by Brona Mills
I stare, ready to protest.
‘Before you answer, I know you think it’s probably a bad move to mix business and pleasure, but remember it’s you and Mike who are working together, not you and me. Since you’ve noticed I actually am a person, under this totally hot supermodel package . . .’
I roll my eyes.
‘I’m being honest, based on your willingness to set me up with a modelling contract.’
I laugh, feeling lighter than I have in years. ‘That’s not even remotely what I had in mind.’
‘Ha-ha. So you had something in mind?’
I start to roll my eyes again, but he holds his hands up and catches my attention halfway.
‘As I was saying, since you seemed to be more interested in me, I thought maybe we could go on a date.’
‘How do you figure I’m more interested in you?’
‘Because you never looked at me so intently until I started speaking about my work. It interested you. I interested you. Not the looks, but the person. Not many girls want to know about my studies, which kind of sucks, because science has always been a big part of my life.’ He shrugs. ‘It’s why I joined the gym when I was fourteen; realised pretty quickly that it’s only fit geeks that get dates.’ He smirks.
I can’t help but chuckle. ‘I suppose your pretty face helps?’
His eyes widen. ‘I’m so not pretty. Girls are pretty. You’re pretty.’ He takes a confident step forward, his breath close to mine. ‘You’re going to have to call me something way more manly if this is going to work.’
‘You’re getting ahead of yourself. I haven’t even agreed to a date.’
‘Then agree, and I’ll make sure it’s a first date to remember.’
My heart stops. Oh please, David, don’t be that guy with me. My face must have fallen, as his eyes widen in panic.
‘Hey, that’s not what I meant. I wasn’t being the creepy flirty guy. I was being the nice flirty guy. What I meant was, let’s do something different. No movies or dinner or walks along the pier.’
I tilt my head. ‘Then what the hell are we going to do? Sit in your car and chat all night?’
‘No, smartass, I don’t have a car.’ His eyes dart to the right. ‘I should get one, though. We’ve been here for weeks.’ His attention is back on me. ‘How about we do something that’s really getting to know each other.’
‘Like?’
‘We could go to my lab. I could show you around campus, show you my work. What I’ve done so far.’
I relax. ‘That actually sounds nice.’
‘Maybe afterwards, we could pick up Max and go for lunch.’ He holds the curtain to the shop floor open for me, like it was the most natural thing to include my son in our plans.
‘You want me to bring my son on our first date?’
‘He’s a major part of your life. I want to get to know you better. Seems like a great idea.’
‘You know, most people don’t introduce their children to the people they’re dating for months.’ I get off my chair and stand in front of him.
‘I know, but we’re not most people, are we? Besides, we work together, sort of. Obviously we’re not going to tell him it’s a date. I’m your friend.’
I swallow hard. ‘Let me think about that one.’
‘But you’re okay with the first part?’
‘Yes.’ I smile, happy to be making a date with David. He’s not divorced and broken. He’s the same age as me, crap he’s actually a couple of years younger. He seems to be interested in me, and I’ll have an opportunity to figure out if he’s going to grow into a forty-year-old man who figures out how to time travel and comes to help me in my time of need. What guy has ever done that?
Our date is arranged for the weekend. It’s Thursday. I can’t wait till Saturday. I want to spend time alone with David, get to know him, see if he really is the man I knew before. I know he is—he has to be. He’s studying theory on time travel, for crying out loud. But personality wise, is he the same? People change over time. I want this to be real, because I don’t want to figure out that those two great days in my life were just a hallucination or a mental breakdown. And most of all, I want to know if this David could be the friend I miss. If he’s the sort of person to sleep two days on a hospital chair to make sure I had someone to help me the first time I changed Max’s diaper and he peed on his own face, and I freaked out at already being a shit mother. If he’s the type of person who’s here? Oh my god, he’s here. The bell above the door chirps, announcing his arrival, and snaps me out of my daydream.
‘Hi.’ David smiles and comes over to the cash register where I’m restocking the compact mirrors.
