“Did you get any sleep?” she prods before taking a sip of her wine.
“Nope,” I say, popping the p. “Well, not until I went home. I shit you not, we probably had sex ten times, and he fucking came every time and made me come. As I said, that man is fucking talented in the bedroom.”
“Sounds like a fun night.” She bounces her eyebrows at me. “Glad it was mutually satisfying.”
“I’ll be thinking about it for a long time, that’s for sure. I also don’t know how I’m walking today,” I say, laughing.
“So, from the sounds of it, he wants a friends with benefits situation? Are you game for that?” she asks.
“I think so, maybe for a little while. I mean, the sex was phenomenal. I’d be a fool to pass that up.”
“Sex isn't everything. I don’t want to see you get hurt,” Lindsay says.
“I know, and if we do end up with an FWB, I’ll go into it with a completely open mind and hopefully not develop any feelings past the attraction I already have for him.”
“That’s a good plan; I just don’t want to see you get hurt. FWB situations tend to never work out, someone always catches feelings, and they end up broken-hearted and lose a friendship, as well.”
“I know, but what if he changes his mind. What if he realizes that what we have is real and he wants to give it a shot?” I question.
“Then you ride off into the sunset madly in love, but you might also be drowning your sorrows in wine while eating your weight in ice cream.”
“I know. Being an adult sucks,” I say, downing the rest of my wine.
“Oh, before I forget, I ran into Tucker at the grocery store today, and he invited both of us to a football and bonfire party next Saturday. I told him that I wasn’t sure if I could make it since I told Betty I’d cover her shift if she needed me to.”
“Sounds like fun,” I tell her; I don’t know that I’d show up for the football portion, but a bonfire sounds fun.
“Tucker said Lee will be there.”
“I figured that.” I laugh. “Those boys don’t do much without one another. Kinda like us,” I quip.
“Yep,” she agrees with me before we fall into a fit of giggles.
8
LEE
Lee: Are you off today?
Allison: I am; what’s up?
Lee: Lunch?
Allison: Are you asking me out on a date?
Lee: Can’t friends grab lunch together?
Allison: Of course they can; I was just trying to determine what kind of lunch this was. If it is just two friends grabbing food together, I can meet you in ten, but if it’s a date, I’ll need an hour to shower and get dressed.
Lee: No need to get dressed up for me, sweetheart. To be honest, I’d rather just strip your clothes off of you and feast on you.
Allison: Such a charmer.
Lee: You know you like it. {winky face}
Allison: {eye roll}
Lee: So that’s a yes to lunch?
Allison: Sure, when and where?
Lee: The deli in fifteen?
Allison: Okay, see you then.
I slide my phone into my pocket, laughing and shaking my head at my text conversation with Allison. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love her sassy attitude. She isn’t afraid to put me into my place or call me on my bullshit. I’ve never been with a woman who was like that. Maybe that is what was always missing with the few women I’ve attempted to date.
I snag my keys off the hook and head for my truck. It’s been almost a week since she left my bed after the best night ever. We fucked like rabbits that night, neither one of us seeming to get enough of the other. I’ve had some wild nights before, but that one took the top spot. Hopefully, we’ll have a repeat of it sooner than later.
The idea of more with Allison has my head spinning. I don’t usually think like that when it comes to women, but she has me thinking all sorts of things that I wouldn’t usually think about.
I crank up the volume of the radio once I’m in my truck. An old Garth Brooks song is playing, one I loved growing up, so I blast it as I sing at the top of my lungs while I make it the few miles to the deli I’m meeting Allison at.
It doesn’t take me long to find a parking spot. Small town living and all that, plus, it isn’t quite noon yet, so the rush hasn’t started.
I head inside and grab a small table along the wall of windows. It won’t take long for this place to fill up once the noon hour hits, so snagging a place for us to eat will come in handy.
I scan over the specials menu, picking out what I want while waiting for Allison to get here. Each time the bells above the door chime, alerting everyone that someone new is walking in, I look towards the door in search of her. A few people trickle in, heading straight for the counter to place their orders before taking seats.
I pull my phone out, playing one of the many games I have downloaded for moments like this when I’m bored and passing time. I look up when the door chimes and can’t help but smile when I see Allison come walking in. She’s in an oversized sweatshirt, leggings, and some boots. My mouth waters as I drink her in. As she gets closer to me, I’m able to take in more details. She’s got her hair up in a messy bun, and it doesn’t look like she’s got a stitch of makeup on. If I could pick the way she looked all the time, this is the exact look I’d go for.
“Hey,” she says, waving a little awkwardly as she stops next to me.
“Hey, yourself. Glad you could make it. Want to head up and order?” I ask, standing from my seat.
I place my hand on the small of her back as we walk up to the counter. We both quickly place our orders and head back to the table to wait for our number to be called.
“How’s your week been?” she asks once we’re sitting.
“Pretty good; I got off yesterday. Went home and crashed after that shift. It was a brutal one with little sleep.”
“Sorry to hear that. What happened? I didn’t hear about anything major going on.”
“Nothing major, just a lot of little calls that kept coming in.”
“Ah, so just not much time to sleep between calls then.”
“Nope. I think the longest we had all night was an hour between calls. It was brutal.”
“I can’t imagine that. My days are long in the ER, but at least I get to go home after twelve hours. I don’t know how y’all do it with working twenty-fours.”
“It can be challenging at times, but then, there’ll be days we sit around all shift and don’t get anything.”
“Does that happen often?” she asks.
“No, we usually get at least a few calls every shift. Sometimes they’re minor, like an old woman with her cat stuck in the tree—”
“Wait a minute, you actually get those kinds of calls? That isn’t just a metaphor people use?” she says with a laugh.
“Not a metaphor. I’ve rescued my fair share of kittens over the years,” I tell her just as our order number is called. I stand to grab the tray, stopping at the counter to get us some napkins and silverware.
I set it down on our table, removing my items from the tray as Allison does the same. Once it is empty, we get to work eating it all.