“Non-food dessert? Is that what you’re calling sex nowadays?” I enjoyed talking about sex with Colin. The idea had my heart beating a little faster.
“It sounded wittier in my head.”
“I bet.” We reached the little park, and I set aside my bike. Colin joined me on a bench, leaving the socially acceptable amount of space between us.
“So what have you been up to? How were those big plans on Friday?” He opened the little sip spot on my coffee and handed it to me
I half coughed and half laughed. “Not going there.”
He grinned. “Oh, come on. Now you have to tell me.”
I shook my head. “No way.”
He leaned in and gave me that puppy-dog look of his. “Please. I want to know.”
I thought over all the reasons not to tell him, and then realized it wasn’t something that reflected bad on me.
“I went out with a guy who tried to get me to have sex with him—” I purposely waited a beat. Colin looked confused. “And his wife.”
“What?” He’d been ready to sip his coffee but stopped. “You can’t be serious.”
“Uh-huh. Evidently, being a bartender means I’m that kind of girl.” I left out the part about egging on the college guys.
“Well, I can promise you I won’t ask you to do that.”
“Yeah?”
“I mean, I don’t have a wife. It would have to be a different girl.”
I playfully pushed his shoulder. “Needless to say, I didn’t stick around long after that.”
“I bet. See? My non-food dessert thing isn’t that bad, is it?”
I laughed. “No. Not at all.”
***
“I need to get a car.” Finally satisfied with the way I looked, I waited for Brody by the front door. I felt like a fifteen-year-old waiting for her dad to drive her somewhere. Colin said he’d pick me up, but he was cooking so it seemed annoying to have him come over and get me, and I didn’t want to have to leave my bike at Colin’s when he drove me home.
“Yes, you do. Just find something cheap and used.” Brody was always the practical one.
“Or get your damn car back from your parents’ house,” Macon called from the kitchen.
“No. That car comes with strings attached.”
“You make it sound like it’s a freaking Porsche. It’s a ten-year-old Civic.”
“I’m not going to get it.”
“Because you’re too cheap to pay the insurance on it?”
“No, I don’t want to admit I need it.”
“Ohhh, the truth comes out.” Macon hopped up to take a seat on the counter. “Quit being such a baby.”
“I don’t want to face them.”
“You’ll have to eventually. They’re your parents. Seeing them kind of goes with the territory of being their child.”
“Says the guy living in his parents’ condo.”
“Hey, I don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
I sighed. “I know. I can’t change it tonight anyway.”
“If you want to get there on time, we should go.” Brody gestured to the microwave clock. I’d have asked Macon for the ride first, but he was taking out a night dive.
“See you later, Macon.”
“You mean tomorrow?”
“You have a date I don’t know about?” He was never out too late with a dive.
“I’m talking about you not being home until tomorrow.”
I thought about Colin’s ‘no non-food dessert’ comment. “I doubt that, but you never know.”
Macon smiled. “Yeah, you never know.”
***
Brody stopped outside of a two-story beach house. I wasn’t sure how much Colin raked in, but that place couldn’t have been cheap. I double-checked the address he’d texted me. It matched.
Brody stared out his window. “Damn. Nice place. Have fun, Maddy.”
“Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem. Call me if you need a lift home.”
“Thanks. I owe you.”
“Do my laundry again?”
I laughed. “Sure. Do you hate it that much?” I didn’t like having to drag my clothes to the laundry room in college, but I didn’t mind now that I had a washer and dryer in the condo.
“I can’t stand it.”
“It’s a deal then.” I held out my hand to shake his. “See you later.” Laundry was one of those chores I enjoyed. I’d never admit it to Macon though, because he’d be having me do his clothes every week. Fun or not, washing the underwear of a guy you weren’t dating was weird. It was bad enough doing it for Brody a few times; I didn’t need to do Macon’s too.
I slowly walked up the porch steps. Going to Colin’s place was nerve-racking. I turned around and noticed Brody waiting. He was too nice of a guy.
I knocked on the light yellow door, trying to make out the faint music coming from inside.
Colin threw open the door. “Hey. Come in.” He smiled, looking beyond appealing in his light green shirt.
I stepped in and turned around to wave to Brody.
“Who drove you?” Colin asked with interest.
“Brody.” I said it casually, but I knew how it probably seemed from the outside. Macon helping me out made sense, but Brody didn’t have the childhood friend excuse. I think he legitimately cared.
“You guys are close, aren’t you?”
I shrugged. “Close probably isn’t the word, but we have fun. He’s a good friend.”
“He seems nice.” Colin took my hand and led me into the kitchen. “What about Macon? He’s the one you know better?”
I tried not to let his questions annoy me. They were normal questions for a guy to ask a girl he was dating. “Macon and I have been friends forever.”
“That’s cool. I have a few friends like that.”
“That’s nice.”
He gestured to two French doors. “I’m grilling steak.”
