Page 53 of The Opposite of Romance
The scentof coffee fills my nostrils as my coffee machine brews quietly. I barely got any sleep last night. My mind was too buzzed and sometime around 2 a.m., my cramps started again.
I’ve been tossing and turning ever since before finally giving up on sleep around six. Now, I’m a zombie, waiting for Sandy to respond to my text.
Me
You up?
Sandy
Unfortunately, yes.
How was it?
Me
Is Stella sleeping?
Sandy
Whatdo you think?
Closing our text thread, I press the little green headset and wait for her voice to fill my screen.
“Why are you up so early?” she asks as soon as she picks up.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Ooh, was it that exciting?”
“Well, it was pretty exciting.” I chuckle. “But not in a good way.”
“What do you mean?”
“You were right.” I sigh. “He’s in a motorcycle gang. And he left after maybe twenty minutes to deal with a shipment.”
“A shipment?”
“A shipment of stolen cars and/or motorcycles. That would be my best guess.” The coffee machine is done, so I pour some creamer and sugar into my cup.
She winces. “I knew there were some rumors. But I thought it was small town gossip, you know?”
“Well, I guess small town gossip is correct.”
“So, he left you there? How did you get home?”
“He left me money for a ride home. But actually…” I grow flustered. “Logan was there, so he gave me a ride.”
“Logan?”
“Umm, my contractor.”
“Oh,Looogan.” Her voice turns sultry before a chuckle escapes her. “He was there?”
“Yeah, he was there with some friends.” I shrug, playing it off, as if she can see me.
“That was a nice coincidence. So, why couldn’t you sleep last night?”
“Period cramps.” Mostly.
