex doll!”
    He’s now laughing just as hard as I am. “Are you serious?”
    “No