“Oh cool.” He hadn’t checked with me to see my food preferences. Lucky for him, I loved red meat. “Who is this?” I gestured up to the speakers.
“It’s Lost in the Trees.”
“Cool. Never heard of them.”
“My little sister is really into finding less-known and indie music. She makes it her job to introduce me to new bands all the time.”
“How old is she?”
“Carly is twenty-one.”
“Is she your only sibling?”
“No. I have an older sister named Kim.” He pushed a pile of mail over to the corner of the island. “Do you have any siblings?”
“Yeah. I have an older brother.”
“So you’re the baby of your family?”
“Yup. Are you the typical middle child?”
“Yes and no.”
“Any explanation for that?” I leaned a hand on the back of one of the stools at the island.
“I’ll let you tell me what you think.”
“I don’t actually know what ‘typical middle child’ means. I keep picturing Jan from The Brady Bunch.”
“That’s the second ‘old person’ thing you’ve said lately.”
“What? You don’t know what I’m talking about?” I put my hands into the back pockets of my short dark-wash jean skirt.
“I do, but I’m picturing you watching Brady Bunch reruns.”
“You make that sound like a bad thing. What else is there to do on a Friday night?”
“Go out with me.” He put his hand right next to mine, and I wondered if he was going to move it to hold mine.
“Usually you wait until the end of the date before asking for another one.”
“Yeah, well, I’m very determined to get you to agree.” He smiled. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Oh, only if you’re having something.”
“I was going to have a beer, but I have wine too.”
“Beer is fine.”
“I have some Coronas. Otherwise, it’s IPAs.”
“That’s
right. You’re that kind of beer drinker.”
“That kind of beer drinker?” He covered my hand with his. His large hand was warm and instantly comforting. Any lingering awkwardness slipped away.
“You can tell a lot about a person by what they drink.”
“And what does my taste say about me?”
I hadn’t spent any time figuring out his liquor preferences, but his preference for IPAs said enough. “You’re sturdy and reliable.”
“Oh?” He looked at me with interest. “I’m reliable even after going weeks without calling?”
“Maybe. Time will tell.”
“So what’s your drink?” He took a step toward me.
“I like things strong.”
“And what does that say about you?”
“I don’t know. What does it say?” I moved toward the French doors, pushing off his hand in the process. “Wow, what a view.”
“It’s great, isn’t it?”
“Your place is amazing.” My eyes remained fixed on the crashing waves of the ocean, but I was thinking about the inside too.
“Thanks, but it isn’t mine.”
“What?” I turned around. He’d come to stand right behind me.
“You don’t think I own this place, do you?”
“What else would I think?” A couple different thoughts ran through my head. None were things I wanted to share. My last date had left me skeptical.
He laughed. “Not a chance. This is a corporate place. I get to use it while I’m here.”
“Really?” His answer was far better than what I expected. “You get to live in a place like this for work?”
“Yeah, it’s one of the perks.”
Maybe the car was a perk too. “Can I go outside?”
“Oh yeah, sure.” He held open a door. “I need to check on the steak anyway.”
I walked out onto the huge wraparound deck. I walked right over to the railing to look out at the ocean more closely. “Gorgeous.”
“I wish I had more time to enjoy the view.”
“You work a lot, huh? You weren’t making that up?”
“Making that up? Is that what you think?” He sounded slightly offended.
“I don’t know.”
“It’s not always like this, but I’m coming up for a huge promotion.”
Being with someone so part of the real world was new for me. I was used to college partiers, and more recently, beach bums. “That’s great.”
“It will be if it happens.” He didn’t sound as confident as I expected. Had I found the weak spot in Colin’s seemingly unwavering confidence?
“Well, good luck.”
“Thanks.” He smiled. “Oh wait, I never got our beers.” He walked back inside, and I leaned over the railing slightly. I loved the ocean. I loved its power and its endlessness. I’d grown up near the mountains, but if I had a choice, I’d stay on the coast.
“Sorry about that.” He handed me a Highland Kashmir. “I guessed you’d want what I was drinking.”
“Thanks.” I wasn’t a huge fan of IPAs, but for beer, they were good.
“Thank you for giving me another shot.” He clinked his bottle against mine.
I took a sip. “Refreshing.”
He laughed. “The offer of wine is still on the table if you want.”
“No thanks. I’m not a big drinker anyway.”
“A bartender who doesn’t like to drink?”
“Stranger things have happened.” I looked back out at the water.
“Do you like action movies too?”
“That’s a random conversation change.”
“You just don’t seem like most girls I’ve dated. I was wondering if that’s different too.”
“I like romantic comedies.”
“Oh. Not different in every way.”
“I guess not. Although, not all girls love romantic comedies.”
“A lot do.”
“True enough. What about you?”
“What kind of movies do I like?” He leaned his back against the railing. It gave me a nice view of his lean body that fit perfectly in his khakis and Lacoste shirt.
“Yeah.”
