to spit out before clamming back up again.
“What are you crazy kids up to tonight?” Peter asked, looking from me to Henry.
“We just rented a movie. Going to watch it in the basement if you don’t mind,” Henry answered, opening the fridge. “Do you want a beer, Alex?”
“Sure!” Beer might not top my favorites list, but I could still swig one down. And maybe it would help take the edge off. I couldn’t believe how nervous I was.
“Fine by me. I’ll probably just finish up here and hit the sack,” Peter said, slipping his glasses back on. “My eyes are beginning to lose focus.”
I wanted to bring up Hannah somehow, but couldn’t figure out a way to be casual about it so I just stayed silent. Henry grabbed us two beers, then opened up a cabinet drawer and pulled out some microwave popcorn, sticking it in the microwave after my enthusiastic nod. It was like a movie theater date, but at his house and with beer. Okay, so not really close to a movie theater date, but whatever.
After saying good night to Peter, we traipsed down the stairs and headed to where the TV was. The basement looked a lot better than the last time I saw it–– the Halloween party–– and I said so to Henry.
“That next day was hell to clean.” He laughed. “Peter actually offered to hire a cleaning service to come in, but I would have hated doing that to a stranger. Max actually clipped his nose shut with a chip clip to avoid the smell.”
“Yikes. Remind me never to have parties then!”
“Do you plan on moving off campus anytime soon?”
I thought about it. “Not really, I guess. We never discuss it anyway. I think the five of us like being around each other, but I’m not sure a house could handle all of us under the same roof. Maybe after this year we’ll talk about it more. We’ll all be twenty-one–– finally might I add–– so probably better to get off campus.”
“When’s your birthday?” Henry asked, flipping the television on and firing up the DVD player.
“January twenty-third. Less than two months away now. I can’t wait to be able to go out with everyone. Hannah is the only other one that isn’t twenty-one, and I know the other girls like a few bars around here. I have a fake, but I hate using it. But then I feel bad when they stay in just for me.” I took a seat on the couch, after deliberating where to choose. The middle? Was that too forward? I finally sat on the right side, but closer to the middle than the edge.
“I remember how that felt. My birthday is in April, so I was one of the last ones to become legal. It sucked. I had a fake too, my brother’s, and it was pretty decent. I still had to be careful though. Didn’t want to screw over myself and my brother just to go to a bar.”
The DVD started, and Henry walked away from the area without a word. The lights dimmed, and he appeared again with a thick blue quilt in his arms. “It can get chilly down here. I thought this might be good to have.”
He sat down on the couch, right next to me. With his hip touching my hip and his arm on my arm, I felt like I could faint. He smelled delectable, manly with a hint of Italian restaurant lingering on his clothes. The white button-down he was wearing made his blue eyes stand out even more, and the way he unbuttoned a few of the top buttons made him look casual yet sexy. I wondered briefly if I was going to be spending the night. My black leggings would be fine to sleep in, but Lila’s silky green top with pearl buttons might not be as comfortable. I would make that decision later.
Henry flipped the tops on the beers and handed me one. He placed the popcorn bowl to his left, where there was room. We settled in as the movie began, sitting side by side and just barely touching. I relaxed into the sofa, pulling the quilt over my legs and feeling blissfully happy. As soon as that thought reached my thoughts, I banished it. No Blissful anything tonight. Tonight, I was simply there to enjoy myself.
About twenty minutes and forty-seven laughs in, Henry shifted on the couch, leaning closer to me. His arm brushed mine, and then reached