Page 142 of Back in the Saddle

“Hey,” I mumbled. “Headed to work?”

“Yeah.”

Catching you up, we didn’t do it. Apparently, getting kidnapped and having your brother be an asshole to you killed your have-wild-sweaty-sex-for-the-first-time-with-your-new-hot-guy vibe.

But that was okay.

Eric and I made the icebox cake. Then I showed him the Barefoot Contessa episode where she made it. Then, although he didn’t confirm he shared this urge, we both struggled with not going and attacking the cake we made before it was fully chilled. I gave him a toothbrush head for my pad. He stripped to his boxer briefs. I took some time to recover from seeing his chest again before I put on my third sexiest nightie (I didn’t want to be a bitch), and we went to bed.

And that brings us to now.

“I’ll cook tonight,” he said.

Dig it!

We had plans!

That said…

“No. I’m on a roll. But in your day’s meanderings, if you run into truffle butter, give me a shout. I’m making mushroom, truffle fettucine.”

“I think my gut needs you to stop watching Ina Garten.”

Like he had a gut. I’d seen those ridges. And the hip dents.

Delicious.

And nice. My have-sex-for-the-first-time-with-your-new-hot-guy vibe was coming back.

He came in to brush his lips to mine, but when he moved away, he advised, “It was fucked up how they went about it, but the lesson to be learned is keep sharp. You women are out there. Get rid of that little bag and take your Taser with you.”

Good advice.

I nodded.

He did the lip brush again, and this time murmured, “Go back to sleep.”

Then he was out of my vision, and not long later, I heard the front door close, so I knew he was out of my apartment.

I was about to fall back to sleep when a thought occurred to me.

No.

An idea occurred to me.

No!

Abrilliantidea occurred to me, so my eyes popped right open.

It was such a good one, I threw the covers back and hauled ass out of bed.

I hit the Nespresso, then I hit the toothbrush then I hit the shower.

AJ’s Fine Foods was probably already open. I’d get my shopping done. Then I’d get to work. There, I’d talk to the girls and get my plan in motion.

* * *

The white shoepolish said Tex’s special that day was Gingerbread Rum Raisin.

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