~Maura~
“This is heaven,” Tommy, my best friend of six years, says next to me. He’s exactly ten years older than me. We share a birthday, which we’ll be celebrating together next weekend, thanks to our mutual singledom. Today, we’re getting our weekly pedicures and catching up on the previous week. “How are you, darling?”
“I’m fine,” I reply and sigh when the rollers in the back of the pedicure chair rub my lower back. Who knew I’d have sore muscles after one round of sex? I mean, sure, it was an intense, fun round, but it wasn’t anything particularly athletic.
But here I am, sore and constantly reminded that I screwed one of Portland’s biggest players last night. The craziest part is, I don’t regret it. Not even a little bit. He was hot and fun, and I may be a commitmentphobe, but I don’t sleep around either, so I was due for some good sex.
“How are you?” I ask him.
“Honey, I’m exhausted,” he says and winks at me. Tommy is handsome. Tall, dark hair, square jaw. He has deep brown eyes and impeccable fashion sense.
“Who is he?” I ask.
“Eduardo,” he says with a sigh. “I met him about two weeks ago, and we finally went on a date last night, and let me tell you, he is delicious.”
“Where did you meet him?”
The pedicurist switches feet, rubbing my right calf now, and I want to purr like a kitten.
“At the grocery store. Freezer aisle. He’s also a writer. Well, he says he’s a freelance writer.”
Tommy and I look at each other and say at the same time, “Unemployed.”
“You don’t need another mooch,” I say and roll my eyes. “Just because he’s hot and good in bed doesn’t mean he’s a good life partner.”
“I didn’t sleep with him, honey.”
I stare at Tommy and then frown. “I’m sorry, I must have misheard you.”
“There was no sex, which I know is surprising because I’m entirely irresistible, but we just went to dinner and then took a walk by the river and talked. He is a delightful kisser, though.”
“So, you didn’t have sex.”
Tommy laughs and shakes his head. “No.”
“Huh. Okay. You must like him.”
“I do like him. He’s intelligent and kind, and he’s nice to his mother but not a mama’s boy.”
“Important,” I reply with a nod. “Well, good luck with him.”
Tommy continues to sing Eduardo’s praises, and then tells me all about the piece he’s writing for the New York Times. Tommy is an excellent and successful writer. We met at the grocery store years ago when I needed help choosing a ripe watermelon.
We’ve been friends ever since.
Suddenly, my phone pings with a text.
It’s Chase, smirking at the camera, holding my black, lacy underwear.
You forgot something.
“Oh. My. God.” Tommy reaches over and snatches my phone out of my hand and blows the photo up to get a better look at Chase. “I may not have had sex last night, but you certainly did.”
The whole salon goes deathly quiet, and everyone stares at me, then starts to laugh.
“I don’t think they heard you across town,” I say and snatch my phone back.
“Honey, you better start talking. That man is handsome.”
“Tell me about it,” I mutter and slip my phone back in my pocket without responding to Chase. “There really isn’t much to say.”
“That’s a lie,” he says and shakes his head. “Start at the beginning and use all the dirty words.”
I giggle and look up at the ceiling. “It was a blind date.”
“You fucked a stranger?”
“You really need to work on your indoor voice,” I reply dryly. “Maybe we should talk about this later.”
“I’ll be good,” he says and leans on his hand, listening intently. “Go on.”
“He’s not a stranger. I actually knew him already from some wine classes and tasting tours I’ve been on. But my friend Kat wasn’t aware that we already knew each other and asked if I’d go to dinner with her and her husband, and a surprise blind date, who unbeknownst to me was her brother-in-law.”
“Chase?”
“Chase.” I nod. “He’s asked me out every time our paths have crossed, and I always turn him down.”
“Why? He’s hot.”
“Because he’s also completely uninterested in commitment.”
“Hi, pot,” he says with a grin.
“And he sleeps around.”
“Okay, so you don’t sleep around, but you don’t want marriage and babies either, so just enjoy him for a while, with condoms, and then move on. I don’t see the problem.”
“I just—” I sigh and shrug. “I know that I don’t want the family life, but I also don’t want to sleep with a million guys either. And I don’t know where his dick has been.”
“Well, you do now,” Tommy says with a chuckle. “And you left your delicates. On purpose?”
“No, I couldn’t find them last night when I was getting dressed, and rather than drag out the awkward after, I just left without them. But it’s okay, I’ll tell him to throw them away.”
“Those look expensive,” he says with a frown.
“They are.” I love expensive underwear. “But I can buy more.”
“Go get them.” Tommy waves me off as if I’m being ridiculous.
“I could have him mail them to me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Maura, you are a strong, independent, badass woman. You can certainly see a man about your delicates.”
