I nodded almost imperceptibly.

“We picked it out today." And then Amber's lips moved up to my ear.

“We also picked out her lingerie.”

I stiffened and then Amber asked sweetly, holding up her cup.

“You want a taste?"

Smoothies were the last thing on my mind right now. And when I didn't answer, Amber simply turned and kissed my cheek.

“Hmm, you smell good,” she husked knowingly. It wasn't every day that I wore cologne to go to the mall.

But then Amber simply smiled at me. "Bye, babe. I'LL see you tonight.

By the way, I picked her up this morning, so you'll have to drop her off at her apartment.”

I nodded, and then Brianna and I said our goodbyes to Amber. And then we were finally alone.

NOT on a date...

I wasn't quite ready to deal with that yet, so I got into line to make my own order. As Brianna followed me, I tried to come up with a new subject. "So what did you and Amber talk about all day."

“You." There was no further elaboration. Brianna simply stared straight into my eyes with an enigmatic look.

"Ooh, that's dangerous," I tried to inject a little humor into

Brianna's smoky intensity. And for a moment, Brianna stopped undressing me with her eyes.

"why?"

"Two beautiful women, talking about a guy. Either you're sharing all the bad things about me, or praising me so much I'll never live up to your expectations."

“David. You couldn't disappoint me if you tried." There was no doubting the sincerity in Brianna's voice. She was really crushing on me.

I didn't know how to react to that. If I'd had any doubts that Brianna wanted to take our friendship beyond ‘just friends’, they were now gone. I turned away to process that, and mercifully I was soon occupied by the mundane routine of ordering up my smoothie.

When I finally got it and turned around, Brianna was casually seated on a barstool, leaning back against the counter in a pose that drew my attention to the soft skin of her legs. She'd also undone another button on her blouse, and my jaw waggled up and down a couple of times trying to untie my own tongue.

"So? What now?" I asked. I was too busy ogling Brianna and how beautiful she Looked to think of a plan right now.

She sipped at her smoothie, drawing my attention to her ruby red lips wrapped tightly around the straw. She popped up and gasped Lightly for air.

“Doesn't really matter," she said.

“As long as it's with you.” rk

Hours later, we were parked in front of Brianna's apartment, and she was practically in my lap as we did our best to inhale each other's mouth. But things had not always been this way.