Page 204 of A Matter of Time

“Excellent.”

“Is that all?”

“That’s all.”

“Hey, did you get lucky the other night after the art walk?”

“That question is both crude and obnoxious.”

I smiled into the phone.

“Good night,” he said quickly.

“Good night.”

“Well?” Sam asked when I looked over at him once I’d hung up. “What did the great man have to say?”

“We have to have dinner with him tomorrow night.”

“I already told you that.”

“It won’t be just us.”

“I don’t care who’s there, I’m going for you.”

I smiled at him.

“Sounds like it’ll be a blast.” He smirked at me.

“You’ll get introduced to someone as my partner for the first time. Are you ready for that?” I stared into his eyes and waited.

“I’m ready,” he said, getting up and motioning me to him. “Get your stuff, I wanna go.” When my laptop bag was packed, I met him at the door and he took it from me and tucked it under his arm before wrapping the other around my neck, drawing me in close to him.

“How’s your ankle today?”

“Much better. I stayed off of it and rolled my chair all over the office.”

He scoffed. “I’m sure everyone loved that.”

“Would we say love?”

Before I could take a step, he gave me a squeeze. “Just so you know, I’m your guy, J. You can call me whatever you want.”

The man definitely knew what to say.

As we drove through downtown, I looked at the strangers walking outside my window and wondered, as I always did, about different people’s lives.

“Ask you a question?”

“Of course.” I yawned, turning to look at him.

“What would make you want to stay home with me instead of going out and getting laid by a different guy every night?”

I felt myself scowl.

“Don’t gimme the look, just answer the question. Because when I was twenty-two⁠—”

“I’m twenty-three.”