“I love that you call them my delicates,” I reply, wrinkling my nose. “You’re adorable.”
“And you’re changing the subject. Go get your panties back, Maura. Look that sexy man in the eyes when he gives them to you, hold your head high, and walk away.”
“You’re right,” I say. “I don’t have anything to be ashamed of. So we had a fun time. We were both into it, and I didn’t embarrass myself.”
“There you go.”
“I’ll text him later. I’m not going to jump at his beck and call.”
“No way,” he agrees.
“It’s decided then. I’ll run into him anyway, and I refuse to give up my wine hobby just because he’s in the industry.”
“That would just be stupid.”
“Exactly.” I nod decisively and smile at Tommy. “We can be mature adults.”
“I know that’s right.”
“Great.” I slip my feet into my flip-flops, armed with new confidence that I can handle myself with Chase. He’s just a person, after all. It’s not like he’s Ryan Reynolds. He might look like Ryan Reynolds, but that’s just genetics.
Now I don’t make any sense.
“You’re overthinking,” Tommy says. “Stop it.”
“I’m not.”
“You totally are.”
I laugh and loop my arm through Tommy’s as we walk out of the salon toward our favorite Saturday lunch place.
“Okay, I’m done overthinking for today. Do we get to go shopping after lunch?”
“Yes. We have to replace those jeans you’re wearing. The blingy butt has been out of style for a year now.”
“This is why I have you,” I reply and lean my cheek on his shoulder.
“I thought it was because I’m excellent arm candy and a stellar dancer.”
“Well, those are selling points as well.”
We sit at our usual table and I order us a bottle of wine from the extensive menu to go with our salads. This place makes the best Caesar salad in town.
“You’re good at wine,” Tommy says after taking a sip of his dry rosé.
“Just wait until you taste that after you take a bite of your salad. It’s amazing.”
“You should teach a class about wine. You’re a great teacher.”
“I don’t think my fifth graders want to learn about wine.” I smirk and raise my glass to my lips.
“Their parents might.” He shrugs.
“It’s my hobby, and I want to keep it that way. If it becomes work, it won’t be as fun.”
“That’s true.”
Our salads are delivered and after he takes a bite, he sips his wine and his brown eyes widen in surprise.
“Holy shit, that’s good.”
“I know, right?”
“I love that you know this stuff because I can use it later to impress people.”
“I’m here to serve you,” I reply with a wink. “I can give you lots of impressive information.”
“You’re pretty, too, so there’s that. Well, you’ll be prettier when we get you better jeans.”
“Is this going to cost me a lot of money?”
He stares at me like I’ve just said I want to dye my hair rainbow and get a Mohawk. “Hello. You’re with me. Fuck yes, it’s going to be expensive.”
“Just checking.”
* * * *
My credit card is smoking and my feet are screaming when I walk into my house five hours later, loaded down with bags and boxes.
Thank God we don’t shop like this often. I’d be homeless because my paycheck would go toward jeans and shoes rather than the mortgage.
I hang everything in my closet, and then collapse on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. My phone pings with another text.
Of course it’s Chase.
This time it’s a photo of my panties, laundered and folded neatly next to his boxer briefs.
He does laundry. Interesting.
My hesitation in going to see him to collect my delicates isn’t because I’m afraid of him or embarrassed.
It’s that the chemistry between us is there. It’s practically a living, breathing entity when we’re in the same room, and I don’t know if I can resist him.
I don’t want to want him.
But I do.
Being an adult is hard.
Finally, I sigh and reply to his text.
Thanks for washing them. Meet you at your office on Monday to get them?
If we’re at his office, I’m safer. He’s probably not likely to fuck the shit out of me at the office.
Would he?
I shrug and walk into the kitchen for a glass of wine and some ibuprofen for the mild headache from shopping all afternoon.
Tommy would usually come home with me to chat and put my new things away, but he had another date with Eduardo tonight. I’m happy for him. I hope this guy treats Tommy right and that I won’t have to run him over with my car.
I grin and sip my wine at the thought. I probably wouldn’t do that.
My phone rings and my heart jumps, but it’s my mother, not Chase.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hello, darlin’,” she says with a smile in her voice. “How are you?”
“I’m great. How are you?”
“Well, I’m doin’ just fine. Your daddy and I went to the movies this afternoon. That man can eat more popcorn that anyone else I know.”
I smile and cover my legs with a throw blanket. “Yes, he can. What did you see?”
“Oh, that new superhero movie that’s all the rage right now. It was pretty good, I guess. Lots of violence. But that Chris Hemsworth is not terrible on the eyes.”
