Your Best Friend Is Not Your Girlfriend

            “Can we go home now?”

            “Ry, we just got here! And it’s gonna’ be fun, I promise!” Brendon even held out his pinkie.

            Ryan sighed and took out his phone. It was going to be a long night.

            Tell me how you got out of this again? Ryan shot off the quick text to Spencer and her reply was almost instantaneous.

            I’m the one with the flu dumbass. Be my guest to come home and throw up all over our living room.

            Gladly. Let’s pull a Freaky Friday, switch bodies with me.

            Stop ignoring bden. N try to have fun pls.

            Ryan let out another sigh and turned his attention to Brendon who was scanning the overly populated frat house, on the tips of his toes, apparently looking for someone.

            “Bren, we don’t know anyone here. Who the hell could you be looking for?”

            “Of course I know people here! How else would we have gotten invited?” Brendon placed his heels back on the ground and turned to look at Ryan instead.

            “I thought you were stalking someone new this week and followed them here.”

            “Fair guess,” Brendon conceded. “But no, Jon invited me.”

            “Jon? The girl that makes your coffee? She was probably just being nice Brendon, you barely even know her.” And Ryan frowned a little at that, why was the hot barista with the pretty brown eyes and lazy smile inviting Brendon to strange parties?

            Ryan’s thoughts were interrupted by a crow of “Brendon!” from somewhere behind him. Lo and behold here was said hot barista girl hugging Brendon and saying how glad she was he could make it.

            Ryan had to admit she looked much better out of her Starbucks uniform. He was just taking in the way her tank top fell just right over her chest when he felt Brendon’s elbow in his side. He grunted and snapped his gaze towards Brendon’s face instead.

            “Anyway, the kid with the staring problem is my friend Ryan,” Brendon smiled, all of his white teeth glinting. Ryan thanked god that Brendon was gay and would probably end up making out with some random kid tonight. Brendon and his grin were out of the running for barista girl.

            “Soy mocha latte right?” And there was that lazy grin again.

            Ryan grinned back. “Yup, that’s me.”

            “Nice to formally meet you Ryan.”

            “You too, Jon.”

            She sent him a quizzical look. Shit, he probably shouldn’t know a girl’s name before she even tells him.

            He scratched the back of his neck and said, “Uh, I’ve read your nametag before.”

            Ryan heard Brendon snort from somewhere behind him and Jon started to laugh too but it didn’t sound nearly as sarcastic.

            “At least you can read. I’ve met many other guys tonight who can’t say as much.”

            Ryan laughed back before frowning again. Why were other illiterate suitors trying to talk to barista girl too?

            Luckily Brendon interrupted. “Oh! There’s the other person I know,” He jumped up and darted across the room.

            “Jesus, that kid probably passed his Apparation test with flying colors.”

            “His what?” Ryan asked, his brow wrinkling.

            “His apparation test. You know, like Harry Potter.”

            “Sorry, never read it.”

            Jon’s jaw dropped in mock horror, or wait Ryan was pretty sure that was actual horror.

            “Stick with me soy mocha, I will teach you many things,” She nodded to herself in reaffirmation before blinding Ryan with that grin again.

            He smiled back and tried to be less of the awkward human being he normally was.

            “Speaking of which, I know where they keep the good booze if you wanna’-“ She trailed off by tilting her head and starting off towards the other side of the room. Ryan obligingly followed. Appreciating the view as well.

            “So what’s your major?” Ryan asked as Jon mixed him a drink with a startling amount of colors in it.

            “Photography,” She answered quickly while grabbing another bottle. Ryan could definitely grow to appreciate the small muscles in her forearms. She launched into an explanation of a current photography project she was working on and how her and her best friend liked to go around and take pictures at shows. Ryan listened avidly, nodding at all the right parts and by the end of the conversation he had already had three of whatever those nice forearms had mixed for him and he was definitely swaying on his feet.

            “So what’s your m-“Jon started, but she was interrupted when one of the frat brothers, (Ryan could only assume that all tall, broad guys were in this fraternity) came up and put a hand on Jon’s elbow.

            “You wanna’ dance?”

