My Best Friend's Mediocre Boyfriend

Brazen Hussy

Matt

I was hashtag blessed.

I had spent the past two weeks scrubbing away at dried food specks until my fingers oozed a nameless red liquid, picked up snotty tissues that customers had left behind, and overall been verbally mistreated but I was a lucky man.

All that hard work had resulted in a pay of exactly one hundred dollars. Ask and you shall receive, I thought to myself as I skipped back to my job.

However, what I hadn't asked for was Aimee. But received I did.

As I was tugging my paper boat-shaped hat onto my head, my manager approached me. "Matthew, I would like you to meet our new waitress, Aimee."

Aw tiddlywinks, this isn't swell.

The freckled woman with the fiery red locks gave me a wiggle of her fingers as she beamed at me. You see, Aimee was nice enough but she loved playing checkers and had once managed to lure me into playing the game with her.

Well, partially. While we hadn't competed in a full match, I had entertained her invitation and moved a few pieces about on the board.

And I won't lie, it felt amazing.

Watching her grasp the hard objects and run her fingers over them as she contemplated her next move was enough to give me the shivers. And I nearly unraveled when she pressed one to her mouth, her tongue flicking lightly against the tip.

Vanessa and I hadn't begun going steady at that point, but I knew the world would still frown upon my actions just the same if I had proceeded with a full match.

"What a scoundrel," they would say. "How dare he entertain another component even though he's not in a committed relationship and gave zero indication that he wanted to be? His narrative on this Earth isn't meant to be about anyone except for Vanessa."

Matt Jones is a man gardening tool.

I could practically see the whispers as though they were comments on a Wattpad novel.

So, Aimee and I had parted ways, but golly, she was persistent. 

She would ask me in class if she could borrow my pen which I knew was an innuendo. I mean, come on. Pen. Ink. A long object containing a liquid. The implication was obvious.

And she would stare at me too, such as when I was speaking, or that time that I fell down the stairs at school. I couldn't get rid of the dang girl.

And now, she had taken it too far by showing up at my place of employment.

My boss cleared his throat, pulling me back into the present. "Matt, would you mind showing Aimee around and teaching her on where we keep the extra sprinkles and hot fudge?"

I narrowed my eyes at the redhead. She's obviously put him up to this so that she can be alone with him. Of course, I mind.

"Yes, sir," I mumbled, gazing down at the floor.

"Great," he replied, clasping me on the shoulder. "I'll leave you to it then."

I brought Aimee to the backroom and gestured at a tall shelf that contained brightly colored shots, napkins, and bottles of caramel drizzle. "Here are the condiments," I muttered flatly. "Any questions?"

Biting her lip, she nodded. That checkers playing hussy.

"I'm a little unsure of where you keep the whip cream? Do you have a refrigerator?" she questioned, her aura one of evil.

I gasped loudly at her gall as I clutched at my chest. Of course, she would ask that. She probably wants to lock me in the walk-in freezer and beg me to eat the sweet topping off her. But Matt Jones is no man gardening tool!

"Aimee, I would really rather just show you the ice cream," I announced, pulling back my shoulders and wondering how I could possibly work with such a brazen woman.

***

Vanessa's POV

The man with the hued hair and eyes of a color beamed at me as I opened my dorm room door. He held up a blue lollipop for me to see. 

"I wanted to thank you for aiding me in getting back inside my room the other day," he piped up, extending his hand. "I'm Ryan, by the way. I apologize for being touchy about giving you my name but..."

I held up my palms before accepting the sweet treat from him. "Say no more. I would have done the same but now that we've had that one meaningless five minute interaction, we have clearly been vetted as safe people to be around."

He gave me the thumbs-up. "I still feel indebted to you, so, I would like to treat you to a cupcake at my favorite bakery. How does that sound?"

I took a cautious step backwards. "Whoa. Slow all the way down, pal. I have a boyfriend and really shouldn't even be breathing the same air as another man. You know how the people feel about that type of interaction."

My gaze dropped to the yellow shirt that he was wearing. A cartoon drawing of a green dinosaur baring its friendly teeth was printed onto the fabric, and I couldn't deny that seeing him dressed in that attire did things to my insides.

Funny things.

Is this...L-U-S-T? 

I couldn't even think the word as I was so horrified with myself. Even with Matt, the most impure thought I had was spoiling our dinner with ice cream. And that was scandalous enough as it was. It was the sort of unhinged confession that was only meant for my diary.

Which was why the pages of my journal would surely alit with a burning flame if I dared to pen the "L" word.

A flush colored my cheeks and I gestured at his shirt. "Look, Ryan, I think you are a dino-mite fella, but getting a cupcake together is very wrong and you know it."

He nodded, a light of understanding turning his irises a lighter shade of color. "Vanessa, I respect your boundaries and I want you to know that I've only come here with the offer of being a platonic friend. No funny business and certainly, no hanky panky."

I should hope so. I haven't even done the hanky panky with Matt. 

The closest we had come to engaging in anything intimate was when he had admired my checker board. For some reason, all women were gifted one on the day they were born. And I had never shown mine to anyone until Matt had come along.

One day, while completing our homework, he had planted a peck on my cheek, and one thing had led to another until I had whipped out the game piece.

He bit his lip as he fingered the edges of the board, marveling over how untouched it was. My breathing picked up while I watched him but shame immediately took over, and I clapped the board game shut.

"We shouldn't be doing this," I stated, tears pricking the back of my lids.

He nodded and immediately backed off. "Vanessa, I will never pressure you into playing checkers with me, but I want you to know that you shouldn't feel ashamed for exploring your curiosities on what the game is like. The world would cease to exist if we all stopped playing checkers."

I giggled. This was true but still, I wasn't ready.

Sighing, I slid the checkers board back into my dresser, burying it beneath my Paw Patrol night shirt.

Question of the day: Who do you think will be the first man that Vanessa plays checkers with? Matt, Ryan, or neither?