Page 36 of Love Resurrected
“I’d like to do it again,” he says, his voice gruff, his lips moving back in toward mine. I place my palm on his chest to stop him.
“Next time?”
Disappointment flashes across his face, but he nods in agreement. I turn to open my car door, settle myself inside, and start the engine.
“You okay to drive?” he asks.
I nod.
“Text me when you get home? That way I know you got there okay.”
I nod again, smiling this time. “Will do.”
He shuts my car door and I drive away. He’s still standing there, watching me, as I turn out of the parking lot and head home.
I text him when I pull into my garage.
ME: Home. Thank you again for a great evening.
Then, I head inside to get ready for bed. As I’m crawling beneath the covers, I get a text back from him.
NEIL: It was my pleasure. Sweet dreams, beautiful girl.
I turn my phone off and set it on the nightstand. I like the nickname beautiful girl. It’s what Sadie and I call each other so it’s kind of weird to have a guy call me that. But it doesn’t make me like it any less.
And when I fall asleep, it’s with a small smile on my face.
12
Brad
I spend a couple hours at the gym after work, then cool down with a run around the beach when I’m through. By the time I’m ready to head home, it’s almost nine o’clock and I’m starving. I order a pizza, take a quick shower, and am settled in front of the television with a cold beer in hand by nine thirty.
The housekeeper came today while I was at work, so everything in my house is dust-free and put away. I have her come once a week, since that’s how long I take to decimate all the good she does when she’s here. Plus, she does my laundry for me and it takes about seven days for me to run out of clean boxer briefs.
The pizza arrives when I’m on my second beer. I inhale over half of it while watching the sports recap channel. My phone buzzes with a new text.
NICHOLSON: Had a great time with the redhead tonight. Thanks for the intro.
Intro? I didn’t introduce them. In fact, I think I’d told Nicholsonnotto ask her out. Not that I had any right to. Or any reason to. I just don’t like him with her. He’s a whore, and she seems like a nice girl. Or at least too nice for the likes of Nicholson for sure.
I text him the middle finger emoji. He texts me back with the face that’s laughing so hard it’s crying.
I turn off my phone and toss it aside.
Halfway through my third beer, I remember I promised Ethan I’d be at the hospital when Sadie goes into labor, which could be any time, so I turn the phone back on. More texts from Nicholson ring through. The preview on one says something about Tenley’s ass. I ignore them all.
The guy’s a dick.
* * *
I wake to the sound of my phone showing a message and bolt up. Habit from so many years at the station and having to wake and be alert at a moment’s notice. I have the day off, so I didn’t set my alarm. It’s early still, but not as early as if I had to work. It’s from Ethan, asking me to call him when I wake up.
I hit the button for speed dial, and he answers on the first ring.
“Hey,” he says. “Thanks for calling. Sorry it’s so early.”
“No problem, man. Everything okay?”
