Free If I Told You by Jennifer Domenico

climbing in bed beside me. “Sorry you had to see that. I wasn’t expecting anything to happen or I would’ve gone to my room.”
    “It’s cool, Brooks. Is he gone?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Did you fuck him?”
    She turns and looks at me. “No.”
    “Why not?”
    “Why would you ask me that?”
    “Because I know you. What stopped you?”
    “I’m not ready. I wasn’t expecting to do what I did.”
    “Which was?”
    She props herself up on her elbow. “You want details?”
    No, not at all, but I have to act like this doesn’t bother me. I have to. “I usually get them.”
    “I jerked him off. That’s all.”
    “What did he do to you?”
    “The same.”
    “Was it good?”
    “Yeah, but I know that’s all he wants, so I plan to drag it out.”
    “Good idea. You definitely have the upper hand.”
    “Yeah. You should’ve watched if you were so interested in what we were doing.”
    “Don’t think the thought didn’t cross my mind.”
    She smiles. “Why didn’t you then?”
    I reach up and brush her hair behind her ear. “Because then I might’ve joined in. Don’t know what your date would’ve thought about that.”
    “He’d have made room for you. He’s open like that.”
    “Interesting. What would you have done?”
    “I’d make room for you.”
    I study her face for a moment. “Yeah? And then what?”
    “I don’t know, but what a fucking night it would be.”
    “Yeah.”
    “I don’t believe you though. I don’t think you’d really watch while Rhys fucked me.”
    “You’re right.”
    “So why are you joking about joining in?”
    “I’m not joking.” I shrug. “I just got caught up. It’d be hot, that’s all.”
    “Hot?”
    “Yeah, I’ve never had a threesome with another man.”
    “Oh, so it’s not about me. It’s about the experience.”
    Now’s your chance. Tell her it’s all about her. Every thought is. I brush my fingers over her cheek. “I’m just a man, Brooklyn. Seeing a half naked woman on the couch getting worked over turned me on.”
    “I see.” She sits up, and climbs out of my bed, and I realize how I just fucked up my chance to tell her the truth. “Night, Flynn.”
    She walks out of my bedroom before I can say another word. Dammit.
     

     
    In the morning, I’m in the kitchen making coffee when Brooklyn comes out wearing the same pajama set that pushed me over the edge before. She averts her eyes when she sees me.
    “Hey,” I say.
    “Hi.”
    “You mad at me?”
    “Why would I be?”
    I shrug. “Don’t know. You seem a little cold.”
    “Cold?” She nods. “I’m just tired.”
    “Okay. What do you have planned today?”
    “I don’t know.”
    I step back from the coffee maker as she pours herself a mug. Without speaking, she starts to walk back to her bedroom.
    “Talk to me, Brooks.”
    When she swings around, I regret pushing her. Fire seems to shoot from her eyes. “About what, Flynn? About how you’d like to fuck me, but won’t? Or maybe you want to talk about how hot it would be to have a threesome on the couch. Is that what you want discuss? Because frankly, I’m tired of all the talk. You know me better than that. Put up, or shut the fuck up.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “You know exactly what it means. We’re either gonna fuck and get it over with or we’re gonna be friends and not talk about it.”
    “I don’t get what changed. Three days ago everything was fine.”
    She sighs and runs her fingers through her hair. “Here’s what’s changed. I’m used to being treated like nothing more than a piece of ass. In fact, it works for me. No attachments, in and out, my only goal is pleasure.” She looks down at her coffee cup then back at me. “You know everything about me. You know how I treat men and how I think about things.”
    I nod. “I do.”
    “I know the same about you. I just never thought…” She shakes her head. “Nothing.”
    “You can say anything to me.”
    “No.”
    “Come on, Brooks.