Play Dirty (27 page)

There was still that whole business of him calling her the wrong name. There was also the tiny fact he’d left out all talk of auditioning in their talks. But seeing as she’d been basically ignoring him for weeks, Lynn didn’t think she could stay too mad at him.

The poor guy sounded positively overloaded, and the bags under his eyes in class backed it all up. Matthew was working hard for her, and she could forgive him this once.

Waiting for the end of the day was torturous. Aria continued bragging about her auditions in the two other classes they shared, and to whomever would listen in the middle of the hallways. Lynn couldn’t get away from it.

Please
, she begged the sky.
Please let them wreck her car
.

She wasn’t ready to embrace Aria as a theatrical equal just because she wasn’t blackmailing her sex life or fucking her boyfriend; they were never going to be best friends. So, let Aria eat a bit of humble pie while Lynn (hopefully) patched things up with her boyfriend-thing and stole away for another afternoon romp in an obscure or maybe not-so-obscure park.

But first, they had a lot to talk about. She knew she owed him the biggest apology in history. After thinking he was screwing around behind her back, she was less than kind to him. That apology was going to be rough. Her parents were the kind of people who made sweeping assumptions and held them against their loved ones, not her. She could argue it was the way she was raised, but Lynn wanted to be better than them.

She had treated Matthew no differently than her mom treated her father, or vice versa.

He also owed her an apology, too, though. Lying by omission was still lying. A relationship was supposed be about the mutual sharing of goals and plans and dreams. He knew all of hers and kept his quiet. That hurt, a lot. Their foundation needed to be built on complete honesty, especially if they were going to have to continue on with such a severe degree of secrecy.

Only one semester left until they were free from the ridiculous titles that bound them to the shadows. It was time to have a candid conversation about what they wanted and needed from one another. This time, though, she wasn’t worried. They didn’t need a fancy hotel or a grove of trees to discuss this. They just needed each other.

Aidan was waiting at her locker when the final bell sounded. Lynn pretended not to notice and dumped her books, hoping maybe he was waiting for one of her lockermates to show. Of course, he wasn’t. But she could pretend. She made it three steps before he called to her.

“Hey.” He jogged the tiny distance between them and grasped his backpack straps tightly.

“Hey, sorry.” Time for the actor mask. “I thought you were waiting for someone else.”

“Ah. No, no. Waiting for you. I wanted to apologize about that night at Cocos a few weeks ago.” Lynn pursed her lips in thought. He looked sheepish. “You know, when I asked you out, kinda, and then ran off after you said no …”

“Oh!” God, that was a nightmare. The whole damn evening. “You don’t have to apologize for that at all, Aidan. I know these sorts of situations are uncomfortable, you know, for everyone.”

AKA: Take the Hint, Aidan.

“Yes.” He scratched the back of his head. “Still, I could tell you were uncomfortable, and probably are right now, and I was sort of an ass about it. I’ve had a crush on you for years and it’s taken me this long to finally get the guts to say something. But that’s not my point.”

His ears were pink and Lynn felt bad for him. He really was a nice guy, just not her type. Also, she was currently involved in a secret relationship-shaped thing with someone incredible. Hopefully.

“I was an ass for not accepting your no right away. And I’m sorry. Thing is, you’re still crazy talented and a lot of fun to work with after school. I was just kind of hoping we could put that whole mess behind us and move on as friends.”

“That’s really nice of you.” She smiled because she meant it.

“And, just so you aren’t worried, I actually got a girlfriend over the break. So, I promise, this isn’t some secret ploy to win over your affections. I just really want to be friends.”

“That’s so exciting! Who’s the lucky girl?”

He grinned wider than she’d ever seen him grin. “Madeline West, from band. She’s one of the drum majors. We have AP Chem together.”

“Madeline is the sweetest person in the world.” Lynn high-fived him. It was still sort of awkward, but she was beginning to think that was just Aidan. “I’m so happy for you two.”

“Thanks. I don’t want to hold you up any more. But … thanks, Lynn.”

“No, thank
you
, Aidan. I’ll see you at rehearsal tonight?”

“Here’s hoping Aria has gotten tired of the story about her auditions by them.”

