SS(S)S - Exposed

For a whole mission that’s literally about sex, you find yourself woefully unprepared for being naked with Sal. It’s the first time in your life that you, a lifelong athlete, have felt nerves about being in this type of shower. Sal’s sports anime onee-sama energy burns even brighter here because she’s so cool about it. It’s like she doesn’t even notice.

You notice. She looks incredible, and she has these tan lines that are so clearly defined that they **** you to picture the bikini that she must’ve been wearing, and that sets your heart off racing in a completely different direction. You’re a thousand times more self-conscious than you were last night with the girls.

It’s too much. One of your stolen glances goes a heartbeat too long.

“You OK?” Sal asks, looking over at you as she rinses off.

“Yup. Just got a little distracted,” you say, embarrassed.

“Are you flirting with me, CCL girl?” she asks, feigning indignance.

“No. Nope,” you say quickly, waving a hand. “I’m sorry.” Then you look at her more directly. She turns to face you, hands on hips. Her face is up there and you do a good job keeping your eyes on it. You don’t do a great job not stammering over your words. “But do you want to do something?”

“Like what?”

“Like do something later?”

Sal smiles down at you. “Like a date?”

“Yes,” you reply, committing.

Sal is tough to read. She doesn’t do anything as obvious as look you up and down, but she’s thinking.

“You sure you want to be seen with me?” she asks. “Your friends will know that you messed up their laptop prank or whatever.”

There is that. “Um,” you say. Then you fold your arms and try to return her gaze. “How about your place?”

Her eyebrows rise and her smile widens. “You’re unironically proposing Netflix and chill?”

“Yes,” you say, laying one hand on your chest. “I am a CCL girl, and therefore authorized to deadass serious hit girls up to Netflix and Chill.”

“Right. Right. Do you do that a lot, Meri?”

“First time.”

“You’re doing great.”

“Thanks,” you say.

“What time were you thinking?”

Your ears burn. “How about right now?”

“Whoa. Easy. This is a date with a CCL girl,” Sal says with an obnoxious look. “I can’t half-ass it. I have to get ready. How about eight?”

“OK,” you agree.

In the locker room, as you finally get yourself under control and make a point not to watch her get dressed, you come to your senses and remember your mission. Your tiny little gay brain got so lost in Sal that for a few minutes, she took Athena’s place in your heart.

“Thank you,” you say as Sal pulls on her shirt.

“For what?”

“For hanging out with me and being cool about everything,” you say, getting back into character… kind of. The character has merged with your true self.

“Thanks for bringing me my computer,” Sal replies with a laugh.

Right. Right. You did do that.