‘What you doing here?’
He holds up a set of keys. ‘Giving you a ride home.’
‘You got a car?’
He shrugs. ‘Your comment about making out in my car all night made me want to trade up from taking you on a date on the bus.’
I tilt my head, waiting for him to explain. ‘I said chatting all night.’
He grins and I can see him chew the inside of his lip. ‘Seriously. I wanted a car. We should probably have one for getting Mike to auditions and stuff. I called my parents. They sent over some money.’
‘Ah, a rich kid. I did wonder about you.’
‘Really?’
‘The expensive clothes, the sneakers, and now a car. You fit right in here on the Westside.’
‘Calm down, Mighty. You haven’t seen it yet.’ He shoves the keys back into his jeans. ‘What time you finish?’
‘Now.’
‘Thought so. I dropped Mike at work, and he mentioned your commute home was torture. Thought I’d take the new wheels for a spin.’
‘You want to drive me over to Lakewood, then drive all the way back to UCLA?’
‘Why not? Come on, take advantage of my good mood. Next week the novelty will be gone, and you’ll be stuck on the bus again.’ He grins.
‘You really know how to woo the ladies, don’t you?’
Outside Starbucks, I halt in front of the car. ‘You’re right, it’s not young Hollywood at all.’ I stare at the fifteen-year-old Toyota.
‘Why do you think I didn’t park on Rodeo? Just ’cause my parents can afford to help out doesn’t mean they’re idiots. They sent me enough money to get a functional, reliable, second hand car. I’m not going to be driving around in a convertible any time soon.’
He doesn’t sound annoyed, simply stating a fact. Like he knows it might happen one day. He opens the door for me, and I get in. Once in the driver’s seat, he adjusts the mirrors and puts the car in reverse. ‘You know, we need a cool name for the car.’
‘You don’t have to name a car.’ I scoff. ‘It’s lame. Only sleazeballs name their car Lucy and Baby and things.’
He chuckles. ‘I don’t want a sleazeball name,’ he confirms. ‘I said a cool name. What you got for me?’
‘You want me to name your car?’
He shrugs. ‘Just make it something unique. Something reliable.’
Unique, reliable? I can’t really suggest David, now can I? ‘GeGe.’
‘GeGe?’
‘GeGe the giraffe is Max’s stuffed animal. It’s reliable, in the sense it was the go-to thing to calm him down. He chewed on it when he was teething. Rubbed it on his eyes when he was tired. It was always with him. Got us both through some tough nights.’
He turns and smiles at me. ‘GeGe it is.’
David and I lean over the desk in his office, which is slowly taking on the resemblance of a lab workspace. The office has been rearranged, and the place is packed with equipment and whiteboards of information. He shows me the vast printouts of data he’s prepared for his new lab assistant, due next week. I really need to see if I can meet Ethan before his son starts working for David.
David is excited and talks quickly when he gets to a part where he has made the most progress on the speed of light, the measurable size of a leap second and the impact of leap-day births on
the perceptions of our year.
Everything is organised and labelled, sometimes twice. When he can’t find the time graph that explores how our clocks’ recording limitations control our perceptions on the control of time, he searches for the location number on his computer. While he types, he explains the immeasurable impact adding a leap second is having on the way we view time. He pulls the hard copy graph from a labelled box file. Since becoming a mother, I’ve learned to appreciate organisation. I like to be able to find things without the impending feeling the world will crash around me if I drop the ball even a little.
‘See, this was the problem when I was in high school. I couldn’t find shit. Maybe if I were more organised, I wouldn’t have gotten so frustrated with studying.’
David grins. ‘I’ve been known to go mad if anyone touches my shit.’
I stroke a pile of notes and raise an eyebrow, daring him.
He chuckles. ‘I’ll let you get away with it, but if you’re looking for me to throw you across the desk, I’ll have to spend five minutes filing first.’
I keep my smile in place, but my gut clenches.
