11
Cass
“What do you mean you left early?” Jeannie asked over the phone. She called just as I’d stepped into my apartment. Just as I was ready to call her. She did that a lot. Jeannie was the best.
I set down my bags, poured a shot of cinnamon whiskey and flopped onto my couch. “I mean, that sex-on-a-stick lumberjack neighbor fucked me in ways I can’t even begin to explain and then ghosted me in the morning. I had to get out of there before I saw him again.”
“Lumberjack... do you mean Landon?”
“Yeah, Landon. The god of men, who made me come so many times in ways I never thought possible and then just left in the morning like it was old habit. I mean, I didn’t expect it to turn into a long distance relationship or anything but he could have at least told me to my face. ‘Hey honey, you were great but I gotta be free’. Something other than a cold bed. ”
Jeannie sighed. “I’m sorry, Cass.”
“Did you know? Is that why you made the lumberjack comment in the first place?” That thought, along with many others had been gnawing at my brain the entire trip back.
“No! God, no, sweetie, Landon hasn’t been in town in years. I didn’t even know he was back.”
“Of course you didn’t.” My words came out like venom. I couldn’t help it. I was so mad at myself for getting worked up. But I didn’t want to lash out at my friend. “I’m sorry. I’m just angry.”
“You’ve every right to be angry. Just not at me, okay? Look, I said the thing about banging a lumberjack mostly to be funny, NEVER expecting Landon to actually be there. Christ, he stopped visiting his grandfather the year my parents bought their new house and converted Crofton House into a full-time vacation rental, according to the neighborhood gossip my mother insists on keeping me up to date on EVERY time I call. I knew he’d earned a reputation for sleeping with the girls that rented the house over the summer. But I swear, it was just a weird coincidence he was there when you were.”
“Wait a minute. Are you saying he doesn’t live there?”
“Yeah. His parents are Manhattan uber-elite. He’s got a penthouse somewhere uptown. I only ever saw him the first week of summer each year when we’d be packing up to go to the Hamptons for the season. We’d come back and he’d be gone, but the neighbors sure did like to tell my mom how many girls he made scream that season.”
I shook my head at myself. Well, now it was confirmed. Landon was a man-whore and I’d been his latest conquest. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
“It’s fine, sweetie. Tell ya what. How about I cover your classes on Monday and you take all the time you need to get yourself together. How does that sound?”
It sounded awful. I’d rather keep my schedule packed to the brim with classes and grading papers and writing my thesis than sit at home and mope about how bad my feelings were hurt.
What did you expect? Guys like that don’t just hop into relationships. You’ve absolutely no right to feel anything but lucky that you got such an amazing night.
Except I wanted more. Especially now that I knew he was local. But I was never going to get it.
I sighed. On second thought, maybe I would take Jeannie up on her offer. I could always use the day off to throw myself into the thesis. “Deal,” I said.
“Great. One condition though.”
“Ugh, what?”
“You still have to come to the faculty Halloween party on Tuesday. I heard they got a swanky club to host it.”
I groaned and looked at the Wonder Woman costume gobbed up on the couch that Jeannie preemptively bought for me so I couldn’t use the I don’t have a costume excuse.
“Fine.”
“Great. I’ve got your classes Monday and you’re my wingman Tuesday night. Don’t mope too hard.”
“Yup.”
“Great! I’ll see ya Tuesday.”
I ended the call and did exactly that, threw myself into my work so I wouldn’t mope. Hunger pangs got me away from the laptop but only to grab a bowl of cereal. I worked until I was sure I was tired enough to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I wanted no parts of over-thinking-head-spirals about Landon and his beautiful eyes or massive cock that I’d never get to see again. I wanted instant sleep.
Luckily, that’s just what I got.