Page 55 of The Moment You Know

“Yep. You can never be too careful. If, God forbid, Ashley ever finds out that you’ve had killer sex dreams about your ex-wife, especially while Ashley’s essentially been cut off from sex, she’d probably be highly pissed. Like do-something-to-your-junk, pissed.”

“Uh huh,” David said, deadpan, just as one of the waitresses came over with a drink order for Evan. She was blonde and very pretty, with a sweet, wholesome vibe and David figured she was fairly new because he didn’t recognize her.

“Two Miller Lites and a Corona,” she called out cheerfully as she pulled her phone out of her back pocket to check it.

Evan grabbed two beer glasses and quickly poured the first Miller Lite from the tap. As he was starting the second one, he tilted his head at the waitress, who was now busy texting.

“Mandy, what would you do if you found out your boyfriend was having sex dreams about his ex?”

“Rip his balls off.” There was zero hesitation in the answer and her perky voice made the words all the more chilling. “Then put them down the disposal and flip the switch.”

David winced at the graphic visual.

“Why?” Mandy asked, looking up from her phone.

“Just curious,” Evan replied with a shrug, then pulled a Corona from the cooler. With practiced movements, he then popped the top and wedged a slice of lime into the bottle’s neck before setting it on Mandy’s tray next to the Miller Lites.

Mandy shoved her phone into her back pocket and left, after giving them both a big smile.

“Protect. Your. Balls.” Evan gave David a stern look. “You heard the girl. She’d rip her boyfriend’s balls off and put them down the disposal, and she’s not nearly as crazy as Ashley is. I’m one thousand percent serious when I say your girlfriend would probably not only rip your balls off, but she’d probably twist your dick off, too, and hang it from her rearview mirror. I mean, look what she did to your ex-wife—and for very little reason.”

A shadow passed over David’s face and he nodded.

Evan poured himself another Coke from the bar’s dispenser gun and leaned forward, sipping from his glass. “Speaking of your ex … how’s she doing now?”

David shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve texted her almost a dozen times, but she hasn’t responded.”

“Not even once?”

“I know you’re probably thinking that she’s being a bitch or something—”

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking.”

“—but she’s not. She’s not like that.”

“Okay, well, she’s probably okay by now. It’s been three weeks.”

“I know. I’d still like to know for sure, though.”

“You could call her,” Evan suggested, even though his tone made it clear he was only putting it out there to be a good friend.

“If she won’t answer a text, I doubt she’d answer a call.” David turned his beer glass in a circle with his fingers. “Anyway, I’m sure it’s just her way of trying to put that night behind her.”

“It really sucks that it all played out that way. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. You know, in my mind, it was never going to play out at all. It’s probably stupid, but I figured we’d never run into each other ever again. It sort of made things easier … thinking that.”

There was silence for a few beats and then Evan gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry about the loss of your baby, too.”

“Thanks.” David lifted his glass in a semblance of a toast before draining it. “He would’ve turned six in May.”

Evan’s heart broke a little at that. “Fuck, man.”

“Not telling you wasn’t personal,” David said quietly. “I didn’t talk about it with anyone. Ashley didn’t even know until that night at Bender’s.”

“It’s okay. We all have a few secrets.”

Chapter 21

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