"Of course you're welcome here," Paige reassured him as her heart skipped a beat, "I'll leave the door unlocked. Help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen and get some rest. We'll come up with a plan in the morning."
An emotional wreck, Seth called her in his time of need and entrusted her with the sum of his emotions, good and bad.
And all she could think about was making him want her.
It wasn't that she didn't care about his pain. No, in fact, that's what made this all the more
right.
They truly cared for each other and no one thought twice about how close they were. Paige was no blushing virgin. She saw how he looked at her from time to time, taking notice of a low-cut top or exceptionally short skirt. She knew what that meant where men were concerned. Add to that the increasing duration of lingering hugs, their witty (often graphic) banter about sex and dating, and Paige was absolutely certain Seth felt the same way she did.
But tonight, the fact remained that he'd had his heart broken, and rendered himself essentially homeless. As far as Paige was concerned, he should have kicked Jessica to the curb months ago, when it became clear (to everyone except Seth) that he was far more committed to their relationship than she'd ever be. But rather than harp on the obvious, Paige had chosen to be there for him, helping him work through his feelings of frustration and hurt. She'd even offered him honest advice while he tried in vain to save his relationship, all the while silently hoping Jessica might step off a curb half-a- moment too soon.
Paige flitted around her modest condo, making minute adjustments through the eyes of a guest, hoping to make herself seem more interesting (alluring, spontaneous...) than she had ever actually been. She ran a dust cloth over the furniture in the guest room and spritzed the sheets with a soft-scented linen spray. She swept the kitchen floor, fluffed throw pillows in the living room and hid an unruly stack of unopened mail in the junk drawer. Feeling satisfied with the appearance of her living space, Paige headed to her bedroom. After taking the quickest shower of her life, she threw her oversized sweats and high school volleyball t-shirt in the hamper and donned a pair of pink-striped boy shorts and a thin white tank top. Sans bra.
Paige used what she assumed were mere minutes remaining before Seth arrived to brush her teeth, moisturize her legs and apply clear gloss to her full lips. When she saw headlights turning into her driveway, she clicked the lights off, hopped back on the sofa and pulled a blanket over herself, leaving the TV on in the background.
Quietly, Seth opened the front door and dropped his duffel bag in the entryway. He walked over to a pretend-sleeping Paige and whispered, "You awake?"
"Mmmm...?" she feigned, "Oh, hey, you made it," She sat up and let the blanket fall below her breasts, allowing him the opportunity to observe. "How are you doing?" she rested a genuinely concerned hand on his knee as he sat next to her on the sofa, running his fingers through his sandy, thick hair.
"Horrible," he shook his head, his nose still red from crying, "Seems like everyone saw this coming except me."
Paige hated seeing him this upset, and it made her feel guilty for focusing all of her attention on seduction rather than comfort.
"Can I get you something to drink?" she offered, "Beer? Glass of wine?"
"I'd love a beer," he agreed, and Paige sprang for the kitchen before she remembered she was essentially in her underwear.
Oh well, too late now.
He was obviously too upset to notice her body, anyway. Her grand seduction plans would have to wait until he was feeling a little clearer-headed.
Paige returned with a bottle of Bud Light, tucking one leg under her bottom before sitting next to him on the sofa. "Want to talk about it?"
"I don't know," Seth offered honestly, staring at his hands as he picked at his fingers, "I feel like an idiot now, but I really thought I could fix it..."
"Seth, it was never your thing to fix," Paige asserted, never one to mince words, "You did the best you could to work things out, but let's face it – she just wasn't ready to make the kind of commitment you deserve."
Seth nodded, picking at the label before drawing the bottle to his lips. "It just makes me wonder what's wrong with me, you know?"
Paige saw this as an opportunity to capitalize on the situation without being overtly slutty.
Just kind of slutty.
She replaced her hand on his knee, scooting a little closer this time and reassured him, "I promise there is absolutely nothing wrong with you."
Seth must have sensed the sincerity and wicked intent in her statement, based on how quickly his head snapped up and met her gaze. For several seconds, Paige wondered if her Grand Plan had worked, if she'd been overthinking it from the start. If all it took were some kind words and skimpy shorts for him to take her and...
"Thanks, kid," Seth patted her bare knee. "I'd better let you get some sleep. Thanks for letting me stay here tonight."
"You're welcome," Paige cleared her throat, " Like I said, you can stay here anytime, for as long as you like." She folded the throw over the back of the sofa, disappointed and flushed from the letdown of unrealized potential.
"Good night." Seth smiled and kissed her hand as he rose from the sofa. He might as well have tazed her for all the spark she felt coming from his warm lips.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jesus. Christ.
Seth shifted his weight in a desperate attempt to hide the burgeoning swell of his crotch after watching Paige disappear behind her bedroom door. He'd certainly earned himself 'Pervert of the Year'. After imposing upon Paige in the middle of the night following worst breakup of his life, all he could think about was the firm, round ass beneath that pair of glorified panties.
And how little effort it would take to rip them off...