They waved and parted ways and Lynn felt remarkably lighter than she had in months. It was great to know the people around her weren’t sabotaging assholes, and that she still had friends. Things weren’t as terrible as they seemed.

Matthew wasn’t in his classroom when she got there. She peeked in his office and found his messenger bag, so she decided to wait for him. It bought her more time to rehearse her apology, which, so far, was going atrociously.

She wanted to apologize for being an asshole, truly. Needed to. She just wasn’t used to having to do it. Or to being an asshole. Their roller coaster of a relationship had spun her so backwards and upside down, she found herself doing things and acting in ways she never wanted.

For example, throwing a bible at the head of the man whose dick she had just sucked. Not exactly her finest moment, no matter how intensely he deserved it at that particular moment. Should she lead off with that?

“
Sorry I hurled the Lord’s word at your face after I gave you an excellent blow job and you called me another girl’s name. You totally deserved it, but I now understand you were really stressed.
”

Not exactly the best way to start that. Lynn rubbed her face. This was going to be painful. How was this so easy for everyone else, but impossible for her? Was she really that broken? She wanted to bash her head against the wall.

“Humble pie,” she told herself. “Eat the shit grandma always tells you to. Just say you’re sorry for being a bitch. Don’t be Aria.”

Well, that was effective enough. The mere thought made her shudder. Aria didn’t care. She did. And it was time to prove it.

Lynn paced around his classroom, growing more anxious as the time passed. Much longer, and she might lose her nerve. Like magic, he appeared in his door.

“I wanted to—“

He picked her up and spun her in circles. Lynn laughed and clung to him, but fought his grip to land back on her own two feet.

“What are you doing?” She hissed and swatted at him. “We can’t do this here!”

“I can do whatever I want.” He kissed her nose. “I can pick you up and hug you and love you forever. I can and I will. Forever. Remember the promise we made? Forever.”

Butterflies and bubbles and a mess of other winged things tickled her stomach and her veins. “What are you talking about?”

He swung her around again.

“Matthew!” She squealed. “We need to talk! Seriously. Like, have a serious talk. It’s important.”

“Ah.” He sat her down on his desk and rubbed his hands together. “Yes. You are absolutely right. We have a lot to talk about.”

“Yes. And I’ve been thinking—“

“Great. Me first. Guess what I just did. No, you won’t guess. I’ll just tell you what I did. Ready?” He looked and sounded like a child. Lynn shrugged once, because it was all she could do. He had to be high on something. “I put in my two weeks’ notice! I guess your boyfriend did make an impression on ol’ Director Lewis, because Viv, you remember Viv, the stage manager from that terrible and incredible audition we did together, well Viv called me just before Christmas break with an offer to a closed audition for a new play by Greg Ficcus!”

Lynn squealed like a child and clapped her hands. She didn’t care. This was fucking amazing news. “Are you serious??”

“Yes! I didn’t want to get your hopes up or my hopes up or anyone’s hopes up, so I lied to you about it when we met in Manhattan and I was so torn up by lying I fucked the whole evening up and I just really hope you can forgive me, because Lynn. My sweet Lynn. The Lynn by my side. My Juliet, my Vivian Ward, my love most intense … I’m going to Broadway! They called me this afternoon during my lunch break and I got the part. I got the part!”

Lynn threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. He spun her around in circles again, and they laughed and cheered and high-fived. “That’s incredible. Matthew, I’m so proud of you! You did it! You made the big stage!”

“That’s not even the best part! Okay, that is basically the best part, but only just inching out this—we can finally, finally be together. Two more weeks and I’m not a teacher anymore. I’d quit tomorrow if I didn’t want to leave you guys in the cold. I told Mr. Richter that I would be more than happy to continue directing
Spring Awakening
after hours, but that my time was done, because I have to prepare for my own rehearsals. And that means, my sweet, amazing, perfect girl, nothing can stop us from being together ever again. Never.”

“No more hiding?”

“No more hiding.”

“What about for the next two weeks?”

“Well, let’s not make a huge scene. I am a professional. But I’m also head over heels for you and never want to have to sneak around to be with you again. Can you believe it?”

“Oh, Matthew, this is so freaking amazing!”

