Free The Lessons by Elizabeth Brown Page A

and then decided this would be a perfect time to bring up my love life. Or lack-thereof. “Well, just so you know, you won’t have to worry about that happening with LeeLee here.”
    “Oh yeah?” Brad sat up a little straighter and looked over at me.
    “Oh yeah. LeeLee never dates.”
    Good thing the bar was dark, because I blushed a thousand shades of crimson. Goddamn it Josh! I pinched his leg, out of sight to the others. He jerked and looked over at me. I pressed my lips together and shot him a look.
    “What?” he shrugged. “You don’t.”
    Argh. He knew very well I couldn’t cite him as the one and only person I’d dated. So I improvised.
    “I’ve dated a few people,” I said casually, shaking my head. I knew without looking at him that he was making his ‘I don’t believe that for a second’ face, so I continued. “I just didn’t mention them.”
    “Oh, really !?”
    “Yeah. What of it? It’s not like we were getting married or anything. Relax. Besides, how many people have you slept with? I know I don’t know the names of all of them.” I teased.
    “Well, that’s true,” he said, smirking as he took a sip of beer. “But neither did I.”
    ~
    Around eleven, we parted ways, and Josh and I ended up back at my apartment
    “That’s it. I’m moving to San Francisco. I mean, hello, Natalie, even your pizza guys are hotter out here,” Josh said as he came into the living room with a large, flat box. “I’m pretty sure Marco and I just had a moment in the hall.”
    “You sure he wasn’t just angling for a better tip?”
    “Oh, Marco can have my tip any time he wants. In fact, he can have the whole thing, ‘cuz I’m generous like that.”
    “Josh, seriously? Ew. I’m about to eat.”
    He just laughed as we sat on the rug and opened the box.
    “Speaking of ew, this side is yours, Ms. Pineapple and Anchovy,” he said, rotating the box so that the pepperoni and sausage side faced him.
    “Whatever. Sweet and salty, it’s the best flavor combination.”
    “I’ll tell you what else is sweet and salty,” he said with a smirk as he pulled out a slice and folded it in half.
    “Goddammit Josh, don’t you dare ruin my pizza. Besides, pepperoni and sausage? That’s like, so gay-boy of you.”
    He took a big bite and then continued, “Hey, whatever I’m secure in my stereotype.”
    I shook my head and took a couple of bites as I leaned back against the base of the sofa.
    “You know, Nat, I think this is the messiest I’ve ever seen one of your apartments.”
    I eyed the two yet-to-be-unpacked boxes in my living room. It wasn’t that messy and he knew it. He was just giving me a hard time. “Yeah, yeah. Very funny Josh.”
    “You know what I was thinking on the flight? Can you believe we’ve known each other for almost nine years?”
    Wow. Had it already been that long? Dang. “That’s crazy,” I said, taking another bite.
    “I know. You know Nat, I never did thank you for being so understanding when I came out.”
    I looked over at him. Aw, Joshie was getting all sentimental on me. “Careful, don’t get too mushy Josh, my tear ducts go off at random times after last year, even if I intellectually object.”
    He scooted over to me so we were sitting next to each other. “I’m serious, Nat, it meant the world to me. I know I kind of sprung that on you, and I need to thank you for not flipping out on me. Really. I mean, my own sister didn’t speak to me for two weeks, but you stuck by me. Thank you for that.”
    I pondered what he was saying for a bit and even was tempted to share the effects his coming out had on me and my Plan, but I decided against it. That ship had sailed long ago, and honestly, I didn’t want anything to mar what we had now. Pure, good, friendship. With my only friend.

Chapter Ten
     
    Ryan
    I’d been holed up in my room all morning, trying to knock out a section of my thesis before my appointment with Natalie later that day. Because I knew that once I