“Hello! Are you listening to me? Okay, what’s going on?”
I snap back to reality, my attention never leaving his text message. “What time do you want to go shopping?”
“No, you’re not doing that. You’re not changing the conversation. Tell me. What’s going on?” she probes, wanting all the juicy gossip.
“I’ll tell you more when we meet. What do you want to do first? Want to start with brunch?”
She whines. “Can’t you give me a little detail? Just something…something to hold me over until I get more details?”
“I’ve been….kind of dating. I think I might be seeing someone,” I mumble, and proceed to pull my phone away just as she screams.
“What! Oh my god, since when? You have to tell me everything. I can’t believe you’ve kept this from me. Wait, I’m calling Amber.”
“No! No, don’t?—”
It’s too late. The three-way call is happening.
“Helloooo,” Amber sings as she answers.
“Olivia is on the line too and she is dating someone!” Vic isn’t upset, but she loves to be dramatic.
I sigh when Amber gasps, “What? Who? What’s his name?”
Right. His name. His name that I don’t know. “Listen, guys. I love you. You’re my best friends, but it’s so new. Brand-new. There isn’t much to tell yet.” Because how the hell am I going to explain that on my birthday, I drunk-messaged the wrong number, and we’ve been sexting, and now we’ve agreed to kind of date and not meet for two weeks to continue to get to know each other?
Well, I guess I could say those words exactly, but I don’t want to hear any judgment from my friends. I know they’ll say that I don’t know this man, or I haven’t even seen him, and their opinions would be right. I don’t know this guy, but I want to. And I don’t care what he looks like.
I want more than looks.
I want something deeper than beauty.
“Fine,” Vic groans. “Keep your secrets. Can we know anything about him?”
There’s plenty to know. I’m not ready to share it. He’s all mine. “Not yet. I promise, one day, but right now, I just want to stay in my bubble with him, if that makes sense.”
“I understand, Liv,” Amber interjects, and even though I can’t see her, I can see the smile on her face. “We will be ready to hear you when you’re ready, right, Vic?” She draws out Vic’s name, urging her to agree.
“Yes,” Victoria pouts. “I’m only excited. I’m happy you got out there again, Liv. I only want you to be happy. If he makes you happy, then that’s all I care about. Where did you meet him? On one of those apps you’ve been talking about?”
“Something similar.” Which isn’t a complete lie.
“What time are we meeting for brunch?” Amber changes the subject and I’m grateful.
I hate lying to them. I hate not telling them every single detail of every interaction I’ve had with my mystery guy, but they wouldn’t understand why I don’t want to know his name yet. I want to hear him say his name to me when we meet for the first time.
I want it to be the last thing I learn about him because who he is matters so much more.
“Eleven?” Vic offers. “Meet at the usual spot.”
Mimosas, one of the most popular brunch spots in the city.
“Crap, do you think we can even get a reservation? I don’t think we’ll be able to get in,” I say with hesitation. “I can call. I’ll textyou guys.” I hang up the phone before they can stop me and blow out a breath, unsure if meeting with them is a good thing to do today.
All I want to do is talk to the man who’s going to make me my own personal dildo in the shape of his cock.
Because I want to watch every single second of that process.
My phone vibrates with another message from him.