He pulled her into his office and sat her on his desk to kiss her, hard. The weeks they’d been apart melted as soon as their lips touched, and they were right back to the days when all that mattered was the two of them. And it was perfect.

“Wait!” Lynn pushed his head up off her shoulder. “It’s my turn!”

“I think your turn can wait,” he bit her lip. “Because we have some celebrating to do.”

The space between her legs went damp, but she took a deep breath. “This is important. I have to apologize.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

“I have
everything
to apologize for. I accused you of cheating and threw a bible at your head and ignored your messages. I considered getting a voodoo doll in your likeness, I was so angry. I had no idea that you shared an agent with Aria. It was her who wrote the notes … because she wanted you to stop auditioning.”

“Not because of us?”

“Not because of us. She has no idea. She just wanted you to sacrifice your Broadway aspirations to remain our director. And that doesn’t matter! I should have trusted you. I want us to trust each other from now on, Matthew. That’s what real relationships are made of. I don’t want us to just fuck in the quiet, I want us to really mean something to each other.”

“I absolutely agree.” He framed her face with his hands and kissed her. “You are so wise and bright and amazing. I forgive you, and you shouldn’t worry. Do you forgive me?”

She nodded. “This has been a hell of a mess.”

“But.” Matthew sang and grinned. “It’s all ending.”

Lynn grinned back. “No more hiding.”

“No more lies.”

They kissed.

“No more terrible notes.”

He kissed her neck.

“No more fucking behind trees.”

Matthew pulled back to look at her. “I don’t know, my sweet. That was kind of hot.”

Lynn giggled. “It really was.”

“You know what else drives me crazy?” He growled in her ear. “You. You look scandalous in this shirt and your immaculate tits are calling to me.”

Lynn pulled her shirt up over her head and threw it across his tiny office, exposing her bare chest. “What, you mean these?”

Want erupted across his face and he pounced on her, sweeping her up in his frenzied passion. They fumbled across his desk, knocking over stacks of paper—“I don’t care about those anymore!”—and cups of pens—“Who the hell uses pens anymore anyway? We’ve gone digital!”—until they were both naked and his desk was clear.

Matthew pulled a condom from his wallet with a grin. “I guess I’ll need to stock up on these again, eh?”

“Can you buy them in bulk?” Lynn stole it from him and tore open the packaging with her teeth. “Perhaps you can find a Costco on your way home tonight.”

“Oh!” Matthew ran over and snapped the lock on his door. “Just in case. I don’t need a scandal quite yet. But more than that, no matter what I said, this body is for my viewing only.”

They kissed again as she rolled the condom over his erect cock. She grabbed his neck and pressed her lips to his ear.

“I don’t want any goddamn foreplay. Just fuck me, Matthew Flint, Broadway Star.”

Matthew groaned and grabbed hold of her hips. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I said fuck me.”

He grabbed her arm and spun her around so they were ass-to-cock. Lynn bent over the desk and propped up on her tiptoes, shaking her ass a bit to taunt him. Matthew bit her ass and ran his tongue along the length of her swollen cunt once.

“Lubrication,” he said thickly.

“Forgiven,” Lynn gasped.

He spread her lips and pressed his tip to her opening, thrusting slowly until they fell into a rhythm. Lynn moaned so loudly, Matthew had to stop and take a deep breath. And then someone knocked on the door.

“Mr. Flint?”

It was Aria. Lynn almost died laughing. Matthew pulled her up against him, covered her mouth with his hands, and thrust his cock deep into her, all while Aria kept knocking on the door. The door window was covered with show posters, serving as their own privacy. They heard Aria try to peel them back, Matthew thrusting harder into her, his mouth muffling her moans and cries of pleasure.

Lynn couldn’t stop laughing. Between the euphoric feeling of Matthew back between her legs and the knowledge they were fucking mere feet away from her nemesis, it was almost too much. Matthew, that bad, bad man, slipped a finger between her folds and fondled her clit. Lynn had to bite down on his hand to keep from giving them away completely.

This was better than fucking in a park. Way better.

“If she doesn’t leave soon, I’m going to kill her,” Matthew grunted in her ear. He moved his hand from her mouth to her tit and squeezed. “I need to come inside you so bad.”