“Anything historical. I love war movies. Stuff like that.”
“Oh.”
He laughed. “But I’m more than willing to watch your movies with you.”
“I might be willing to watch yours.”
“Might be?”
“Yeah, we’ll see.”
“Oh, if I’m good?” he teased. Teasing fit him in a weird way. He seemed so serious, but I knew there was more underneath.
I could play along with the teasing. “Good? Were you planning to be bad?”
He laughed. “This is starting to sound a lot dirtier than it actually is.”
“As long as you don’t start asking if I’m a good girl, I think we’re okay.”
He grinned. “Any chance you want to help me make a salad?”
“Nice conversation save.”
“Wasn’t it?” He smiled again, this time it was bigger and brighter. He had nice teeth. I didn’t usually notice that sort of thing, but his were bright white and perfectly straight. Braces must have worked for him. My two rounds left a few of my bottom teeth out of line.
“Bring on the salad.” I followed him back inside and waited as he pulled out a bunch of veggies from his stainless steel fridge.
“Is your schedule pretty set now?” He rinsed off a head of lettuce before doing the same with a tomato.
“I have two weeknights off a week right now. The weekends are the only remotely busy times, so those shifts should last.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s not bad for a job. I don’t plan to do it forever, but there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing right now.” I got to work cutting a cucumber. “Do you like your job?”
“Yes and no.” He didn’t hesitate with his answer.
“Meaning?”
“I enjoy it to a certain extent, but it’s constant. It’s like if I take a break for a day I’m going to pay for it for weeks.”
“That sucks.” I tried to sound supportive. He wasn’t kidding. He was into his job.
“Kind of. If I get this next promotion I’m up for, it should be better.”
“I hope it works out.”
“Thanks. I have a good feeling about it, but you never know.”
“Yeah. I get that.” I knew what it felt like when things didn’t turn out the way you expected.
We finished the salad, and Colin brought in the steaks. We made plates that also included baked potatoes and took a seat at his long rustic wood table. It seemed slightly out of place with the otherwise modern furnishings.
I took a bite. He made them medium rare. My favorite. “This is delicious.”
“Good, I’m glad you like it.” He smiled, proud of himself.
“I’m glad you asked me out again.”
“Me too. And I’m even more glad you said yes.” He set aside his fork. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot.”
I sipped my water. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. You’re a hard girl to get out of your head.”
“You’re not that easy to forget either.” I remembered one of the dreams I’d had about him recently and willed myself not to blush.
“Oh? Glad I left an impression.”
I smiled. “You left an impression.”
“So did you.”
“Enough of an impression that you didn’t call…”
“I’m sorry about that. I plan to make it up to you.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. It’s a long-term plan, so get ready for it.”
“Oh? It’s the kind of thing I need to prepare for?” I took another bite, hungrier than I’d realized.
“Not prepare for…just wait in expectation.”
I laughed. “I have high expectations.”
We cleared the table together, and I dried while he washed the dishes.
�
��Thanks for dinner. This was fun.” I waited while he put the last of the dishes into the dishwasher.
“You’re welcome, but you don’t have to leave yet, do you?”
“I don’t know. I was kind of counting on you to drive me home.”
He dried off his hands on a dish towel. “I plan on driving you home. The question is whether you have time for a movie first.”
“That depends on the movie.”
“I figured we’d order one.”
“Wow, big spender.” We could barely pay the cable bill.
He reached over and took my hand. “We could go out to a movie instead, but I have a nice setup here.”
“Wait. Do you have a home theater?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. We’re staying in.” I was a bit of a home theater enthusiast. I blame my cousin Tim for this particular interest. He owned a theater installation company, and he was my favorite cousin. I admit to spending more than a few Saturdays leaning about subwoofers and impedance.
He led me down a hallway and a flight of stairs. He pushed open the door to a room with a giant screen and nine extra comfy-looking seats.
“Wow. This is nice.”
“I’ve never used it. I double-checked that everything worked right before you got here.”
“You’ve never used it? How long have you lived here?”
“A year now.”
I finished surveying the room. Framed movie posters from the sixties lined the walls. “You really do work too much.”
“To be fair, I’ve watched movies on the TV upstairs. This room is excessive if it’s just me.”
My eyes zeroed in on an old Dr. No poster. My dad had gotten me into the classic Bond movies when I was a kid, and admittedly, Sean Connery was hot when he was younger. “Well, I’m glad I can be part of your inaugural use.”
He grabbed a couple of remotes while I decided on a seat. I chose one of the seats in the second row.
“You’re a ‘middle of the theater’ person too?” He sat down next to me.
“Yeah, although any seat would be great here.”
“I agree.”
We settled on a movie—a new comedy—one I’d never heard of, and he started it.
A few minutes into the movie, Colin put his arm around me, and I snuggled into his side. There was something natural about it, as though it was something I did all the time. I fit well there, and if I had any say in it, I’d be doing it often.
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