“I guess…I just wanted to hear your voice,” he admitted.
I shut my eyes. I’d really wanted to hear his voice too. Not just to prove Silas was the landlord, but also because I missed it.
“Well…” he said. “That’s not the only reason I called you.”
I sat up straighter and pulled my sheets toward me. “What’s the other reason?”
“I was wondering if maybe you’d…want to meet up.”
My heart pounded. This was the moment I’d been waiting for, except now I was more confused than ever.
What do I say? Either way, I’m screwed, whether it was because of my fake British accent that I’d used over at his house today, or the fact that I’m one of his “crazy ass” problematic tenants.
Schwinn. I cringed. You fucking idiot, Lola! I was toast.
Needing to buy myself some time, I said, “Can I think about it?”
“Yeah. Whatever.” He sounded a bit disappointed. “I just thought it’d be nice to meet you. You seem really cool.”
“You too, Silas.”
A part of me wanted to confess everything to him so badly…just get it over with. But I really needed to think this through before making a rash decision.
“Just so you know…I’m not suggesting we meet up and fuck. In case you’re wondering about my intentions. I’m just thinking…we came this far. We might as well meet. You know?”
There I was, loving the way he said the word fuck again.
I was fucked, alright.
“I appreciate you saying that. I know we met because I called a number from a bathroom wall for a good time, but I’m not really that type of person. I’m not easy.”
“I didn’t think you were. That’s why I wanted to put it out there that I don’t have any expectations. I just…” he paused. “I don’t know…you seem really honest. When I asked you about why you called that first night, you admitted you were lonely. That’s not a thing people tend to admit so easily. And when I asked about your last relationship, you didn’t give me some bullshit answer. It’s refreshing to talk to someone who’s honest and open, so I thought maybe we could meet for a drink. Even coffee, if you’d rather that.”
I closed my eyes. Honest. That was definitely the last thing I’d been with him in the past twenty-four hours. His comment made me feel like shit. “Can I ask you something, Silas?”
“You just did…”
I smiled. “What happens if we meet, and I’m not who you expect?”
“You mean what happens if you don’t match the picture in my head?”
“Yeah, I guess…well, sort of…”
“Are you trying to tell me you’re hideous or something, Lola?”
I laughed. “No. That’s not what I meant.”
“So what exactly are you worried about then?”
I sighed. God, what a tangled web we weave… But fuck it…I either needed to come clean or cut things off with this man. As strange as it was, I felt a real connection to him, even before I’d even known how insanely gorgeous he was. Somewhere in the back of my head, I heard Summer and Charlie’s voices…
Be spontaneous. If an opportunity for fun arises, take it. Don’t overanalyze it.
That was the rules they’d made me agree to.
So I took a deep breath and said, “Okay, let’s meet.”
“Now you’re talking…”
“But I need you to promise me one thing.”
“Jesus…you’re already being a pain in my ass.”
I chuckled. “Maybe, but promise me something anyway.”
“What is it you want assurance on?”
“That when we meet, you’ll stay for at least an hour.”
“You think I’m going to hightail it out of there when I look at you?”
“No. But promise me anyway.”
“Alright, Lola. I’ll give you a full hour, at least. Now when and where is this meeting happening?”
I thought about it. “Where it all began. At Salty’s. How about tomorrow night at eight?”
“Sounds like a plan. That place gets pretty busy. How will I know it’s you? What will you be wearing?”
Hmmm. I got up from bed and walked over to my closet. Thumbing through, I pulled out a blue and white sundress that I’d been complimented on while wearing on more than one occasion.
“A sundress…with spaghetti straps. It’s blue and white.”
“Okay. I don’t know what I have clean. But how about this? I’ll have aviators on. So look for the guy wearing his shades inside the bar. By the way, I fucking hate it when people do that. It usually means they’re douchebags.”
Oh, don’t you worry. I won’t have any trouble finding you. “Sounds great. I’ll look for the biggest douchebag in the room.”
His laugh was a low rumble. “Good night, Lola. Get some sleep.”
“Good night, Silas. Sweet dreams.”
Lola
THE NEXT MORNING, I slept in.
The house was quiet, and I found Summer and Charlie on the front porch. They both had champagne flutes in their hands, instead of their usual mugs.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Summer said.
I sat down on a rocking chair. “Are you drinking alcohol already? I know I slept late, but it’s not even ten o’clock.”
Summer sipped. “We’re having mimosas. It doesn’t count as alcohol. You want one?”
I lifted my mug. “Maybe after I have my caffeine fix.”
A pile of folded clothes sat on the small table between them. I noticed the underwear on top.
“Is that my underwear?”
“Sure is. Apparently crazy ass hot landlord had a change of heart and decided to return our stuff rather than donate it all.”
I looked around feeling instantly rattled. “The landlord was here? You spoke to him?”
Charlie shook her head. “We found this pile on the porch when we came out this morning. So someone dropped it off.”
God, I could’ve been sitting out here when Silas decided to return them. That thought freaked me out. I needed some time to mentally prepare for that meeting to happen. Which reminded me…I had to fill my friends in on my plans for tonight. And I had a feeling they weren’t going to be too happy.
“Speaking of hot landlord…I spoke to him last night.”
Summer frowned. “You promised us you wouldn’t call him, Lo. Is that why we got
