Page 45 of Lucy
“That’s not true. I’m going to find you a girlfriend.”
“Please don’t, Lucy.”
“Why not?”
“I just told you.”
“You’re being difficult. You don’twanta girlfriend.” Lucy sat up and shut her eyes immediately.
“Room spinning?” I laughed, pushing her back down.
“Tremendously,” she groaned.
“See? That’s why you need to lay your crazy ass down.”
“Will you make me toast and keep rubbing my stomach?” She pouted.
“Yes, Lucy.”
“Thank you, Chase.”
“I like when you call me Chase. Only when we’re alone though. Can you do that more?” It felt like a stupid request but everyone called me Hush when they saw me. Nobody called me Chase. It sounded nice rolling off her tongue.
Lucy’s cheeks glowed crimson and she nodded, biting her lip. That lip biting shit was going to get her in trouble. I was her friend but I was also a man. A man that had been in jail for a year without touching a woman and who’d been out for a year without touching a woman.
I hadn’t touched a woman for two years and Lucy was sitting there biting her goddamn lip. I gladly went into the kitchen and made her toast so I could shake the fog from my brain. I turned when I heard feet padding toward the kitchen. Lucy came out of her denim shorts and crop top and donned one of my shirts.
She looked like a kid.
Well…no kid wouldeverlook like that but she was so tiny. My shirt hung off her shoulder, exposing her collarbones and the tops of her perky breasts. I looked at the toaster and pressed the lever down. Anything to stop staring at her.
“Who the hell said you could go in my room, rummage through my shit and wear my clothes?”
“I didn’t have anything to sleep in. Is this shirt okay?”
“No,” I grunted. “I’m wearing it to work tomorrow. Find something in the top drawer.”
“Okay,” she grinned and pulled on my fingers until I leaned down to her level then she kissed my cheek. “You’re such a gentleman, Chase. Thank you.” She disappeared and I rubbed my face with my hands.
My apartment hadn’t seen a guest since I moved in and now I had this tiny tornado taking up my space and ordering me around. It was strange but not unwelcome. I knew once the noise and mess that was Lucy left, I’d go back to being quiet. The thought was once comforting but now it was boring.
I was going to miss her.
I didn’t know when she’d come back so I decided to keep her up all night.
“Can I use your shower, Chase?” The words made my ears prick.
“Yeah, sure.” I took her toast out, set it on a napkin and went to the closet to get her a towel and washcloth.
“Thank you,” she smiled and clutched them to her chest then closed the bathroom door. This was going to be a long night.
**
“I’m not giving you any liquor, Lucy. I don’t even have any in here.” She’d been asking for an hour straight and every time, I refused her.
“Chase, please,” she whined, clinging to my shoulders.
“No. Let your body detox for a while. Can you do that?”
