Things Are Different Here

seven

There were two facts that defined my entire being. One, I could make out to all of Red—Taylor's Version—and not need air. Two, I still had a major hard-on for Olivia Bryant.

While the first fact didn't really affect my daily life, the second was making working with her difficult.

It had been a week since Olivia's party, and I'd seen her nearly every single day since. It was throwing me for a loop, still being so attracted to her. Knowing she didn't hate me had re-ignited all of my lust. Which, was why I currently had three fingers deep in another Tinder hookup.

"Fuck," the blonde muttered, her eyes flying open as my thumb stroked her sensitive nub every time, and she came undone around my fingers within seconds.

"That was," she sputtered, after catching her breath. "Wow." She watched my tongue lap up her mess off my fingers, not breaking eye contact. She had brown eyes—not as warm as Olivia's, but they were pretty. The kind you could easily get wrapped up in, they kept all of her secrets. Kelsey, that was her name on Tinder.

I didn't say much as I hopped down from her lifted bed and collected my shorts and t-shirt off her floor, and I could tell she didn't know what to say as she regained her composure and watched me. "Are you, uh, leaving already?" She managed.

"Sorry, I thought I told you I had to work this afternoon," I said, pulling my hair out of the collar of my Led Zeppelin t-shirt. "I've got to do some read-throughs." I bent down to pick up my socks, and found a pink toy she'd used—I'd have to remind myself to get one of those.

"You might have, I have an awful memory." The blonde laughed uncomfortably. I could tell when girls I'd hook up with were expecting more out of our encounter, and it made me feel weird. I was always straightforward on dating apps that I wasn't searching for anything serious, and right now, I was matching with as many blondes with dark eyes as I could just to pacify my crush.

"Do you want to get dinner later? Or lunch tomorrow?" Kelsey asked me, and I gave her lopsided smile.

"I'm sorry, my job is so unpredictable right now. I get different hours everyday." I lied through my teeth. "But, I'll text you when I'm free next?" I offered, and she couldn't hide her disappointment, but she smiled anyway.

"Okay, yeah." She nodded, and I slipped my shoes on. "You can lock the deadbolt on your way out."

"Will do, I'll text you." I lied again.

I made sure to deadbolt the door behind me when I left, and I imagined Kelsey was pissed at my shortness. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time, and ordered my Lyft. It was 2:17, and I had to be at the studio by 3:30. We were working with our costume design team this week, and today was one of my last fittings before they sent our measurements off with outfits to be tailored.

what time are you on set today

Olivia had texted me sometime in the last two hours, and I avoided texting her back until I was safely alone.

be there in an hour or so, what's up?

We had created a weird little friendship—if you could call it that. I didn't know what to make of it, but at least she didn't really hate me. She didn't berate me on set anymore, but she didn't talk to me much either. The most I'd talked to her was through text, just little blurbs here and there.

don't tell anyone, but I saved you one strawberry cheesecake cupcake from my birthday stash. it's in your fridge.

I smiled to myself just as Riley, my assigned driver, pulled up. Olivia had asked me my favorite cake flavor last week; strawberry cheesecake.