My phone vibrates beside my laptop, and I snatch it. I used to cringe when my phone would go off and just avoid looking at it, but now there's always the possibility that it's Scott, and I want to talk to him again, especially today because I know he's talking to his father for the first time since they got into it about what Scott’s dad thinks isn’t a real job.
“Hey, Stud,” I answer.
“Hey, Tight Ass.” It’s his new nickname for me ever since we shared that magical night—the night that changed my fucking life.
“You excited about chatting with your Dad?” I ask him.
“Just thrilled. It's not for a few hours, but of course, that's all I can think about, you know?”
“It'll be fine. Just remember he loves you. He's not like my asshole parents. Everything he's done has been to improve your life.”
“I know that, and I would never cut him out of my life for good, but I just want to be clear that it's my life. I'm happy with the choices I've made, and I want him to be supportive of those choices. I don't feel like that's a lot to ask.”
“I don't, either.”
“Sorry. I don't want to make this all about me. How's your day been?”
“Ah, it's pretty good. Some of the guys are going out tonight. There's this bar in Beverly Hills where they do a trivia night. Feel like I need to catch up with everybody. When I got back, it was just straight back to work, playing catch up. Now I feel like I can actually chill a little bit.”
“Don't work too hard. There's only one thing I'd like you to do when you're hard.”
“Bring it out here any time you want.”
“Don't tempt me.”
“All I want to do is tempt you, Scott.”
I'm not kidding. I still want to be with him. I thought being back out here would make it easier to move on—and maybe I will after a while—but this is tough. All I know is that even if we can't be together, I want Scott in my life so much, and I won’t let him go.
“Well, I better get back to this,” he says. “I have three book covers I gotta get done by tonight before I meet with Dad.”
“Oh, that silly hobby that you do?” I tease, and he laughs.
“Yeah, you know. That stupid thing that pays the bills.”
“I gotta get back to my hobby, too. Call me when you're finished. I might not be able to answer since I'll be out, but definitely let me know how it goes.”
“I appreciate that,” Scott says.
When we say our goodbyes, I’m sad again. I'm missing him, even just knowing that I'm going to go a few more hours without talking to him. I shouldn't miss him this much, but two weeks has felt so much longer. Time without Scott stretches on and on, reminding me he's not next to me in bed and that I can't wrap my arms around him. I can't do all of the naughty, dirty things that enter my head every time I think about him—things that I know he would love, things I've learned he would love.
Once I've finished up at work, I head home to relax, watch some porn, and turn on an anime flick on Netflix because it reminds me of him.
When it's time to go out, I get dressed, throw on my leather jacket, and meet the guys at the bar where we laugh and talk about some drama at work. They tell me about their families, their kids' soccer games, the PTA meetings, and people they're dating. I never envied their lives before or wanted to settle down, but Scott changed all that.
When the gang gets caught up in trivia—passionate, eager, and maybe a little too dedicated—I head to the bar for my next drink. Hanging with people is more my thing, not really trivia.
Three girls chat at one corner of the bar. They’re an attractive crew. One at the end, with straight blonde hair, wears a dress that reveals a decent amount of cleavage. She’s hot, and as her gaze catches mine, I make that instinctive smile that I would make to a girl back before any of this stuff with Scott ever happened.
As she grins, I look away.
I’m not out to get laid tonight.
Although, it wouldn't kill me to have a wild, steamy encounter with a beautiful woman—giving her everything she wants, everything she needs, listening to her body, asking her what she needs me to give her.
I chase the thoughts away, turning my attention to a screen behind the bar playing the news. The weatherman talks about what a beautiful week it’s supposed to be. It just makes me think that I need to find a way to con Scott into coming out here. The beautiful weather will definitely be more appealing when he's struggling through intense humidity of a Georgia summer.
“Hey, there,” I hear beside me. I turn to the beautiful blonde, who now stands right next to me. “This seat saved?”
