Page 58 of Nuts

“Pfft. That?” He rolled his eyes. “You’re a sexy bitch. Nothing changes that.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. I stared at him wide-eyed.

“Sorry,” he said apologetically. “I meant that in a good way.”

I’m sure there were girls who would have found the remark demeaning or disrespectful.

I wasn’t one of them.

I found it flattering.

“You can uhhm…” I swallowed heavily. “You can call me that any time.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.

Without speaking, we both began to eat.

That night, for the first time in my life, I ate dinner in a pair of shorts.

And, it felt good.

No, it felt great.

Chapter Twenty

P-Nut

In all the excitement during our dinner, I failed to ask Smudge if she wanted to take the trip to Kansas. Her explanation of the problems she’d had in the past pissed me off to no end, and dismissing my thoughts didn’t come easily.

For someone to have enough interest in a woman to ask her on a date, and then later cast her aside because of something that was well beyond her control confirmed how shallow mankind could be.

I tossed and turned in bed for over an hour. Leaving things undone had never set well with me. Until I resolved the issue, I’d never sleep. So, I walked to her bedroom door, and knocked lightly.

“Come in,” she responded on the second knock.

Her immediate response let me know she was sleeping no better than I was. I pushed the door open. “I wasn’t sleeping too well.”

She rolled onto her side. “Why not?”

“I was thinking when I should have been sleeping.”

“What about?”

“People being shitheads.”

“Anyone in specific?”

I shook my head. There was no value in me reminding her that the men who had dismissed her were fucktards, so I didn’t bother.

“No,” I said. “There’s some other stuff, too.”

Bringing the covers with her as she did so, she sat up. “You can come in.”

Dressed in my cut-off sweats and a wife beater, I felt a little uncomfortable being in her room.

My belief that Smudge was off limits had almost completely vanished. I had always known she was physically attractive, but learning that she was not gay and that she did not judge me for who I was smashed the last of my resistance. I never would have guessed I’d see her any differently than I always had. There I stood, however, looking at her with wanting eyes.

What troubled me was knowing she wouldn’t be my typical one and done relationship.