Matt: Yeah, but you can probably smell it.
Me: How do you know I’m home?
Matt: Because I didn’t see you last night.
Me: And that means . . .
Matt: That means, statistically speaking, I will tonight. Not that you’re avoiding me. Or rationing our time together or anything, right?
I frown down at my phone and take the coward’s way out.
Me: Statistically? Are you a secret quantitative data gatherer?
Matt: I’ve been called worse.
Me: Does that stuff get you hot?
Danger! Danger! I need to rewind time, because my fingers were too quick for my brain!
Matt: I think you know what gets me hot, Ryan.
Me: Yes, but we agreed not to speak about it.
Matt: And I know what gets you hot.
Me: Matt, we can’t have this conversation.
Not when it already has me hot under the waistband. Not that I have a waist currently.
Matt: You started it.
Me: And you’re riding too much into it.
Me: Reading—you’re reading too much into the conversation, I mean.
Riding was something I dreamed of last night. And not a horse in sight. Matt is hung—
Stop.
I guess it’s safe to say our little dalliance last month didn’t really help my hormones any.
Matt: But am I? I don’t really think so.
My heart gives a little pinch. I was hoping he didn’t care either way.
No, that’s not true. I was hoping he wouldn’t notice.
Okay, so that’s a lie too.
I know he’s not dumb, but I was mostly hoping he wouldn’t call me out.Rationing our time together.That’s exactly what I’ve been doing.
Matt: By the way, my parents are coming to visit next month. I hope that’s okay.
Is it strange that I love that Matt texts in whole words? I like a lot about him, and I know he likes me too. And the time we spend together is companionable. Mostly. Mostly if I ignore my back-massage hiccup.
I tell myself we’re friends, that our chemistry is natural, given our brief but very real past. But that it’s not something we needed to act on.Again.Except, sometimes I see the way he looks at me and I get butterflies deep down inside. But it’s more than justa physical attraction, because the way I like him as a person, a human, a man, feels bone deep.
Me: It’s your house.