“No, he isn’t.” I laugh and hold the phone tightly, enjoying the sound of my mama’s voice. “What else is going on in Texas these days?”
“It’s been rainy.” She proceeds to tell me all about the weather, my cousin Louisa’s wedding that I missed last weekend, and the trip she took with my aunt Beverly to Waco so they could see the Silos.
“You’ve been busy,” I say at last.
“Well, I don’t want to slow down and then not be able to start up again.”
“You’re fifty-five, not eighty-five.”
“It’s not polite to talk about a woman’s age, Maura.”
I can see the frown on her face, and it makes me laugh.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Now, tell me all about work. Are you dating anyone?”
“What does that have to do with work?”
“Just answer the question.”
I pull the phone from my ear and frown at it, then reply, “No. I’m not dating anyone.”
She sighs deeply. “Darlin’, you’re almost thirty now. You’re not getting any younger.”
And this conversation is over.
“Mama, I love you so much, and I’m glad you called, but I am naked from the shower, so I’d better let you go.”
“Why didn’t you say? I can wait.”
“Sorry, I have to go. I love you, Mom. Give Daddy a kiss for me.”
I end the call and let out a gusty breath. My parents, like most parents, worry. They think I must be lonely here all by myself. And of course they want me to get married and give them at least four grandchildren.
But that’s not going to happen.
I wish I wasn’t an only child so they’d have the chance to be grandparents. They’d be good at it. It’s the one thing about my life that I feel a little guilty about.
My phone rings again. It’s Tommy this time.
“Date didn’t go well?” I ask with a grin.
“I need you to come get me,” he says, his voice low.
“Where are you?” I jump up and reach for my bag and keys.
“I’m sending you my location on the phone because I’m not entirely sure.”
“Send it. I’ll be there. Are you hurt?”
“No.” He clears his throat. Something is wrong. “Just please hurry.”
“On my way.”
Tommy is like a brother to me, and the tone of his voice has me terrified. The location he’s at is down in the Pearl District, only about twenty minutes from my house.
I make it in fourteen.
Tommy’s waiting on the sidewalk and runs to my car as soon as I pull up. He jumps inside and I speed off, glancing at him. His face is pale, his hands just a little unsteady.
“What happened?”
“Eduardo isn’t as fantastic as I thought,” he says simply, and I know that I’m not going to get any more info out of him right now. I turn toward his house, but he shakes his head. “Can we just go to your place?”
“Of course.”
Once we’re home, we walk inside and he rubs his hands over his face in agitation. “When am I going to learn?”
“Did he hurt you?”
He shakes his head no. “I knocked him out.”
“You punched him?” I’m stunned. Tommy is the least violent person I know.
“Several times,” he says. “He’s into some weird shit.”
“Excuse me?”
He just shakes his head and paces the floor. “I always trust too fast. Things were going fine, but then we started to make out, and he wrapped his hand around my throat. I guess he’s into choking, and I’m definitely not. So I told him to back off, and he did for a minute, but then he did it again and said that I shouldn’t play so hard to get.”
“I’m so sorry, Tommy.”
He shrugs and scoops me in for a big hug.
“What do you need?” I ask.
“I’d like to stay here tonight. I mean, I’m okay, but I’ll just overthink it all if I go home alone.”
“Done.” I lean back and smile up at him. “I’ve got you.”
“I don’t deserve you.”
“Yeah. You probably do.” I lean my head against his chest again and hug him tight. “So, choking is a hard limit. How do you feel about riding crops?”
“Very funny,” he says with a laugh. “Spanking isn’t a bad thing.”
“I’m sorry I asked. You’re too much like my brother to talk about this.” I wrinkle my nose in distaste. “I’m glad you’re here, though.”
“Me too.” He kisses my forehead. “In happier news, have you heard from Chase again?”
“He laundered my panties.”
“Well, that was kind of him.”
I snort. “I said I’d meet him at his office on Monday to get them.”
He nods. “Good idea.”
“I mean, he’s not likely to seduce me into mind blowing sex in his office, right?”
He smirks and shakes his head. “Sure, if that helps you sleep at night.”
“I’ll be in and out, he’ll hardly know I was there.”
“That’s what he said,” he says with a wink. “You’re a grown woman, M. Just decline the advances and go on with your life.”
“It’s so hard to tell him no.” I fling my head back on my couch, pouting. “He has these eyes.”
“We all have eyes.”
“Not like this. I’m pretty sure he can control my mind.”
“So his eyes are sexy?”
“So sexy.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to have sex with him in his office.”
“True.” I nod, my mind made up. Again. “No more sex with Chase.”
“Just do me a solid and keep condoms in your purse. Just in case.”
“That doesn’t help me keep my legs closed around the sexiest man alive.”