“Mmmhmm,” Coffee said. “Well, he’s definitely taking up my phone time.”
She wasn’t lying. From the moment I dropped Kennedi off at school to the time I picked her up from cheer practice, my phone barely left my hand. We talked about nothing and everything. Music. Random theories about life. Stupid jokes that didn’t even make sense but still had me laughing.
It was just… easy and fun.
“Coffee, please,” I said, chopping bell peppers. “We’re literally just getting to know each other.”
“For what?” she shot back. “For the thousandth time.. You are doing all that just to use your hall pass and fuck him once? What sense does that make?”
I rolled my eyes even though she couldn’t see me. “You’re thinking about this all wrong. I’m just enjoying the conversation. We haven’t even talked about sex. The man hasn’t touched me outside of a friendly hug and that was only the two times we met.”
“Mmhmm,” she said.
I hesitated, then felt my face curve into a smile. “Can I tell you something he does every morning to start my day? But you can’t judge me?”
Coffee groaned. “What, bitch?”
“He sends me songs,” I admitted excitedly. “Like… a love song he’s had on repeat that morning.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
“He’s real big on music,” I continued. “Since he’s a day trader, he’s up early watching trends, stocks, or whatever it is he does. He’s up like four hours before me, drinking his coffee, listening to music while he works.”
I swallowed.
“By the time I wake up,” I said, “there’s already a good morning text and a song waiting. I listen to it while I’m getting ready.”
It sounded small but it didn’t feel small.
Coffee finally spoke. “Bitch.”
I frowned. “What?”
“Bitch,” she repeated slowly, “you can’t even tell that the man is mind-fucking you.”
I stopped chopping my peppers.
“He doesn’t give a damn about the pussy,” she continued, “because he’s mentally making love to your crazy-ass mind.”
I leaned against the counter, heart thudding.
“That’s not—” I started.
“Yes it is,” Coffee said. “And the wild part is that you’re letting it happen right under your nose.”
“Coffee, you are so dramatic,” I said, sauteing my peppers. “You swear you know everything.”
“Oh, I do,” she replied calmly. “Especially when it comes to mind fucking.”
I snorted. “And how exactly would you know anything about that?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Uh… because I kinda let someone do it to me all the time.”
I froze.
“…Excuse me?”
“Yeah. So trust me when I tell you, I know exactly what that man is doing.”