            Jon turned around to face the tall guy, her smile still in place. “Sorry, but I was just about to dance with my friend here.” She inclined her head towards Ryan and the guy nodded and walked away, probably going to grab the next girl by the elbow.

            When Jon turned around her smirk was still in place. “So I guess we have to dance now. I mean, I wouldn’t want that guy to call me a liar or anything.”

            Ryan laughed, but shook his head a little. “No, I’m really a terrible dancer.”

            “I’m not all that great either, but I’ve had about ten of these tonight,” She held up her empty cup. “So I think I’ll be all right.”

            Ryan didn’t even have the chance to reply before she was grabbing him by the wrist and hauling him towards the middle of the room where many a college coed was grinding up against another. Ryan stumbled but suddenly those nice forearms were holding him up and Jon’s laugh was right in his ear.

            “You had ten of those? Jesus, you’re a champion. I’ve only had three”

            “I know, lightweight,” She rolled her eyes, but placed her arms around Ryan’s neck anyway. “Then again, I’m not a twig.”

            Ryan placed his hands at her hips, appreciating the curve of them, and said almost reverently, “No, you’re most definitely not.”

            She laughed and starting moving her hips against Ryan’s. And unlike almost every couple out there on the floor, she didn’t turn around so Ryan could grind his denim clad cock against her; she faced him head on, staring at his face.

            “So, I never got to ask what your major was.” She whispered, her breath hitting Ryan in the neck.

            He gulped before saying, “Creative writing.”

            “Ah, the next great novelist?”

            “No, nothing like that. I don’t know, I mostly just write nonsense.” He shrugged again. “I read a lot.”

            She nodded as if she understood. “What have you been reading lately?”

            “Mark Twain for the most part.” Ryan realized he was at a frat house but he sounded like an old man, he was used to the feeling.

            She set her head on his shoulder and nodded against him before whispering, “One is apt to overestimate beauty when it is rare.”

            Ryan looked down at the top of her head and whispered into her hair. “Did you just quote Twain to me?” He could already feel himself hardening in his jeans, he hoped she didn’t notice.

            She looked up and there was that smile again, Ryan couldn’t stop looking at it. He unconsciously licked his lower lip and saw her eyes dart down to it immediately. He shifted his leg a little, so that he was leaning down, leaning forwards when-

            “Does this belong to anyone?” The tall frat guy was back, but this time he was standing on top of a table using his strong arm to haul up a small, sagging kid. Brendon. Brendon who didn’t seem to be listening or making the effort to hold himself up, rather he was more interested in leaning over and throwing up on the frat guy’s shoes.

            “Fuck.” Ryan heaved possibly the heaviest sigh in history before turning his attention back to the girl beside him. “I guess I better bring him home.”

            She nodded. “Yeah, before he gets his ass kicked at least.”

            “Fuck,” He said again. “God, I’m really, really sorry.”

            “It’s okay, just go get Brendon.”

            Ryan squeezed her hand quickly and shot off an, “It was really, really, really nice to meet you,” before darting off towards Brendon.

            “Ryan!” Brendon slurred as the tall guy heaved him off of the table, and Brendon sagged into Ryan’s side instead.

            “Yeah, Bren, let’s go home.”

            He nodded against Ryan’s chest, drooling all over his button-down.

            Ryan turned around and already saw some other guy walking over to Jon. Not the frat guy from before, but a scruffy, blonde guy that made Jon’s smile blinding to look at.

            Ryan quickly tugged Brendon out of the door and onto the street. Halfway home Brendon started tugging on Ryan’s collar.

            “Ryan, Ryan. Ryan Ross.”

            “Jesus, Brendon what?”

            “Sorry to be a cock block.” And Ryan looked down at his poor, drunken friend who could barely keep his eyes open and a pout already forming on his lips.

            “It’s fine, B, let’s just worry about getting you home.”

            Brendon nodded before pulling away to puke on someone’s front steps.

            “You didn’t even get her number!”

            “Spence, indoor voice, I beg you,” Brendon moaned from where his head was resting in Ryan’s lap.

            “No, I had to help this idiot.” Ryan kept his hand absently running through Brendon’s hair, choosing to focus on that rather than the way Spencer was glaring at him.