‘It was a joke.’ He leans forward. ‘Sorry. I know my mouthing off doesn’t impress you. I finally found a girl who wants to know about my passions. I’m not going to scare you off. Hopefully I won’t scare you off. It’s going to take a little adjustment on my part.’
‘It’s okay.’
‘It’s not okay, ’cause it makes you back off.’
‘I don’t want you to think because I have a kid, I’m an easy lay.’
He steps towards me. ‘That’s not what I think. I’m not an asshole. I used to behave like one because I could get away with it. I could practically ask a girl for sex, and most of the time I’d get it. And it made me kind of sad, especially if I liked her. So I kind of have a no sex rule if I’m looking for something more.’
He wraps an arm around my waist, and I rest my outstretched hand onto his hard-as-a-rock chest.
I run my hand down his muscles, feeling his abs through his shirt. I rest my fingers on his belt buckle.
He moves in and kisses my lips then pulls back slightly and waits for me to react.
My heart beats fast, and I open my mouth and lean into him, letting him kiss me longer. He slides his tongue in my mouth, and I moan, tightening my fingers on his belt when I really want to unbuckle it.
He coils his arm around my waist and crushes himself against me, breathing deeply, sucking for air as he kisses and nibbles his way around my lips. He continues kissing across my cheek and jaw, up to my ear, kneading his hands through my hair.
‘We need to stop,’ I breathe.
He looks me in the eye. ‘You okay?’ His voice is hoarse.
‘Yes, but if you keep doing that, I’m going to make you mess up that desk of yours.’
His eyes fall shut. ‘Fuck. I know you’re not using me, Stella. But I need to wait. I know it’s this stupid thing I need to get over.’
‘You’re telling me you’re insecure? It’s fine. It’s probably for the best anyway. There’s a good chance I’ve forgotten what the hell to do anyway.’
He opens his eyes and tilts his head.
‘I have a three-year-old child. I haven’t had time to date, and there’s not a lot of people who want to go near a single mom.’
‘Are you saying you’ve not been with anyone in three years?’
‘He’s three and a half, and the nine months I was pregnant, I did everything to avoid sex.’
‘Nothing? Like, nothing in more than four years?’
‘Jeez, David. Let it go.’
‘Hm, I think we need to work on some reminding.’ He tugs me out of the lab, locking the door behind us.
‘Where are we going?’
‘Somewhere better than an office.’
David takes me to his dorm building and squeezes my hand when we enter the hallway. We take quick steps up the stairs, passing a couple of students on the way, and he takes his keys from his back pocket.
‘Did you mean it when you said you wanted to ruin my desk?’ He opens the door and pulls me inside.
My heart thuds. I glance across the room at the one single bed. ‘No roommate. Pretty convenient.’
He places two fingers under my chin and tips my face up. ‘I like you, Stella.’ He kisses my mouth and quickly moves to the side of my face and down my neck, making goosebumps break out over my body. ‘I really want to kiss you.’ He nibbles my ear. ‘Head to . . . toe.’
I tense and hold my breath, not wanting my speeding heart to give away my anticipation.
He stops. ‘You don’t want it to go too far?’
I shake my head, before I’ve even realised I’ve turned him down.
He relaxes, like maybe I told him he could fuck me all night. I panic. Maybe he misunderstood me.
‘How about I help you out with your dry spell.’ He tightens his hands on my hips and backs me against the door. ‘We’ll leave the sex until we know neither of us is going to run out in the morning.’ He nibbles the side of my mouth.
‘So you’re happy I turned you down?’
He bites his lip, keeping back a grin. ‘Kind of weird, right?’
‘Not really.’ I smile.
‘Besides, I don’t think you turned down my first offer.’ He flashes a killer smile that lights up his whole face. He lowers his mouth to the top of my shirt, edging his lips under the fabric. ‘Let me know if you want to stop,’ he whispers.
I throw my head back, and it bounces off the door.
He stops kissing me. ‘You’ll let me know, right?’
