Sybil:That series makes me wish I knew how to ride a horse and lived in the country.
Me:Is that a euphemism? Or do we mean ride an actual horse?
Sybil:Nash!
Me:??
Sybil:I recommend one smutbook, and already your mind is dirty.
Me:It’s not the book. I came this way.
Sybil:Lol.
Me:I’d buy you a horse.
Sybil:You would, would you?
Me:I wouldn’t be able to deny you anything.
I was increasing my boldness every night. I wanted to see how far she would take the banter. Besides, it was fun. Our jokes were natural and seemed to flow well with the conversation.
Sybil:And the entire farm? Even the ducks?
Me:The best damn ducks you’ve ever seen. Ducks and Fucks.
Sybil:OMG! LOL!
I’d give anything to hear her laugh in real life, and not just three letters on the screen. I needed her to agree to an in-person meeting. It’d been a month or more since our first run in. Honestly, I was a little nervous about it, especially the longer I waited. I’d need the perfect reason to break that seal.
I could see her sipping from a tumbler through the window, and I sipped from mine. Our evenings had settled into a comfortable routine of reading together. Of course, she had no idea we were doing it.
I’d spent more nights than I cared to count dozing in my oversized office chair. It was comfortable, I’ll give it that. It reclined, molding perfectly to my shape.Plus, I didn’t want to go to my cold, lonely bed, not when I could fall asleep watching her.
I noticed she wasn’t much for sleeping in her own bed, either; she often dozed on the couch. It seemed to be her current favorite place. It got great sunlight throughout the day, and both the dog and cat enjoyed it. I hated to imagine what I’d do if she suddenly picked a new spot.
My mother did that kind of thing. She’d create new little nooks and cozy corners, often rearranging the furniture. I think it helped her feel refreshed in a familiar environment.
Me:I’ll be your Montana Man.
- SYBIL -
I laughed a third time at Nash’s tease. Bill lifted his head from the couch where he was lying. He wasn’t used to hearing me laugh this much, if at all.
Me:Book men don’t exist in the real world. They’re too good to be true.
Nash:Oh, they exist. I mean, the guy is 100% me.
I laughed again, rolling onto my side. I loved that he not only asked for a book recommendation, but was actually reading it. The Montana Man series was the same book Cat got an eyeful of. It wasa lot.
I suggested it because the male character was confident in his masculinity. I wanted to see how Nash would react to that.The hero understood how to treat a woman well without feeling like he was compromising himself or his manhood to do so. A man becomes more manly the better he treats the women in his life—that was my opinion at least.
Nash:You don’t think I can be the Montana Man? First of all, I bring you coffee every day. This Montana guy does that. Check.
Nash:He feeds her. Check.
Nash:He takes care of and protects her horses, and all her ‘ducks’. Check.
Nash:I do (almost) all those things. I’m winning here.