            “You’re an idiot. You are going to the coffee house tomorrow and apologizing and getting her number. Understood?” Her fingers tightened around Brendon’s ankles which were deposited in her lap.

            “I don’t know. She was already talking to this other guy by the time I left.”

            “You’re going.” And by the way Brendon let out a yelp; Ryan could only guess that she had dug her nails into his leg as well.

            “Jon Walker if you sigh one more time, I’m going to make you leave for the day.”

            Jon looked up from where she had been swirling her finger around packets of sugar and into Tom’s blue, sarcastic gaze.

            “Sorry,” She said laughing, while cleaning up her mess.

            “It’s fine. But is it a happy sigh or a sad sigh? Because if it is I might have to kick that skinny guy from last night’s ass.”

            She shook her head. “It’s an I don’t know sigh. I mean, he was cool and I thought we hit it off, but then he just had to leave like that.” She sighed again and Tom shot her a frown.

            “I’m sorry!”

            He settled a hand at the small of her back and she immediately leaned into it. “Jonny, you know I’m just fucking with you. Just let me know if I have to kick any scrawny ass okay?”

            She smirked up at him. “I could probably kick his ass myself, you know.”

            “Oh, I know,” He smiled back. “But it’s my job as your protective, asshole best friend, to beat guys up for you. It’s in the job description.”

            “Yeah, yeah,” She said, rolling her eyes.

            Then both of their attention turned towards the door as the bell over it jingled happily and all they heard was, “But how was I supposed to know it was gonna’ start snowing!”

            In walked a skinny kid drenched head to toe, and only wearing a flimsy button-down, scarf, and fingerless gloves. Jon gasped, not expecting to see him again so soon. Ryan looked even better soaking wet and under shitty, Starbucks lighting.

            Tom moved his hand from her back to her shoulder and squeezed. “Keep it in your pants, Walker.” He leaned down to whisper.

            She elbowed him in the stomach, before turning towards Ryan who was now at the counter and smiling crookedly at her. She smiled back, before noticing Ryan frown as his eyes settled on Tom.

            “Well, can you bring me my coat? You’re just around the corner, right?” Ryan said into his phone.

            Jon had already started to get the mixings together for a soy mocha latte. And when she turned around Ryan was closing his phone and shaking the snow out of his hair.

            “Hey,” Ryan said, his eyes widening when he saw the already prepared drink in front of him. “I think I love you.”

            Jon blushed but ducked her head a little to hide it. “Not used to the snow, huh?”

            Ryan shook his head and the little moan he let out after having his first sip of his drink did nothing to deter Jon’s blush. “Nope, I’m from Vegas. I don’t even own a jacket.”

            Jon shook her head at him. “You out of town-ers are the worst.”

            Ryan’s smile was just this side of lopsided. “So, listen,” He said scratching behind his ear a little. “I’m really sorry that I had to leave the other night.”

            Jon shrugged, feeling the way that Tom’s foot tapped her ankle even though he was pretending to be mixing drinks behind her. She kicked his shin in response. “It was okay, I mean you were just helping your friend out.”

            “Yeah, well I don’t know, I’m sorry if it seemed rude or anything. And uh, I didn’t, uh get your number?” Ryan’s cheeks were starting to redden a bit too. “That is, if you wanted to give it to me, I mean, you really don’t have to if you don’t want-“

            Jon held out a hand, taking pity on the poor kid. “Give me your phone.”

            Ryan’s entire body unclenched in relief as he fumbled through his manpurse (“it’s a bag Brendon!”) to retrieve a battered looking sidekick.

            Ryan continued to talk as Jon typed her number in. “Yeah, so I really did have fun the other night and I was thinking we could hang out some other time, if you wanted.”

            Jon looked up at that. “I’d like that a lot actually.”

            Ryan loosened even more. “Great, that’d be great.” He sat at a bar stool, nodding to himself, taking his phone back before sitting up a little. “Oh! How much do I owe you for the drink?”

            She laughed, shaking her head a little at the skinny, sopping wet guy before her. Who also now had her number. “Consider it on the house.”

            “Isn’t it normally the guy’s job to pay?” Ryan smirked, raising an eyebrow and all of a sudden he didn’t look as ridiculous as he did a moment ago.

