“And that’s why I was going to get it.” She laughs and closes the door behind me.
Our hands slip together and we walk side by side to the front door. Moving my hand from the shoulder strap of the bag, I put in the code and swing the door open. “I’m going to put this in the room. I think I have cereal and I know there’s stuff for sandwiches.”
“Okay.” Her hand slips away from mine and I already miss the contact. Not that it matters tonight she’ll be right beside me. “I’ll make us some sandwiches.”
“Sounds good.” I head toward the room and put her bag on top of the dresser. My eyes bounce to every area of the room to make sure it’s perfect. I don’t smell that thing my mom got me, though. I check the plug only to find the device on the floor. Well, crap. One day I’ll remember to plug things back in after using the vacuum.
Pushing the device into the outlet, I move the dial to make more of the scent fill the room, and call it good. The bed is perfectly made and the pillows I never normally use are arranged in a tidy row. Honestly, I don’t see the point of the throw pillows, but every woman I know has them covering their bed.
I pull the door closed behind me as I head toward the kitchen. Joan’s phone is on the counter and there’s a voicemail playing on speaker. “Hey June Bug, I know you’re at work and this is your kid free weekend. I just wanted to see when you’re going to be home so I can make plans of my own. Call or text me when you get this. Love you and be careful.”
She makes a face at the phone. “What plans are you making, old man?” It’s not like he can answer her. But I wonder if her mind is going down the hole of wondering if he’s also dating. It’s valid. I go through that thought process when Mom asks if Cameron can stay with me overnight. Now I know she’s definitely going on dates after our talk the other day.
My assumption is that she’s only spending one night, but maybe her dad knows more information than me. “So, are you going to text him?”
She jumps at the sound of my voice. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry.”
“Yeah. I was actually going to wait and see how tomorrow goes before I asked if it was okay if I stayed tomorrow night as well. I mean, I can go home, but I wasn't sure what time we’d be done with the fair. I brought extra clothes just in case so I can go straight to my weekday job.” She shakes her head and sighs, “sorry, I’m rambling.”
“It’s okay.” I grin and round the counter. “On both fronts. Even if tomorrow is a disaster, you can sleep in the guest room. I’m really not the type to hold grudges.”
Not saying it won’t hurt, but that’s a bridge I’ll cross if we get there. The peanut butter and jelly are sitting on the counter, and I glance down at the sandwiches she’s making. “Except maybe now. What on earth are you doing?”
She lifts the slices of bread in the air. “Making sandwiches.”
“No, you can’t make it like that. Peanut butter only goes on one side of the sandwich, not both.”
“You’re wrong.” She sets them down and proceeds to pick up the butter knife to spread the peanut butter on each slice of bread. She sets that down and picks up the jelly, squeezing a decent amount on one of the pieces of bread. Lifting another knife to spread it evenly, before setting the pieces of bread on top of each other. “You need it on both sides to make it a stable sandwich. Otherwise, you get jelly all over your fingers as the bread softens.”
“But that’s so much peanut butter!” This is ludicrous. I’ve been making pb&j sandwiches my entire life, and not once have I had an issue. Sometimes jelly seeps through the bread, but not enough to make me change the way I make my sandwiches. “And it’s not how I learned to make them.”
“Well,” she shrugs her shoulders. “You learned wrong. Just hold all judgment until you try it this way.”
“Fine.” She hands me one of the sandwiches. We should go to the table to eat, but I want to prove my point. The sandwich does feel more secure. I’m not telling her that, though.
Lifting the sandwich to my mouth, I take a bite. The blob of peanut butter I expected to take over my mouth isn’t what happens. The peanut butter is spread thinly enough that it’s not overwhelming, and I don’t look like a dog trying to eat it from a spoon. It’s honestly the perfect ratio of peanut butter to jelly. Damn it. She’s right.
“So, what do you think?” She leans against the counter, watching me. The self-satisfied smirk tells me she knows exactly what I’m thinking.
“It’s okay.” I will not bow down quietly. Mostly because I want to see if I can recreate it exactly the same. These are my go-to snacks when I get home from work, or a jog.
“Hmm.” Her lips spread into a wide smile. Yeah, I’m not fooling her. She quickly eats her sandwich and starts putting things away. “Is it okay if I take a shower before bed? I feel disgusting.”
“Sure.” I brush off the crumbs on my hand into the sink. “The bathroom is in the hall. There should be towels and anything you need in there.”
“Thanks.” She leans up and kisses my cheek. “I won’t be long.”
My feet almost follow her into the bedroom while she gets her things. But it’s okay for her to have space in my house. I have nothing to hide. Except maybe the box of condoms that sit in the nightstand drawer. I wasn’t playing about being prepared. You know, just in case.
Grabbing a paper towel, I brush the crumbs on the counter into my hand before dumping them in the sink. A quick rinse later, and the kitchen is clean.
It takes a few moments for her to get her clothes, and I finally head to my room after I hear the bathroom door click shut and the water falling from the shower head. I need to get ready for bed while she’s busy.
Someone needs to define the word quick. It feels like it’s taking ages for Joan to get out of the shower. Or, it could be my nerves playing tricks on me. Either way I don’t think I’ve ever been this antsy when it comes to a woman staying over. Not that it happens often. I usually went to their place because it’s easier.
There’s only one thing to do while I wait for her…scroll through my phone. Mostly I’m looking at the social media accounts for the fair the town puts on. It’ll be nice to know what areas to make time for, and which ones we can skip.
