Seth & Greyson (The Coincidence 7)

Seth’s jaw is pretty much hanging to the floor. “Were you watching us?” he asks, trying to catch his breath.

“Only towards the end.” She lifts the photo in front of her. “So I could take this. It’s part of my exhibit. You would be amazed at how much freedom people feel when they’re in a dark room and don’t think anyone’s watching.”

“But someone was watching.” He snatches the photo and stares at it as the white turns to color. “A creepy girl with purple hair.”

“I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable,” Jenna says, but doesn’t sound particularly apologetic. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve done it to like ten other couples already. And one couple was a step away from having sex on the floor.”

Seth’s nose scrunches as he glances down at the carpet, but he loosens up when he looks back at the photo again. “I’ll forgive you,” he says. “But I’m keeping the photo.”

“You have to let me at least see it first.” Jenna reaches to take the photo.

Seth tucks his arm behind his back. “No way.”

Jenna pokes out her lip and clasps her hands in front of her. “Please.”

Seth glowers at her. “You know that cutesy, innocent look isn’t going to work on me, right?”

Jenna scowls at him, but then smirks. “I bet I can get you to show it to me.”

“Yeah, right. You don’t know who you’re messing with, honey. I always get my way.”

Jenna pokes my side. “Greyson, pout and tell him you want him to show me the photo.”

I raise my hands in front of me. “I’m not getting into the middle of this.”

She jabs me again. “You’re the one who instigated the kiss, therefore this is all your fault.”

“That is kind of true,” he says, amused. “So, she has a valid point.”

I gape at the two of them. “What kind of logic is that? And how the hell did you two go from arguing to turning on me.”

“We’re not turning on you.” She reaches up and pinches my face between her hands. “We just want to see that cute pouty face of yours. I don’t know what the big deal is. You do it all the time, anyway.”

I shift my weight and move my head out of her grip. “I do not?” I glance at Seth. “Do I?”

Jenna beams brightly. “See? Now do it.”

I roll my eyes, but oblige them and pout. Seth covers his mouth to hide his laughter, while Jenna claps her hands like she won a prize.

“See? Adorable,” she singsongs, still clapping her hands in front of her.

I shake my head, snatch the photo from Seth, and shove it at her. “There you go.” I head for the curtain. “I’m leaving before the two of you try to make me strip or something.”

“I’m totally down for that,” Seth calls out and Jenna busts up in a fit of giggles.

I’m not really mad, especially since Seth seemed okay with having our picture taken. Earlier, when Jenna suggested I take Seth back there during our date, I was a little hesitant over how he’d react.

I end up waiting for Seth on the other side of the curtain. He comes out moments later, stuffing the photo into his pocket.

“Don’t I at least get to see it?” I cross my arms and stick out my lip.

“In a bit,” he replies in a playful tone, quickly swiping his finger across my lip. “Now, come on. Let’s go get stupidly drunk on wine and make fun of that large and slightly crooked penis statue at the front.”

Laughing, I follow him back over to the wine, where we both get a refill.

We spend the next couple of hours wandering around, looking at art, admiring some, but mostly just making fun of stuff. It’s probably the most fun date I’ve ever had, and by the time we’re headed back to the dorms, I don’t want the night to end.

“If you want, we can go back to my place for a while,” I suggest to Seth in the backseat of Ari’s car.

Ari is driving and is a little grumpy about it, since he was elected DD and is now stuck chauffeuring Jenna, Seth, and I around.

Seth doesn’t answer right away and I can almost feel his anxiety, even sitting a seat length away from him. I wonder exactly what he thinks I’m proposing.

“Okay… Yeah, but only on one condition.” The streetlights from outside reflect in his eyes as he smiles at me.

“And what’s the condition?”

“That we stop and get some ice cream. I have the drunk munchies.”

“Drunk munchies? I didn’t know that was a thing.”

“It’s kind of my thing.” He scoots closer to me. “Every time I get drunk, I feel like I’m starving.”

“Oh! I totally get that!” Jenna exclaims from the front seat and fist pumps the air, but ends up smacking herself in the face. “Ari, to the ice cream store!”

The three of us erupt in laughter and even Ari seems to get a kick out of it.

“I’ll get you ice cream,” he says, steering the car into the store parking lot. “But no more drinks for you.”

She waves him off and hops out of the car before it even comes to a full stop. The rest of us get out and chase her into the store, all the way to the frozen food section. We make our selections and I learn just how big an ice cream junkie Seth is when he chooses three flavors—mint, cookie dough, and chocolate chip.

“Please tell me you’re not going to mix all three together,” I say as we climb back into the car after we’ve paid.

“Of course I am.” He smiles at me as he shuts the door. “What other way is there to eat ice cream?”

“The normal way.” I buckle my seatbelt. “One flavor at a time.”

“This way gives it a kick.”

“Like a kick to the stomach, I bet.”

Biting back a grin, he glares at me. “Because of that little remark, I’m so going to make you try it.”

“No way.

“Want to bet?”

“I think the last time we bet, you lost.”

“Not this time,” he says. “Besides, the last time I let you win.”

I choke on a laugh. “That’s so not true and you know it.”

“No, I know I know that I’m right.”

“Huh?”

We exchange a confused, intoxicated look and then bust up laughing.

We continue to playfully argue during the drive home. The mood between us shifts, though, after we say goodbye to Jenna and Ari and start up the stairway toward my place.