            “Oh, so we’re on a date now, huh?” Jon smirked back, leaning her elbows onto the counter.

            “I don’t know, you tell me?” He cocked his head to the side a little and Jon could hear Tom snort behind her, she chose to ignore it.

            She was just about to answer when-

            “Here you go you idiot.” And then there was a girl, a hot girl with this shiny hair, blue eyes, and hips, sliding into the seat next to Ryan. She dumped a hoodie in his lap, before heaving a long suffering sigh, and smiling at him.

            “Hey!” Ryan said turning to her. “How was I supposed to know it was going to freaking snow?”

            “Because I left you a note this morning before I left because I didn’t want to wake you up,” She shook her head again, and was it just Jon, or did her blue eyes glint even more when she looked at Ryan?

            “Whatever.” He smiled back, shrugging into the pink hoodie that she had given him. “Thanks anyway.”

            She nodded, before reaching out to grab at his sleeve. “Isn’t this mine anyway? It is! My mom gave it to me when I was sixteen.”

            Ryan laughed as Jon rolled her eyes, great they were childhood “friends”, just great.

            “Oh! Sorry, Jon, this is Spencer. Spencer, Jon.” Ryan said finally turning towards Jon again.

            The girl, Spencer, flicked her blue gaze up and down Jon’s Starbucks uniform clad body. Jon crossed her arms over her chest, feeling oddly exposed. “You’re the girl from the party, right?”

            And that was even weirder. Ryan had told Spencer about Jon? What did the guy go home and laugh with his girlfriend about all the girls that hit on him and then get their numbers?

            “Yeah, that’s me,” Jon’s gaze shifted to the counter. Normally other (bitchy) girls didn’t intimidate her, but right now she just felt embarrassed for hitting on another girl’s guy. And then there was a warm hand at her back again.

            “Hey, can I get you anything?” Tom asked, inclining his head towards Spencer.

            “Oh, no sorry. I-actually we-,“ She grabbed Ryan’s sleeve again and tugged-“have to get going to class.”

            She stood up, gathering her bag and tugged Ryan up with her. “It was nice meeting you, Jon.” She said before heading for the door.

            Ryan took a little longer to pull his bag over his shoulder and he stood there fiddling with the strap. He looked from Tom to Jon a little nervously before saying, “Thanks for the coffee Jon. And I’ll, uh call you sometime?”

            She nodded, but didn’t look up, choosing to lean even further back against Tom. Because even though she only met this kid at one party, he was smart, and she liked him. And apparently he had a girlfriend.

            After the bell jingled, signaling Ryan’s exit, Tom let out a sigh.

            “Seriously gonna’ kick his scrawny ass.”

            But Tom doesn’t need to kick any ass because within two days Ryan called. And then he called again. And then he texted. And then he and Jon started calling and texting pretty regularly, just little things like I found a new bookstore and I passed a good spot for taking pictures. And then they started hanging out. Going to movies, hanging in the dorms, free coffee at Starbucks. Then Ryan brought Jon to another coffee house for a poetry night and when Ryan got up to read and recited this nice little poem about flowers, and the sun, and a crooked smile Jon maybe melted, but only a little. And then Jon dragged Ryan along to an Academy show, which at the beginning was a little awkward with Tom glaring at Ryan from the stage and Ryan looking like he wanted the floor to eat him whole, but it ended all right. And Jon even got a dance or two out of Ryan.

            But the thing is they don’t kiss, ever. They don’t even hold hands. Just when Jon thinks they’re about to there’s this little voice in the back of her head saying something that sounds remarkably like ‘Spencer’. Or Ryan’s too busy staring at Tom and gulping pitifully, waiting to get punched in the face. As far as Jon’s concerned, she and Ryan are friends, and she’s okay with that. While she’d like nothing more than to pin him against any near surface and shove her tongue down his throat, she doesn’t. She’s not the girl to mack on someone else’s boyfriend.

            Which is why when she and Ryan go to a movie and they’re having a spectacular time, (Jon even inviting Ryan to another frat party that’s coming up and Ryan immediately saying yes) and Spencer calls, Jon can act like she’s not even bothered. And when Ryan apologizes over a thousand times and says “Ugh, Spencer’s flu came back and she’s getting sick everywhere, I think I have to go take care of her,” Jon just smiles and says ’do what you gotta’ do.”

