HotCraic97:Shit at what? We’re just talking
LeLionDuBois96:Exactly
LeLionDuBois96:No one’s here for a chat, are they?
HotCraic97:Says who?
A pause stretches out. There’s no typing at his end and I wonder if I’ve lost him already. And why the mere thought of it has me scrolling up and down our short chat, searching for where I’ve stuffed my foot in my mouth.
Silence hangs in the air like steam from a forgotten tea mug. It shouldn’t bother me. People dip and ditch on these apps all the time. Hell,Ido it when life pulls me away and I don’t look back. But this fella…
I scroll up. Study our thread for where I’ve fucked it. Don’t see it. But my gut tells me I need to be careful. Gentle, if that’s what he needs. That Iwantto be.
Which should spin my head, but it just…doesn’t.
I leave our chat open for the rest of the afternoon, ignoring the other messages that land in my inbox. Photos I won’t be opening in public. Propositions I’d usually at least think about taking up. Watching and waiting for LeLionDuBois96 to come back to me. The lad who says he’s shit at this and means it.
He goes offline and I let him be. And yet Istay, and it’s teatime when those three dots start flickering again. I’m halfway out of my house, dressed for work in jeans and a brigade hoodie. My overnight bag’s already slung over my shoulder. I’m not running late yet, but I don’t have the kind of job where I can. I need to be at the station at 6 p.m. sharp, no messing about.
Still, my hustle slows as I watch those dots get busy. As finally his message fills the screen.
LeLionDuBois96:I don’t know who says what. Or what I want. Just that talking to you has me feeling some type of way
Christ.
Stop the lights. That’s about a thousand more words than I usually get from men on hookup apps, and they’re worth waiting for. They’re good words…Ithink?
To be sure, I type back, my heart thudding deep and solid against my ribs.
HotCraic97:A feeling that you want to keep talking?
This time, he doesn’t keep me waiting. His message blows back so fast I rock back on my heels, a slow grin stretching my face.
LeLionDuBois96:Yes
That’s more like it. I make a quick decision and fire back with a message I don’t usually bother with for a hookup.
HotCraic69:I’d like that too. Do you want to keep talking here? Or maybe meet for a drink?
I’ve run out of time to wait on his answer. I go offline, pocket my phone, and drive to work with every intention of checking in the moment I get there.
But fate isn’t on my side tonight. The first shout comes in as I’m parking up. And they keep coming all night long.
The good news is my watch commander clears me for some real work.
The bad news is it destroys me.
Out of practice at hoofing up and down ladders, I’ve never been so knackered in my life. Only pure Irish grit gets me through till I drag my exhausted husk of a body back to my locker and pull out my phone.
And my reward for pushing through?
LeLionDuBois96:I’d really like that drink
It’s a while before he has any free time. I’m figuring it’s because of the cute-as-a-button kid I’ve seen him playing with in the garden, but I keep that to myself. I’ll tell him we’re neighbours eventually.
Maybe.
It’s not like I’m planning on staying in my place forever. Just until I’ve done it up. Which occupies me in the downtime I’d usually spend messing around with whoever.
