Page 18 of Love on the Line

“I don’t think so. One beer a night isusually my limit, and I’ve already downed two glasses of wine.”

“You’re safely at home, so you don’t haveto worry about drinking and driving. And I assume you’re settled in nicely forthe night.”

“Iam indeed. Mathias, how long has it been since you were involved with someone?”

“Talk about changing the subject,” he saidlightly.

“Too soon to get that personal? Nevermind, I’m sorry.”

“AJ, please stop apologizing. I don’t mindtalking about it.”

“Very gracious of you, considering I wasso tight-lipped about it myself.”

“But that was yesterday, and today we knowso much more about one another. We’re more comfortable with each other. Atleast I am.”

“Oh, I am too,” AJ quickly added. “Do youthink that’s weird? I mean, we’ve spoken two nights and I feel as if I couldtell you almost anything.”

“Almostanything, huh?” he teased.

“Well, yeah, I mean, let’s not gettoocrazy. I may need another day or twoto reallyget to know you more beforeI start spilling certain secrets. Or another five drinks.” She softly addedthat last bit with a giggle.

“Feel free to have all the drinks you’dlike. And what could be a bigger secret than you enjoying erotic romance? Unlessof course you like to engage in—”

“Hey, hey, hey, okay, moving on. What saywe talk about something else?” AJ was beginning to rethink having another glassof wine, but decided against it. Once again she went to the kitchen, this timegetting a glass of water. She had to maintain some semblance of control, right?Part of her couldn’t believe how much she and Mathias had already shared, andanother part wanted to share oh, so much more. Like how she missed cuddling upwith a warm, male body, not that Brad actually liked to cuddle all that much. Orhow it was nice to have someone to laugh with during comedy movies, even ifBrad always preferred the action flicks. Or how nice it was to have a runningpartner, someone who would motivate you and make the exercise seem lessgrueling. And that’s why it’d been a year since she last ran because Brad hatedthe activity.

“Goddammit,” AJ muttered as she sniffled,her eyes now misty.

“Well, hey, you asked.”

Once again, Mathias had been talking andshe had completely tuned him out. Instead, she’d been thinking about things shewished had been true about her past relationship, only now realizing what she hadput up with. Settled for. Sacrificed. Her two years with Brad had been a joke,and she never saw that more clearly than she did now.

“Such a fool,” she continued to mumble,forgetting all about answering Mathias.

“AJ, what’s wrong?”

She sniffled again and reached for anearby tissue. After wiping her nose, she released a heavy sigh. “I was such afool. How did I lose myself so completely? Why couldn’t I see what he was doingto me?”

“Who, AJ?” Mathias asked gently.

“My ex, Brad,” she said with contempt. “Twoyears, Mathias, two years I wasted on him. Two years of making myself believewhat we had had been worth planning a future for. Two years with blinders onand settling for what I thought was good enough. Two years I’ll never get back,thanks to that asshole!”

The air became silent, yet charged. AJ’stemper flared and she didn’t know how to rein it in. But she didn’t want totake it out on Mathias. Before he had a chance to say a thing, AJ continued. “God,I’m so sorry! That was completely uncalled for and I should probably hang upand let you—”

“No, AJ, it’s fine…”

“It’snotfine. I sound like a complete lunatic, and I’m sure you’d rather—”

“There’s nothing I’d rather do than keeptalking with you.”

“Yeah, right,” she said skeptically. “Look,Mathias, I should—”

“What you should do is let me talk nowwhile you relax and listen. Can you do that for a bit, AJ?”

She gulped. Although his tone wasn’t harshby any means, it was definitely laced with authority. “Yes.”

“Okay. Good.” He cleared his throat beforestarting again. “It’s been three years since I was in a relationship. And yes,that means three years since I’ve been with a woman.” AJ’s quick intake didn’tdeter him as he continued. “I don’t do casual sex, much to the disappointmentof my so-called buddies. I’m just not wired that way. Maybe I’m old-fashionedor a freak, but for me, being intimate is meant to be more than just a physicalrelease.

“Christina and I were together for twoyears and began planning our wedding. We were the complete opposite of oneanother, but thought we balanced each other perfectly. My adventurous streakbrought her out of her shell, and her calm demeanor grounded me and kept mefocused. While I was rash and spontaneous, she was the voice of reason.”

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