            Ryan apologizes another fifty times before reaching down and placing a soft kiss against Jon’s cheek. Jon spends the rest of the movie (a romantic comedy about finding the right guy at the wrong time) rubbing her cheek, texting Tom, and trying not to cry. Because even if you are a poetry reciting, gorgeous failboat, who can talk for hours about Bob Dylan, Jon Walker does not cry.

            “Whoa,” Tom appeared from out of nowhere to place a hand between Jon’s shoulder blades. “How many of those have you had?” And then he was taking the cup out of Jon’s hands even though she was making grabby hands for it and giving Tom her big, brown, sad eyes.

            “Tom!” She whined and when she continued her lisp was worse than ever before, “Please, give it back. I’ve only had a few.”

            Carden strolled boy, his hands gripping the waist of a scared looking freshman with curly black hair and a nice set of sideburns. “Yeah, a few dozen. Seriously, Tomrad cut her off.”

            “I hate you Mike!” Jon screamed at Mike’s retreating back, before stumbling forward. Two strong arms caught her around the waist and she slumped against Tom’s chest in defeat.

            “Did you see him?” She asked, her mouth moving against Tom’s shirt.

            “Yeah, I saw him.” He whispered into Jon’s hair, before petting her a little.

            She sighed and looked towards Ryan, who was standing near the bar (the very one where Jon mixed those first few drinks for him) with Brendon, and her. His very pretty girlfriend who was wearing obscenely tight jeans that made her hips look even better if possible. Currently Ryan was laughing as Spencer laid a hand on his arm; he appeared to be having the time of his life. But then he turned to look at Jon, whose eyes were slowly closing due to the way Tom’s fingers were carding through her hair, and a frown snapped into place almost immediately.

            She sighed again against Tom before tugging him forward. “Fuck this, let’s go dance.”

            Tom followed obligingly behind her, his hands on her hips so she didn’t pitch forward again.

            Jon turned herself around in Tom’s arms and started moving her hips with his. She closed her eyes, trying to forget about everything else. But all she can see behind closed eyes is Spencer’s hand, resting possessively against Ryan’s bicep. And then she opened her eyes and Ryan was right there in front of her. He wasn’t dancing with Spencer though, he was letting Brendon dance around him, laughing and rolling his eyes when Brendon moved in and put his hand on Ryan’s waist. He caught Jon’s eye and smiled at her, a little crookedly, a little sad.

            He raised his hand in a small wave too, before lowering his arm quickly when he noticed Tom glaring at him from behind Jon’s back.

            “Hey!” Jon practically shouted over the music, still rolling her hips with Tom’s. “Where’d your girl go?”

            Tom squeezed the hands he had placed on Jon’s hips, a warning. Don’t make a drunken fool of yourself, Walker, please.

            Ryan’s brow wrinkled a little and even Brendon stopped his weird mating dance and stilled beside him. “Spencer? She went to get another drink, why?”

            “Well I just figured,” Jon kept shouting, noticing that she seemed to be catching a lot of people’s attention. “You’d want to dance with your girlfriend, you know.”

            “Girlfriend?” Ryan and Brendon shouted in unison, their eyes wide.

            Jon nodded against Tom, the violent bob of her head making her dizzy.

            “Whoa, Jon, Spencer’s not my-“

            But she didn’t even hear the end of Ryan’s sentence because she was pitching forward again and emptying the twenty cups of mixed drinks she just had onto Ryan’s leather shoes.

            “Shit,” She heard Tom say behind her. And she couldn’t even bring herself to apologize because Ryan deserved puke on his shoes for leading her on.

            “Tommy,” She whispered, into his shirt where she’d found herself slumped against again. “I’m tired, take me home?”

            Tom nodded, not even asking Jon if she could make it, before he was lifting her up into his arms bridal style. Normally she’d protest and tell Tom she could walk on her own, but tonight she didn’t think she could and she certainly didn’t have the energy to say so.

            The last thing she remembered was seeing Ryan looking sad in front of her and him telling Tom, “Take care of her, okay?”

