“I have this thing,” he says and I look down at my feet. “It’s a two-night getaway.” I can’t help the smile that now fills my face, he sounds so nervous. “I want you to come with me,” he stutters over his words. “Think about it.”
“Where?” I ask him.
“All I’m telling you is that it’s a two-night stay at a place where we can rest and rejuvenate.” I put my hand on the counter beside me, my finger tapping the top nervously. “That’s the only thing you need to know for packing purposes.”
“I’ll think about it,” I tell him, “and I’ll let you go so you can get into the zone.”
“Good. I got a semi hard-on thinking of your ass, and I can’t exactly go out there and ride a bike next to your brother.”
“I mean, you did sleep with his sister right before you went on the ice the other day. You literally had a part of you in me.”
He groans, “That isn’t helping, Kylie.” His voice is low and sounds like he’s growling. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Or you can text me, that is good also.”
“Speak soon,” he says and disconnects the phone at the same time the oven beeps.
I shake my head and walk over, putting the pizza in the oven. When I close the oven door, I pick up the phone and call Lexi.
She answers after three rings. “Hey,” she answers breathlessly.
“Am I interrupting you?” I ask, knowing for sure she isn’t having sex.
“No.” She laughs. “I was running after Jefferson,” she says of the cat my brother has, who she has adopted as her own now. “She doesn’t want to play with the toy I bought her.”
“You know she hates people,” I remind her.
“I’m not people, I’m her mom.” Her voice is tight and a bit insulted.
“I have a question for you,” I start. “I just got invited to this retreat.”
“Okay,” she says.
“It’s next week, Monday to Wednesday.” I wait for her to say something. “I can’t go, right? It’s in the middle of the week.”
She laughs. “Why are you calling me? I’m not your boss, you’re my boss.” I roll my eyes at that. “Do you want to go?”
“It’s in the middle of the week, I have work,” I try to make an excuse.
“Technically, it’s the start of the week.” She must sense that I’ve rolled my eyes at her, when she snorts, “You can take two days off.” I inhale when she says that. “You can take four days off. The question is, do you want to go to this retreat and who are you going with?”
“A friend of a friend,” I reply, not even knowing what I can say.
“What friend of a friend?” she counters back. “Do I know these friends of friends?”
“You don’t know him.” I close my eyes. “Them, you don’t know them.”
She laughs. “You’re going on a date for three days.”
“It’s not a date. Friends don’t date. They socialize, which can then sometimes lead to banging. Besides, it’s a retreat,” I repeat between clenched teeth, “and I haven’t decided yet.”
“Where did you meet this friend of a friend?” She’s teasing me now and I can hear the snicker in her voice.
“I’m not—” I shake my head. “I have to go.”
“It’s okay for you to date,” she says softly. “There is nothing wrong with?—”
I stop her from saying more. “I know, it’s just I have to work.”
