Page 17 of Waiting on Life
“Got plans?” I asked, suddenly not wanting him to hang up.
“Yup. Grand plans. You should start being jealous now, because when you hear how amazing they are, you’ll die.”
I couldn’t help but grin, because the tone of Toby’s voice told me his plans were anything but exciting.
“Do tell.”
“I’m going to sleep in, first of all. Then, when I do wake up, I’m going to catch up on the laundry that hasn’t been done in forever. I’m going to sort them by color, then do probably five loads. Once that’s done, I’ll take them back to my apartment and… I hope you’re sitting down… I’m going tofoldthem. Now, tell the truth, you’re totally jealous, right?”
“Positively green,” I replied. Still, even though he wasn’t doing anything truly fun, I was glad he was able to take a day off. Gladder still because I was part of the reason he could.
“Okay, I’m headed for the car. I don’t have hands-free, so I’m going to let you go.” There was a slight pause. “Thank you for checking on me. I appreciate it.” With those words, he hung up the phone.
I swear I was walking on cloud nine when I went to my bedroom. I knew I’d be dreaming of Toby tonight because, despite what I’d said to Pete, Toby had wormed his way into my heart.
Just a little.
Chapter Six
Toby
Man, what a day it had been. My bed was calling me, and I couldn’t resist. Not that I wanted to. Waldo was fed, I’d grabbed a couple slices of toast, and now it was time to crash hard. I crawled under the blanket, then reached over to switch on my alarm. Only then I remembered I didn’t have to. Tomorrow was my day off, and I could sleep the day away if I chose. I snuggled down and got comfortable before I turned off the lamp. A few moments later, Waldo crawled up onto my pillow and proceeded to purr like he always did.
As I drifted off, my thoughts turned to Kyle. It was nice that he worried enough to call, and it felt good to talk with him. He was the first person in a long time who cared, and that warmed my heart. My last thought as I drifted off to sleep was why I cared so much about whether or not Kyle liked me.
The morning was heralded by rain pelting the windows and rolling thunder. It was one of those days that were made for lounging about with a cup of hot cocoa, a good book, and a purring cat filling your lap. Sadly, I had a pretty pile of laundry that I needed to deal with. I got up, started a pot of coffee, then went around the apartment grabbing any articles of clothing that might have been taken off and discarded in a hurry to get a few hours of sleep. By the time the coffee was done, I was ready to go. As I sipped my first lifesaving cup—because anyone who talked to me before it was taking their lives in their own hands—I picked through the mounds of clothes and sorted them into whites and darks. While drinking the ambrosia, I let my gaze drift around the apartment, looking for things that needed to be done by tonight. Floors needed to be swept because there was evidence of Waldo everywhere. I should—
The knock at the door startled me. I got up to open it and found Kyle standing there, a red-and-white country-style plate in his hand.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Just figuring out what I need to do today.” I nodded at the plate. “What’s that?”
He smiled broadly. “I thought you might like some breakfast. I mean, I could be wrong, but has your grocery situation improved since the last time I was here?
Mental note: Go shopping.
“That’s what I thought.” He held out the plate, which was loaded with pancakes, sausage, and scrambled eggs. “Eat. I have to get to work.”
I took the plate from him, and a strange flutter went through my stomach as I peered into his soulful brown eyes. They twinkled beneath the lights in the hall.
“Did you want to come in?” I asked, stepping back to allow him to enter.
He shook his head. “Would love too, but I need to get to work. My boss is a real hardass, you know.”
“You… have time, if you want to talk for a bit.” As weird as it sounded, I desperately wanted him to sit and talk while I ate. “Please? I promise to square things with your boss if he gives you any crap.”
He frowned, his forehead crinkling, and gestured toward the elevator. “I really should—”
“Please?” I wanted his company far more than was logical. My whole adult life, my goal had been my farm. Now? I wanted to sit down with Kyle and talk to him as I ate my breakfast that he prepared. Something was seriously screwed up in my head, and I needed to figure out what.
“Well… I suppose I could stay a few minutes. I’ll have to figure out the next bus, though.”
“Don’t worry. As soon as we’re done, I’ll drive you to work.”
He frowned. “Why? Stay here—I can take the bus.”
“Because you’re doing me a favor,” I replied. “Besides, you need to take the plate back to your place, right?”