            Tom Conrad woke for his ten am shift at Starbucks and found a still sleeping Jon Walker on his couch. He shook his head before heading out the door for work. He opened the store all on his own and sat at the counter thinking of ways to cover for Jon for when the manager showed up. Because Tom knew Jon would not be making it in for her ten am shift, at least not for a few hours and not without an enormous hangover.

            While he was thinking of a good enough excuse the front door slammed open, jangling the bell harshly and drawing Tom’s eyes to the door. It was that girl, the one that went out with that skinny kid Jon seemed so hung up over. He sighed and rubbed his temples, he didn’t need to deal with this shit so early. He’d rather be outside smoking a cigarette.

            “You. We need to talk.” The girl said and now she was striding towards Tom with an angry look on her face.

            “Uh, okay? Do you want a coffee first?” Tom was already pouring himself a cup; he figured he’d need it.

            “Sure,” She acquiesced, sighing and dropping onto a counter stool. She ran a hand through her hair, and tugged a little on her ratty sweatpants. Tom thought even in sweats, she still had a pretty nice ass.

            After she had drained half of the mug he had placed in front of her, she got the bitchy, no nonsense look back on her face. “So are you or are you not dating Jon Walker?”

            Tom choked a little on the coffee sliding down his throat, scalding his tongue. He coughed for a few minutes before saying. “What? No, that’s just-no.”

            “Are you sure?” She raised one eyebrow.

            “No. That’s just weird. Jon’s like my little sister or something.” Tom frowned before turning on the girl. “Why do you care though? She’s not gonna’ go after your man or anything if that’s what you’re thinking.”

            “My what?” And then the girl, Spencer, just rolled her eyes before letting out a chuckle. “Ryan is not my man. God, we are all such idiots.”

            “Wait? You’re tellin’ me that that kid is not your boyfriend?”

            “God no! He’s my best friend. Since we were five.” She wrinkled her nose. “Ryan’s like my brother. Probably a lot like how you and Jon are.”

            “Are you sure? I mean I saw the way you were with him when you came in here that one time. I was kinda’ waiting for you to piss all over him and mark your territory or something.”

            Spencer laughed again; a deep, rich sound. She nodded a little, too. “Yeah, I guess I can get kinda’ protective. It’s only because, well, Ryan’s a big idiot and he’s shit at relationships and girls break his heart all the time, so I just have to watch out for him.”

            Tom shook his head as a laugh rumbled through his chest this time. “God, we are all fucking idiots. And your dumb friend sounds a little perfect for Jon.”

            Spencer nodded again before smirking a little at Tom. He found himself staring at her mouth. “Does Jon work later?”

            Tom drew his eyes away before and nodded quickly. “Yeah, she should be in now but she’s, um, a little hung-over so she’ll probably be here in an hour or two.”

            Spencer nodded, already whipping out her phone.

            At around noon Ryan Ross found himself standing outside of Starbucks, shifting from foot to foot. He kind of wished he smoked because then at least he’d have something to do right now, instead of standing here waiting like an idiot. After walking around the building a third time, he finally headed inside. He had no idea what he was going to say to Jon, or if she was even going to be here. But when Spencer had texted him, She’s not dating him, he knew he had to at least try.

            And Ryan’s breath caught in his throat when he saw Jon at the counter. She was wiping down the counter, her hair was in a messy ponytail, and she looked like she hadn’t slept at all last night. Ryan thought she looked beautiful.

            She lifted her head upon hearing the bell and when she saw him her eyes widened. She was openly staring at him as he made his way to the counter. He gulped.

            “Hi,” He said slowly. Not bothering to sit down he didn’t know how long this was going to take, he didn’t even know what this was.

            “Um, hi,” She turned around and then she was placing a soy mocha latte in front of him. He let out a small smile at the sight. “Look, if you’re here to say you never want to talk to me again I get it.”

            Ryan snapped his head up to meet Jon’s gaze. “What? Why would I ever want to do that?”

            She shrugged before her eyes widened in horror. And he’d seen many Jon Walker expressions but he never thought he’d see Jon, embarrassed. “Oh, God. I puked on you last night didn’t I? God, Ry, I’m really sorry.”    