‘Yes.’ My voice is rough, the tingling from his kiss already travelling down my body.
David attacks my mouth with more urgency. We both fall against the wall. He moves down a few inches and grabs my thighs. It’s rough and gentle, and I can’t keep my enthusiasm to myself. I grind against him, and he picks me up. I wrap my legs around him and he takes us across the room. On the bed, he leans over me. The seconds give me time to catch my breath and relax in the promise of what he’s about to give me. He pushes my dress up, baring my panties and belly. Laying his mouth over my stomach, he tugs my dress off over my head. He pauses and looks me over, his hard dick pushing against his jeans as he straddles me.
I reach for his zipper, but he takes a hold of my hand. ‘Not a good idea.’
I frown.
‘If you start touching me, I won’t be able to concentrate.’
‘You need to concentrate?’ I tease him.
‘I need to make sure neither of us gets carried away.’ He places my hand on his shoulder and I slide my hands over his biceps. He lowers himself down me, kissing around my thighs as he slips my panties down my legs, then flicks his tongue over my clit.
My back arches, and I gasp at his confidence to go straight for the kill. I moan and drop my knees to the bed. He settles between my legs, giving my feet a light squeeze and he manoeuvres them where he wants them.
I sigh out years of tension and run my fingers through his hair in a caress when I want to give it a sharp tug, drag him up to me and let him drive inside me.
There’s a noise at the other end of the room, his door opens, and the light from the hallway spills inside. David has already leaped off the bed and I startle.
‘Wait,’ he screams, shouldering the door before it fully opens.
I scramble around the floor for my dress and pull it over my head before looking for my panties.
David has the door resting on his hip, blocking the view of whoever is on the other side. ‘You can’t come in here.’
‘God, man,’ Mike replies.
Of course it’s Mike. David might not have an official roommate, but where else could Mike afford to stay but on his friend’s floor? I find my panties and unroll them to yank them over my feet.
‘I’m really sick of this shit,’ Mike continues. ‘It’s one thing to bang a new girl every week, but do you have to bring them here when we’re sharin
g a room? Can’t you go to their place?’
My face flushes. I can’t believe I fell for this. What makes you want to sleep with a hot guy more than him telling you he wants to wait until you’re in love with him? I’m a total sucker.
David grunts. ‘Shut the fuck up, man.’ He looks back at me, but I put all my attention into getting my heels back on. ‘Go for a walk and give me five minutes to sort out the shit you got me in.’
‘Stop picking up psycho bitches, and you won’t have to deal with throwing them out after you’ve banged them,’ Mike chirps.
David slams the door on him and faces me. ‘Would you believe me if I told you that was all in the past?’
I try to hide the hurt behind a smile as I reach for to the door.
‘Stella.’ He takes my arm as I pass him. ‘I never hid my past with you. I told you exactly what I was like in college.’
‘You’re still in college, David.’
‘I meant college in England. I told you I slept around.’
I continue to the door.
‘Past tense,’ he tells me.
I pause at the threshold. ‘How many girls have you had in this room?’
‘A couple,’ he breathes. ‘None since I realised how much I like you.’
‘What, four days ago when you asked me out?’ I laugh and open the door.
Don’t cry until you make it to the safety of your own bed. I’m good at hiding tears until I’m alone. A few steps down the hall, David’s door closes and locks behind me. Nice. I hold my head up. No one will know I’m doing the walk of shame at ten o’clock at night.
I flinch when I see David in the corner of my eye, and my heart doubles in speed. ‘You scared the shit out of me.’
‘Sorry.’ He puts his hands in his pockets and falls in line beside me.
‘For what part?’
‘For scaring you.’
‘And not for being an asshole?’
‘This has been a misunderstanding, but I’m sorry for taking things too far tonight. You don’t believe me when I tell you how much I like you. That I won’t lie to you. Then we need to slow down.’
‘Slow down?’ I spit. ‘What the hell do you think is happening right now?’ I shove the main door open and step into the cool breeze.