“Thanks for the good news, Clint. I’ll see you tomorrow for a walk-through,” I add before hanging up.
Immediately, I phone Abby and hope she answers as I know she is with patients most of the day, even a surgery or two. Hell, she sometimes gets more action in a day than I do at the clinic.
After two rings, she answers, and I immediately hear a yappy dog barking in the background.
“Sorry if I’m interrupting?”
“Hey, Lucas. It’s no problem, I have a few minutes before I cut Sparky’s balls off.” I can hear the humor in her voice when she says that which is slightly disconcerting.
We met for lunch yesterday and have been texting non-stop since the weekend.
“I know we were going to do sushi tonight, and I don’t want to cancel. But my contractor phoned to say my house is ready. Since I have Theo this weekend, I want to do my damnedest to get his room ready and the house somewhat livable. Tonight, I need to do some shopping, which is definitely not the same enjoyment as being with you,” I explain.
“Lucas, relax. It’s okay,” she assures me, and I know she’s authentic when she says it. “What kind of shopping do you need to do?”
“Well, I have a new bed getting delivered and my guess is it will need sheets. Also need to get paint for Theo’s room.”
“Space theme, right?” Ah, she remembers. “And getting sheets is an important task. Dr. Kade, I do recommend a high thread count and white.”
“You sound like you know your sheets.”
“Hmm, I know my way around a Target,” she jokes, and I have to laugh.
“Large stores scare the hell out of me. I may need to borrow Romeo to be my emotional support dog.”
“If you want some company, I could come,” she offers.
I didn’t think about that, and I don’t want to bore her. But she sounds like someone who would enjoy the outing.
“If you don’t mind, I would love it,” I answer.
“Cool. Well, just pick me up at my place after work. I’ve got to run as Sparky needs to lose something quite valuable,” she mentions casually.
A few hours later, we’re walking around with a cart. Having already picked out a dark royal blue for an accent wall in Theo’s room. We head to the linen section where I throw in towels and begin to look at the sheets. Abby watches me with interest as she leans against the cart.
“Admiring the view?”
“I’m curious what option you’re going for. Your taste in design may tell me a lot about you,” she explains.
Looking in my hand, I see I picked out a gray set. I guess that might be perceived as boring.
“I’m trying to go for neutral colors,” I try to justify.
“That is a good goal, but if you weren’t playing it safe, then what color would you want?” she challenges.
I think about it as I’ve never once thought about the color of sheets on my bed. “I guess something dark since I have white walls.”
“Hmm maybe paint one wall to add some color. What dark color were you thinking?”
“A darker gray?”
She laughs. “Okay, I now know you love gray, but maybe toss a dark blue throw blanket over the end of your bed to add some pop,” she suggests, and I nod my head in contemplation. Abby reaches for a set on the shelf then hands it to me.
“Oh, this is nice, actually… gale force.”
“It is grey but edging towards blue-green.”
I answer by throwing it in the cart and adding a few extra sets. Soon we’re moving to our next section as she pushes the cart and stands on the bottom basket like a kid playing around.
“Now that you picked out my sheet color, then it’s only right that you should christen them with me,” I grin at her.
“I do like the sound of that. I accept my obligation.” She throws a hand to her chest to show her loyalty. Her phone rings, and she pulls it out of her bag and groans when she sees the screen then swipes the call away. We continue to push the cart.
I look at her puzzled. “Okay there?”
Her lips quirk and her tongue glides along her teeth. “Haven’t you heard? Mona got the gossip train moving. My parents have been texting me all afternoon asking if the rumors are true.” She seems to find this slightly entertaining, yet the hint of agitation is there.
I sigh and let my hand rub my head. “Oh geez. This will be fun. You think our parents are already opening a bottle of fifty-year-old malt to celebrate?”
Abby shakes her head. “I have no clue, but I don’t care. I will ignore them until there is something to tell.”
I stop us in our tracks by gently touching her arm, and it makes the cart abruptly stop and her body and the cart nearly crash against each other.
“What do you mean?” I have no idea what she meant or what I want her to mean.
Abby shrugs a shoulder and looks at me a bit stuck on what to say. “I just mean, we don’t really know what we’re doing, do we? And even though we’re in our thirties, not having our parents on the sidelines would be a great bonus.”
I consider what she’s saying, and it makes sense. “I guess you have a point… what are we doing?”
She looks at me, hopeless. “I really don’t know, but I hope I’m not just a distraction for you or the rebound.” Abby is candid, and it makes me appreciate her all the more.
I touch both of her shoulders and turn her, so we’re face to face. “Hey, originally I thought a rebound was what I needed. But you aren’t a rebound or distraction. I don’t know what we’re doing either, but it feels good. Let’s just see where it goes.” My hand caresses her cheek, and her eyes settle with my own.
“That sounds good, Lucas.” The words float in the air, feathery as she gently smiles. Without thought, I plant a kiss on her lips that is a little heavy for a weeknight run to Target. But I enjoy living on the wild side.
After heading to the crafts section, Abby helps me find stencils for making space shapes on the bedroom wall of Theo’s room. We swing by the food aisles to throw in some snacks for later, and somehow Abby convinces me that hummus and carrots are a good idea—I throw in some popcorn and cookies for backup. We have a good laugh when we’re in the checkout listening to a teenager in the next aisle on his phone talking about a party this Friday. It makes us recall all the shit we each got up to as teenagers. Good times.
Heading back to her place, she lets Romeo out in the back when we arrive before we make out on the kitchen counter. When the dog returns inside, she fills a red toy with peanut butter and tells me we have a solid twenty minutes of the dog behaving. We use every second riding each other into unconsciousness, and I didn’t want it to end. It’s a high, and she is the one who takes me there.
The next day, Abby stops by my new house after work. I have to admit that I show off my place as I’m happy with the result. Custom-built cabinets in the kitchen with grey-white marble that took forever for delivery and is absolutely worth it, open living room, pool out back, three bedrooms—including the master, which we made several jokes about its importance.
Now she’s helping me paint the stencils of stars, moons, and rocket ships on the accent wall of dark blue that I painted on my lunchbreak. She is sexy in her ripped jeans and old t-shirt, and it’s making it hard for me to focus.