Page 29 of The Lover
Pause.
“No. And should you really be doing that? What if Maryanne walks in on you?”
I winced. I really did hate to lie to him. “I lied, I just wanted to see what you would do.”
“Stop messing with me, Ellie.”
“Why would I do that when it’s so much fun?”
“Tell me how your week is going.”
I definitely did not want to do that. “It’s fine. Did you get my email I sent on the numbers?”
“I did. I don’t think we have any choice but to think about really expanding the insemination program. It’s yielding the best results.”
“Which is sad in a way,” I told him. “The whole science over nature thing. But I can’t argue. What about you? Any progress on the house?”
“Some.”
That was it. That was all he ever said about the house. I didn’t care, because in the end if I had my way he wouldn’t need his house, but he had to see he was stalling for a reason. “Let’s start with the basics. Are there walls and a roof?”
“No. I’m getting closer on finalizing the plans though.”
Finalizing plans? It was so un-Jake to be hesitant about this. I wanted to scream at him for not seeing what was right there in front of his face.
“If you’re worried about where I’m going to stay over the summer, I already thought about it. I’ll use the cabin,” he said.
See, I knew that was what he was thinking. That if he’s not physically living in the house, sleeping with me is still okay.
“Okay, but where are we going to have sex? My bedroom? Your old bedroom? Or do you think I should sneak out to the cabin like Mrs. Nash used to?”
Silence.
“Jake?”
“I don’t know, Ellie. I hadn’t really thought about it.”
“You hadn’t thought about having sex with me again? You’re saying last week was… forgettable?”
I had to bite my bottom lip to stop myself from laughing.
“No. Of course not. You’re not understanding… what… I think about having sex with you. All the fucking time. I’m just saying we can’t… I mean I don’t know how this is supposed to work. Okay?”
Yes, it was okay. Because I knew how it was supposed to work.
“Well we’ll work on it,” I offered.
“Fine. Yes. I have to go.”
Yes, poor Jake. As strong and as tough as he was, I had firmly and solidly knocked him out of his comfort zone.
“Night, Jake.”
“Night, Ellie.”
I ended the call and wondered when it was going to happen. When Jake was going to learn what I had done. I was guessing sometime next week. He’d have to come into town for something, and when he did he usually ate at Frank’s.
Two words. Fire. Works.
