Page 33 of Mimosa

When the kiss was over, he was breathless. “Want to come upstairs?”

“No. I have to go. But…but tomorrow, can we meet? Not for this,” he said as he reached between them to grab his sack. “Business.”

“You want to come meet with all of us?”

“Yeah. Say around three in the afternoon?”

“Okay. Okay, I’ll tell them.”

He was gone like a puff of smoke and Mims was left there to hear the door closing, to smell the aftershave he wore and the feeling of his hands still lingering.

Abs came in after and whispered harshly, “Did you guys just…?”

“No! He wants to meet with us. All of us.”

“What about?”

“I have no idea, but whatever it is…I’d guess it was serious. He’s a serious guy.”

“I’ll go tell Murph. Are you okay?”

“No,” Mims said in a grunt. “I’m in love and I’m really stupid. I just met him.”

“Sometimes it happens that fast, Mims. I mean…I guess it does. I’ve heard it does.”

“It’s still stupid. I haven’t learned a damn thing.”

He had a hard time falling asleep, but he finally did and woke to the sun coming in the tiny separation of his curtains. After grabbing his phone, he saw he had a text from Sonny.

Good morning, Mims. I can’t wait to see you today.

That insane fluttering in his stomach made him smile so wide his cheeks hurt. A knock came to his door and when he called for whoever it was to enter, Haze popped his head through the door. “Just checking on you. Want to go eat?”

“I’m…really tired. Bring me back something?”

“Sure. It’s just Goldie and me. We’ll probably pack a ton of stuff back for everyone.”

“Thanks,” he said and promptly fell back asleep.

*****

Goldie smiled at him, though his eyes were filled with worry. The same worry Haze felt. “He’s not coming?”

“No. That’s good. Did I thank you for following them the other night?”

“No, but there’s no need. I almost stopped him from going in that apartment.”

While Abs and Cosmo were great with Mims dating the cop, Goldie and Haze didn’t like it at all. In fact, they hated it. They didn’t trust the guy, and what’s more, they knew Mims was about to be hurt.

After they got to the diner, Haze sent the text to Taran to meet them.

And bring the cop.

Taran didn’t answer back right away, but when he did, he agreed.

Drinking a pot of coffee before they decided to order, Goldie and Haze watched out of the window of the diner, the semi-trucks pulling in and parking or getting their fuel to carrying them over the open road.

The sky was overcast, and that matched his mood perfectly. Goldie whispered, “He’s gonna be okay. That kid has gotten his heart broken a lot, and he always comes back from it.”

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