Free Keep Her by Faith Andrews

I think I missed my calling as a smutty romance novelist. You’d be surprised with my sexting abilities… and I only need one hand to do it.”
    Holy shit! Riley Grayson was holding out on me all this time. Even though I wouldn’t get to see her until Friday, when we’d have to pretend things were the way they’d always been, this week was already starting off better than I’d expected.
    “So, can I hang up now and see exactly what that dirty mind of yours can do?”
    “No. I kind of like talking to you,” she admitted in a much quieter voice. “Is that cheesy? I mean, in this day and age do people even talk on the phone anymore?”
    I laughed at the adorableness of her honesty. “Texting certainly does make things a little easier, if you ask me, but I like talking to you too. Even if you’re not drunk and sloppy.”
    “Hey, I wasn’t that drunk.”
    “Oh, no? Riles, you sang that song for thirty minutes straight. I’ve been making up my own lyrics all day today.”
    At that, she let out a string of the most contagious giggles I’d ever heard. “Oh my god. Really? I’m sorry, but—”
    I knew what she was going to say. “No. I don’t sing. Not happening.”
    “Come on, B. Please? I want to hear what you came up with. Don’t leave me hanging… I’ll even start you off. Cabaret, ohhhh! Even though I used to tie your shoes, I like to share my bed with you.”
    Damn it! I would never get it out of my head now. And she was spewing them out, one after the other, with precision and ease. It was impossible not to laugh at the hilarious way she made each set of new lyrics about our situation. “Alright, already.” I finally caved, wanting to join the fun. “Give a dude a chance. Anything not to hear your terrible screeching anymore.” It was a lie. She actually had a really sweet voice, but I couldn’t go giving her a million compliments right away. There’d be nothing to look forward to later.
    “Fine, meanie. Let’s hear what you got.”
    I thought long and hard. It was a catchy enough tune that was easy to put words to, but I wanted to make them about us, the same way she had. “Okay, I think I got one.” I cleared my throat and swallowed my pride. Was I really about to sing into a phone? Yup, guess so. “Cabaret… ohhhh! Even though you like to call me Beckster, I still want to rock your world.”
    Her booming laughter made me smile wide. “Oh! I love it! See, I knew you had it in you. Come on, give me another one.”
    Fucking Justin Timberlake and Riley Grayson. The combination of the two was a force to be reckoned with.
    The rest of the conversation went on with us singing and laughing for another hour. At around ten thirty, I reluctantly hung up because I had to shower and get to bed so I wouldn’t be dragging ass in the morning.
    The last thing I thought about before I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep was how easy it was to talk to Riley. How much fun it was to just be ourselves. How surprising it was that we could be more than friends, yet not have to center our situation on sex. I also thought about how it scared the shit out of me that I was smiling like I hadn’t smiled in forever. I was supposed to be the one rocking Riley’s world, but my best friend’s knock-out sister was beginning to turn mine upside down.
     

     
    “Dude, if you don’t stop whistling that fucking tune, I’m gonna get the hose and blast the shit out of you,” Derek barked from his usual spot on the community recliner in the rec room of the firehouse. There was nothing community about it when Derek was around.
    I guess I really wasn’t getting the song out of my head any time soon. In fact, it must have been a subconscious thing, because I didn’t even know I was still whistling it. “Sorry, Derek. Kinda can’t help it.”
    “What the fuck’s got you all whistle while you work at fucking eight a.m. anyway? Last I heard, you and Marissa were on the outs. Things change over the