“You okay with just regular, boring, old sex with me?”
I could hear the undercurrent of insecurity beneath his question.
“I’m more than okay.”
He exhaled and gently kissed me.
“Although, maybe every once and a while wouldn’t be bad. Maybe a half dose?”
“If it makes you scream my name like you did in the living room, how could I say no? But maybe they should sell those pills along with packets of lube.”
“Or gallon jugs.”
“That would make picking up the prescription more than a little awkward.”
Warmth spread across my cheeks imagining Gil standing in line at the drug store holding a gallon jug of lube. Maybe it would have a pump dispenser for convenience. “We could stick with oysters.”
“Speaking of food, I’m starved,” he said.
“Me, too.” I stretched and groaned. “Donuts?”
“Stay in bed, I’ll get them.” He kissed me again and got up. His back cracked when he stretched, causing us both to laugh at our forty-something bodies recovering from a night of twenty-something sex. It would take days for us to recover from last night’s escapades.
Chapter Four
Maggie
After a quick shower, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen for ibuprofen and water. Selah’s gift bag still sat on the counter. We had forgotten to open her real gift. With mixed feelings about another sex related present, I slowly peeled off the black and white striped wrapping paper.
A silver framed Polaroid sat nestled amongst black tissue inside the box. My breath hitched. Seven smiling faces, arms thrown over shoulders, the sun creating a golden shadow across the crowns of our heads, our youth had been captured and frozen forever. Or as long as Polaroids lasted.
Jo’s blonde hair glowed in the bright light. Ben focused his eyes on her and not the camera. Selah and Quinn wore nearly identical plaid shirts over cut-off jeans and matching combat boots. In the middle stood Gil with his arm casually tossed over my shoulder, his hand resting on Lizzy’s head. My head was tossed back and my eyes were squeezed closed with laughter. A look of pure amusement danced in Gil’s eyes. He must have said something funny just as the picture was snapped.
Barely legible, “these are the days” was written in Selah’s distinct cursive on the border. The ink had faded over the subsequent decades into a pool of smudged blue.
I raised the frame closer to examine the picture. My finger traced over Lizzy’s face through the glass. A soft sigh escaped as a small wave of loss lapped at my heart.
When I glanced up, Gil stood in the doorway watching me. “What did she give us?”
He set the bag of donuts on the counter. I could smell the still warm maple bacon bar.
I turned the frame to face him.
“Where did she ever find this?” He took the picture from my hands and smiled. “Geez, look at us. We look like the cast of Singles.”
“Or the cast of Singles looked like us.” I sipped from the large latte he’d brought me.
“Probably more apt.”
“Your hair was so long.” I pointed out where his hair hit his shoulders.
“Maybe I should grow it out again. Be that professor who wears a pony tail and has a beanbag in my office.”
“Maybe not.” I shook my head and frowned.
“You haven’t changed.” He lowered his voice.
“You’re full of shit.”
“Not the parts of you that count.” He tapped the glass, his eyes filled with love. “That’s the girl who stole my heart.”
“She didn’t know she had it.” I leaned into his shoulder.
“Silly girl.”
“That silly girl became the woman who gave me her heart.”
“Smart woman.” Our eyes locked and I knew what that girl in the picture hadn’t. My heart would be safe with this man.
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Note from Daisy Prescott
Thank you for reading this Modern Love Story Short.
Chronologically, Take Two occurs about three months after the end of Geoducks Are for Lovers (Modern Love Story #1) and at the beginning of Ready to Fall (Modern Love Story #2).
If you enjoyed Take Two, please check out the other novels and shorts in the series. For more of my writing, here’s the Modern Love Story reading order and buy links on Amazon
If you’re already a Modern Love Story lover, thanks for reading these shorts. You’ll be happy to know I’m working on the 5th novel, a prequel to Geoducks set in college in the 90s. We Were Here will release early 2016.
To keep up with my latest news and upcoming releases, sign up for my mailing list: http://eepurl.com/xhXb5 You’ll receive a free gift when you subscribe!
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About Daisy
USA Today Bestselling author Daisy Prescott has published four Modern Love Stories novels and five Modern Love Story Shorts. She lives in a real life Stars Hollow in the Boston suburbs with her husband, their rescue dog Hubbell, and an imaginary house goat. When not writing, she can be found traveling, gardening, baking, and writing about herself in the third person.
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Also by Daisy Prescott
Modern Love Stories:
Geoducks Are for Lovers
Ready to Fall
Missionary Position
Confessions of a Reformed Tom Cat
Wingmen
(a boxed set of Ready to Fall & Confessions of a Reformed Tom Cat)
Modern Love Story Shorts:
Take Two
Take the Cake and Run
Take for Granted
Take it Easy
Give and Take
Take Two: A Modern Love Story Short (Modern Love Story Shorts Book 1) Page 3