            He laughed a little. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t really like those shoes anyway.” She smiled at that, but she still wouldn’t lift her eyes from the countertop she was now studying. “Listen, Jon, I’m no good at things like this. But I just wanted to say that if I had known that you weren’t with that scruffy guy I wouldn’t have waited so long.”

            “Wait? Me with a scruffy guy?” Jon wrinkled her brow before laughing when clarity struck. “Tom? You thought I was with Tom?”

            Ryan shrugged, now he was the one to stare at the countertop.

            Jon reached out, covering Ryan’s hand with her own. “Tom’s like a brother to me. I can’t believe you thought I was with him.”

            Ryan shrugged again and Jon let go of his hand.

            “But even though I’m not with Tom, because I am not. It wouldn’t matter anyway, you’re the one with a girlfriend.”

            Ryan’s head snapped up at that. “Girlfriend? I don’t have a girlfriend.”

            Jon raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re honestly telling me that Spencer isn’t your girlfriend?”

            Ryan actually let out a shriek of laughter. “Spencer? You think I’d date Spencer? Ew. That would be like incest. She’s been my best friend since we were kids.”

            Jon stared at him, trying to gauge if what he was saying was true. Because if it was then what were they doing this whole time?”

            “Oh God,” She exhaled.

            Ryan nodded, reaching for Jon’s hand again. “We’re both complete dumbasses.”

            Jon nodded, still in shock. Apparently she could have had what she’d wanted this entire time.

            “I know,” Ryan said, laughing and shaking his head. He couldn’t believe how dense they both were. He tightened his grip on Jon’s hand. “But now that we’re both single, what do you say we go on a real date?”

            She snorted, tugging Ryan around and behind the counter with her. “Save it, Ross, we’ve already been on about twenty.”

            He took a step closer so that they were chest to chest and he could feel her breath on his neck. “True, but now I can do this.” And he reached down, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her in front of a room full of interested Starbucks customers.

            She gasped, before slipping her eyes shut, and slipping her tongue into Ryan’s mouth. He made a little mewling sound before opening his mouth. Running his tongue over hers.

            She laughed into his mouth, ending the kiss, and rested her head on his shoulder.

            “We definitely waited too long for that.”

            Ryan gulped, laughing, and carded a hand through Jon’s hair.

            “So now what?” He asked her staring down into her brown eyes.

            “Hmm. Now, yes I think, now we make out in the back stock room.” He laughed as she tugged him forward and into the door behind them. He crowded her against the closed door, placed his hands on her waist, and leaned down. Jon put a hand at the back of Ryan’s neck, her hand twisting in the curls at the nape of his neck, and pulled him forward, surging their lips together.

            “Mmm,” Ryan said, following Jon as she moved further into the room, but his foot caught on something and he found himself falling backwards and tugging Jon with him.

            “Ouch Ross,” She said landing on him. “You’re way too bony.” But she liked where they had ended up. She looked down at Ryan and before she knew it he was cupping the back of her head and pulling her mouth down to his. They made out lazily for a few minutes before Jon settled down against Ryan. She hummed as he curled her hair around his long fingers.

            “This is nice,” She whispered into his neck and he hummed in response.

            “Jon?” She lifted her head to meet his gaze. “What did I trip over before?”

            She furrowed her brow before hearing a familiar bark of laughter.

            “Tom?!” She screeched.

            The only reply she got was another laugh mixing with Tom’s as she saw Tom and Spencer run out towards the supply closet, picking up clothes as they went.

            “Spence, what the fuck!” Ryan yelled back at them.

            “Just go back to what you were doing, Ry!”

            And they heard some more giggles and then a door slam.

            “What the actual fuck?” Ryan said staring at Jon with wide eyes and a confused grin blooming across his face.

            Jon shook her head, her body shaking with laughter against Ryan’s.

            After they had settled Jon straddled Ryan’s hips and looked down at him. “You know, she didn’t have a bad idea there.”

            And with one eyebrow raise from Jon, Ryan was sitting up quickly, making sure to hold Jon in place and attacking her mouth with his.

            She laughed against his mouth. “Relax, Ry. No rush, we have all the time in the world.”

End.