fact you need to get the puck to the net, but it doesn’t really matter. My eyes stay glued on Gray and the way he flies across the ice, not giving much thought about the score of the game.
“He—” I start.
“As entertaining as Icy and his banjos were, you can say I,” Mon interrupts.
I roll my eyes, but I drag my palm over the back of my head and start again. “I…”
Monica nudges me with her shoulder when I still don’t say anything. “Just spit it out, dude.”
“Gray kissed me,” I blurt out.
Mon is quiet for a long time. “Okay. I did not see that one coming.” She considers me for a while. “Where’s the stupid thing?”
“What?”
“You said you did something stupid. And then you said Gray kissed you. I’m having a bit of difficulty seeing the stupid part. Or at least your role in it.”
“I let him,” I say pointedly. I can’t believe I have to spell this out. I feel like it’s pretty obvious what the stupid part of the equation is.
“Okay. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I was under the impression that consent is a good thing. Let’s recap. Gray kissed you. You kissed him back. You liked it?” She looks at me for confirmation, and I nod. “Yeah… I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t see the problem.”
“How can you not?” I ask, disbelief coloring my every word. “Gray and I kissed. He’s my best friend, which is enough of a problem on its own. You don’t just go around and french your friends.”
“That’d be an awesome band name,” Mon butts in. I glare at her before I continue, but she just shrugs. “Just saying.”
“He’s straight!” I say.
“Clearly not that straight.”
Meanwhile, somebody scores. I quickly clap, even though I’m not sure whose team scored a goal. I might be cheering for the enemy. I’m a good friend.
“He says he wants to do it again,” I continue as the whistle sounds in the rink again.
“Kiss?” Mon clarifies.
“Yes, kiss,” I reply impatiently.
“So do it.” Mon shrugs.
I gape at her. “What?” I snap.
“You clearly want to, so if he does, too, just go for it.”
“You’re the most useless sister ever. You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“What is your side again?”
“That it’s a mistake.”
Mon considers me for a while. “And Gray actually says he wants to kiss you again?”
“Yes.”
“So… he’s pursuing you or what?”
“Yes. Or no. I don’t know. He said he wanted to kiss me again. I said no. He said we should go home, and now it’s been almost two weeks, and he hasn’t brought it up again.” I have no idea if my rambling makes any sense to Mon.
“Sounds like he’s not that interested after all,” she concludes.
“Ha! You’d think that, right? But lately…”
“What?” Mon prompts when I clamp my mouth shut.
“It’s almost as if he’s seducing me,” I say in a low voice, feeling exceptionally stupid as soon as the words have left my mouth.
Mon gives me a side-eyed look. “Gray?” she says with a tone filled with disbelief.
“What?” I bristle on Gray’s behalf. “Gray can be seductive.” He’s having major success with me because all I seem to think about is Gray and the way I want to jump him and rub myself all over him every time I see him.
“If you say so. What’d he do? Cover himself with whipped cream and offer himself up as a snack? Or did he give you a paper asking if you want to be his boyfriend and to check yes or no?”
I pinch her side, and she squirms away, laughing.
“He’s been… See, on the outside, everything is normal, right? We’re just buddies who hang out, but this past week, he touches me. All the time. He brushes against me when he goes past me in the hallway, and he throws his arm around my shoulders sometimes, and he sits so close to me on the couch that our sides are touching. He gives me these long looks sometimes. He smiles at me. He makes me dinner and puts on music!”
“Holy crap! The monster!” Monica gasps. “What kind of music? No, don’t tell me. Let me guess. Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’?”
She starts to laugh, and I send her a sour look. “Laugh away. I’m telling you, that’s not normal.”
Mon smirks. “Sorry. I’m taking this seriously now, I promise. Let’s see, he’s seducing you. Okay. Here’s the thing, do you want him to?”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s a simple question. Do you want to be seduced by Gray?”
I open