Tiger introduces me to Bradley Kingman, who is the lead actor of the show I love. He is polite and sweet and we take a quick selfie that I will treasure forever. Although I’m annoyed with my Mandy, I send her the picture too because I know how much she admires him as an actor. She doesn’t respond to any of my texts, not even with a thumbs up emoji, but her read receipts are on so I always know when she’s seen it.
All in all, it was a nice day out, something different, and I had a relatively good time with Tiger. He was respectful and fun to be around and even though any woman would have been ecstatic about this date; I realize that there was something missing.
A spark.
That thing that clicks when you’re with someone new and shiny.
The twinkle I always feel with Rush.
Twenty-Five
MIA
I’m clearly stilluncomfortable telling anyone at work that I live with Rush, which is why I took the train and met Tiger in front of Yankee Stadium. The problem now is that he wants to drive me home and of course that can’t happen, so I improvise and have him drop me off in front of my old building.
“I won’t see you until Monday, Tiger, because I have tomorrow off. Thanks for a great day out. I had fun.”
“Scott gave you a day off?”
“Yeah, the PT team is rotating Sundays off.”
“Nice. So, Mia, I had a great time today too. You’re so unpretentious and down to earth, just like I knew you’d be. Is it okay if I call you tomorrow?”
“Umm,” I look down at the ground, not sure how to answer. I don’t want to lead him on if there’s no future for us, but I also don’t want to make a big deal out of a simple phone call.
“Sure, if you want. I’ll just be catching up on laundry all day.”
“Cool.” A satisfied smile spreads across his face.
Tiger sits in the car and waits for me to enter the vestibule of the building. Luckily, a woman and her pug are coming out for a walk, and so I’m able to enter. If she hadn’t come downstairs, my plan would have unraveled, because you need a key to enter the main door. I wave as I pretend to walk towards the elevator and Tiger finally pulls off.
There’s no mode of public transportation that can take me from this side of Jersey to Rush’s house, so I’ll need a car. I wait for a few moments to make sure Tiger’s gone, and then I order an Uber.
I’m disappointed to find that Rush’s Range Rover isn’t parked in the driveway when I arrive home, but on the bright side that means I have a few moments to unwind before he inevitably grills me about my day out at the ballpark.
I’m still wound a little tight from the long day and the whole ridiculous stunt I just pulled with Tiger, so I pop open one of the beers I have hidden in the produce drawer of the fridge.
“Michael, playShadow Dancingby Andy Gibb.”
PlayingShadow Dancingby Andy Gibb.
I’m snapping my fingers as I sing. It’s another good song, but this time by their baby brother. Maybe Rush is onto something with liking this family of singers. Their harmonies are really phenomenal.
The bop of the song feels sexy and my mind wanders off into an imaginative place where I fantasize about my best friend and yoga poses. I literally start to ache for him, or at least for theideaof him and what it could possibly be like between us.
I climb the stairs to my room and fall on my bed and play out different scenarios in my head. Maybe the next time we try couple poses, I’ll abandon all subtleties and purposely fall right on his dick.
I open the small suitcase under my bed and reach for one of my favorite vibrators. I name my plants and even some of my crystals, but naming my vibrators is where I draw the line, so it’s just model 274-3. At the time, I spent what felt like an exorbitant amount of money on it from a Sharper Image catalog and it’s been with me the longest. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles like some of my other vibrators, but it always gets the job done and will probably still be functioning long after the zombie apocalypse. Nothing can break this bad boy.
I ask Michael to playRed Light Specialby TLC on repeat, then I slide under the covers and close my eyes as the loud hum of the vibrator between my legs lulls me into a relaxed state.
When the door to my room suddenly opens, I scream.
“Aaaah!!!”
Rush is standing at the doorway with a scowl on his face.
I immediately turn off the vibrator and slide it deeper under the covers.
