That said, I’m having a good day.
Maybe even a great one.
“The fuck are you smiling about?”
I look up as Roger sits down in the empty chair next to mine. “Nothing,” I answer, my grin widening as I take a sip from my Yummy Bean Coffee to-go cup. I arrived at the meeting early by accident. I guess the skip in my step this morning was just too quick.
“Ah,” Roger says, shaking his head. “Someone got their dick sucked this morning.”
“No comment.”
“You know, I’ve got to hand it to you, my friend. I thought you’d screw it up somehow by now.”
“Oh, ye of little faith.”
“So, is it official?” he asks, sipping from his own to-go cup. “Are you two back together?”
“Not exactly. We’re just having fun. No strings attached, you know?”
He grimaces. “But you’re in love with her.”
“So?”
“So, where’s the fun in that?”
I laugh. “You’ve never been intimate with a woman you have genuine feelings for?”
“Okay, first, don’t call it being intimate. It makes it sound gross. And second, no. I have not.”
“It’s only a matter of time until you do.”
He glares. “Don’t you dare put that curse on me.”
“I apologize.”
“Thank you.” He waves at the chair three seats away. “Top of the morning, Betty.”
“Hey, Betty,” I say, giving her a head bob.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” she greets as she sits down and goes back to her phone conversation.
I look at Roger. “By the way, as your friend, I feel like I have a moral obligation to tell you that your new plaything broke into my apartment and tried to seduce me.”
Roger grins as he pulls his phone from his pocket. “Yeah, I know. She sent me a selfie,” he says, tilting the screen in my direction.
I glance at it and scoff as I see her naked, perky breasts once again. “Washing the sheets was the right call,” I say, averting my eyes.
“Yes, it was.” He smugly swipes through a few more pictures. “This girl is filthy...”
“You realize she’s only using you to get back at her dad, right?” I ask.
“Oh, I’m well aware. I just don’t care. It’s one of the perks to not letting feelings get in the way of what I’m there to do.”
“And what’s that?”
He swipes again, and I instantly regret it.
“Never mind,” I say with a sigh. “Sorry I asked.”
“Question.” He clears his throat and returns his phone to his pocket. “You wouldn’t know a good lawyer, would you?”
“Maybe,” I say, dreading the direction of our conversation. “Why?”
“I just have a few questions pertaining to, you know, civil rights.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What exactly is legally permitted between two consenting adults in the state of Illinois... and the surrounding areas.”
“Please stop talking.”
He chuckles. “You’re right. I’ve already said too much. Let’s go back to talking about the inevitable train wreck that is the rekindled relationship with your ex-wife.”
“What?” Betty asks, obviously keeping one ear on our conversation. “Rekindled? Robbie, tell me you didn’t.”
Roger nods. “He did.”
I sigh. “Now hold on—”
Betty talks into her phone. “Honey, Imma have to call you back.” She hangs up. “Boy, what are you thinking?” she asks, scolding me.
“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” I argue. “This is a good thing.”
“What’s a good thing?” Greg asks, his voice booming from the other side of the chair circle.
“Rekindling his ex-wife,” Betty answers.
His face screws up. “Dude...”
I raise my hands as the rest of them groan. “Okay, may I defend myself here?” I ask. They go silent, but their stares are very loud. “Now, yes, I have rekindled with my ex-wife, but—” I pause as they groan again, “it’s different this time.”
They groan even louder.
“No, I mean it,” I say. “It’s going so well. It’s like it was before. Before I screwed everything up. It’s everything I’ve been working so hard for, and she...” I sit forward. “Okay, this weekend, she walked in on something that could have easily been interpreted differently, but I told her the truth and she trusted me. She trusted me. This is the first time in so long I can say that and it feels... so damn good, you guys.” I look at all of them, their faces softening. “Mel trusts me and I can’t mess that up again. I won’t. I won’t let myself. It’s too important.”
“So, honesty is your thing now, eh?” Roger asks.
“Yes!” I answer. “I’m an open book for her. I have to be.”
“Then, does that mean you’re going to come clean with her?”
“About what?”
He tilts his head.
I sit back as I realize what he’s talking about. “You mean the flowers,” I say.
“Uh-huh,” he says.
“Well, I...” I pause. “I don’t really see why I should.”
They all roll their eyes as they turn away from me, looking even more disappointed than before. I let them turn, eager not to be the center of their attention anymore.
“You hear that?” Roger asks, tilting his ear up.
“Hear what?” I ask.
“That distant sound...” He squints. “Tick-tock. Tick-tock.”
I sigh, annoyed. “All right.”
“Is that a time bomb? I think that’s a time bomb.”
“Yeah, I get it, Rog.”
“Do you?” he asks, leaning closer. “Do you really?”
“It’s not the right time to bring it up, all right?”
“When exactly is the right time to tell your ex-wife you swooned her under a fake identity, ghosted her cold, and crushed her spirit just so you could pick up the pieces like a glorious white knight?”
I don’t answer.
Twenty-Four
Robbie
Cady twirled her fingers around a lock of Derrick’s hair. His lips caressed her belly as he sunk deeper onto his knees. She parted her legs, lightly mewling as his firm, cruel touch tempted her inner thigh.
She moaned his name, her teeth etching a line into her bottom lip—
“Yawn!” I say aloud.
Melanie looks up from
