He clears his throat. “Umm, excuse me. I have to take this.”
I’m not eavesdropping, but he didn’t go outside to answer the call, and the living room is, like, three steps away.
“Yeah, ok, 9:15.” He sighs. “Yes. Tell Dr. Withermore that I will call him.”
Withermore? That name sounds familiar and what kind of appointment does he have?
I wish he would tell me what is going on. He has to be freaking out. I can only hope he’ll talk to one of the guys at Ink Me and not those fake-ass friends he hangs around with.
The night he fainted at work, I was freaking the fuck out when I got the call from Mira that something happened.
That was the moment for me. The moment I realized my feelings for Jasper were more than friendship, and it was showing through the cracks in my armor.
Carefully lifting Mazie out of the bouncy seat, I settle her into the portable crib set up in the living room before turning on the mobile with zoo animals hanging from it.
Jasper finishes his phone call, and we finally sit at the table with steaming plates of lobster scampi in front of us.
“This smells amazing! And don’t think I forgot our deal. You agreed to take the first bite.”
I roll my eyes, twisting the noodles around my fork and spearing the end with a chunk of lobster before popping it in my mouth.
Satisfied that I did not keel over and die, Jasper digs in on a loud moan that rumbles from my toes to my dick. His cheeks hollow as he sucks the buttery noodles through his lips.
“You need to put this on the menu,” he says around a mouthful.
I clear my throat, getting myself together. “I was going to make it next week’s special. If it got the green light… and you know, nobody died.”
“Yes, green. Very green. Leprechaun trapped in the basement green.” His eyes dance and I laugh.
“Well, thank you… I think. I’ve been playing around with the idea of introducing lighter options to our menu.”
Lighter and healthier because your health is important.Youare important, I want to say, but don’t because I don’t want to start another fight. He already thinks I smother him. I need to back off. It’s his life. He has to come to this conclusion on his own. And I’m going to stand by his side while he does it.
He could use a support system, but his tendency to push people away makes me question whether he has one.
I peek over at Mazie. She’s quiet except for a few coos here or there, her little legs kicking as the animals twirl above her.
“Mazie is a good baby,” I say. “I remember my niece had the worst colic. My sister was beside herself.”
Jasper looks over at Mazie. “I thought she would cry more.”
“You should have been here earlier. I was putting her down for a nap, but she was having none of that. Practically blew out my eardrum.”
He narrows his eyes, and murmurs, “Baby spy.”
Why does his ridiculousness always make me smile, no matter how off the rails he goes? He’s just so uniquely Jasper, and it’s refreshing to see.
Easy conversation flows between us, as it always does, and I make a promise to let him know when lobster scampi will be on the special, and he tells me about the latest piercing he did today.
“Hmm, maybe talking about piercing a scrotum is not the best topic for dinner?” he muses, tapping his finger on his lips.
That only draws my eyes to them, remembering how they felt against mine, like silk. I have never wanted to kiss someone again so badly in my life.
“How about dessert?”
He chuckles. “Yes. I mean, who doesn’t talk about cocks and balls while eating decadent desserts?”
Getting up from the table, I let out a bark of laughter. “You can’t talk about it at breakfast either. More wine?” I ask, and Jasper nods his head.
