“That sounds simple enough.” My voice is dripping with sarcasm, pulling another laugh from Dylan.
“Mmmhmm, piece of cake,” she quips. “But I think you need to really consider what you want out of this because if all you want is a fling––”
“That is all I want.”
“Then be up-front about that. Build a friendship with a healthy dose of sex on the side. He’ll know you’re there if he ever wants to talk about his wife, but he won’t feel any pressure to dive into anything more complicated because you’ll have already set the boundaries beforehand. It’s a win-win.”
“I thought I did do that,” I mutter.
“Maybe his sister-in-law freaked him out or something?”
Recounting the night in my head, I realize that’s exactly what happened. Then I followed it up with my stupid comment about feeling like I was somewhere that someone else was meant to be. At his kitchen table. In his home. Where his wife would be if she hadn’t passed away. Of course, that freaked him out.
“That’s definitely possible.”
And I might’ve helped push him over the edge too.
“Then make yourself a little clearer,” Dylan suggests.
“How?”
“I dunno. Send him a nude photo and a text that says pregnancy hormones make you horny. That’s what I do with Grady.”
Chuckling under my breath, I shift the phone from one ear to the other. “That sounds promising.”
“It works every time, my friend. Again, I gotta go because Baby is jumping on my bladder, but I’ll talk to you later, okay? Keep me updated.”
“I will. And let me know when you head to the hospital.”
“Deal.”
10
Marcy
Netflix is flashing on the television screen in my family room, but I have no idea what’s going on because my phone is taunting me. I wish it would light up with a notification from DRBen918.
It doesn’t.
Flipping my phone over so the screen faces the coffee table, I set it back down, then rest my feet beside it and attempt to focus on the documentary in front of me. With my arms crossed, my knuckles turn white as I hold onto the gray sleeves of my oversized hoodie.
Don’t grab the phone, Marcy.
Don’t.
Do.
It.
As I glare at the stupid device, it vibrates on the table, and I scramble for the damn phone like it’s a hundred dollar bill on the side of the street.
There’s a notification from The Birds and Bees app, and my lungs refuse to cooperate as I check to see who it’s from.
RDY2GETDWN would like to contact you.
Gritting my teeth, I lean forward to set my phone back down before impulse finally prevails, and my fingers fly across the screen like they have a mind of their own.
My conversation with DRBen918 is opened, and an edited photo from my scandalous album is blindly attached in five seconds flat before it’s sent into cyberspace.
Shit. I shouldn’t have done that.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I wait.
And wait.
And wait.
You’re an idiot, Marcy. Did you really send a picture of you in a freaking bubble bath to him? Are you even allowed to take bubble baths now that you’re pregnant? I thought I read that somewhere, but maybe I’m imagining things. Now, you’re gonna look like an idiot. Or maybe I didn’t send him the bathtub one? Maybe it was the one in bed? That one’s better, but then again, it’s like four in the afternoon. Who on earth would be in bed in the middle of the day? Now, I’m gonna look like a lazy slob. What else is in that folder? Which one did I even send? This was a terrible idea. I’m horrified. How the hell am I supposed to go to my next doctor’s appointment and look him in the eye when––
My phone vibrates, and I jump in surprise before fumbling with the lock screen like a crazy person.
DRBen918: Why hello to you too.
Marcy123Marcy: Hi.
DRBen918: Tell me, do you read minds?
Marcy123Marcy: No, why?
DRBen918: Because I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately, but I didn’t know how to reach out. Seems I should’ve just followed your lead, though. That picture made my day.
Curious, I reopen the image I’d sent to see which one actually went through before busting up on my couch. There, front and center is my unimpressed face saved for unsolicited dick pics that find their way into my inbox.
What the hell?
I mean…I know I picked blindly, but out of all the pictures I had in the folder, that’s the one that was sent?
I slap my palm to my forehead, searching every nook and cranny in my brain for something witty to reply.
Marcy123Marcy: Glad I could help. Are you as unimpressed with your day as I am?
DRBen918: Definitely. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong today. It’s been a mess. And then I got a message from you.
It’s the way he writes it. Like his message isn’t a simple play-by-play itinerary of his day. It’s as if my picture was the solution to all the problems he’d been dealing with. And that’s what really gets to me.
With the knowledge of how lame I sound while still feeling desperate for his attention, I type my response.
Marcy123Marcy: Happy to help. Is there anything else I could do to ease the pain of your day?
He doesn’t reply.
Of course, he doesn’t.
So I start typing again.
Marcy123Marcy: BTW, I’m sorry if I made our date weird. I want you to know that I was serious about the whole friends plus benefits thing. I know you’re not looking for a relationship, and I promise I’m okay with that. Honestly, I’m even fine if you want to drop the whole benefits part too. Your messages have been making me smile, and I’d love for them to continue.
Before I can press send, a notification pops up.
And I freeze.
DRBen918: Thanks, but I think I’m good for right now. I just need to sort through a few things. Make sure you keep up with your prenatals. I’ll see you at your next appointment.
Holding down the delete button, I wait for my message to disappear then close the app without bothering to reply.
I guess that’s that.
If only I could explain why his brush off hurts like hell.
11
Ben
“Hey, sorry I’m late,” I mutter as soon as Krista opens her front door.
“No worries. I got your text. Is Dylan okay? How’s her voice? Still intact? Is she gonna be able to put out another platinum record? Because so help me, if you didn’t protect those vocal cords….”
Krista fell in love with the infamous Dylan as soon as she released her first album. When she found out I was her OB/GYN, she almost had a heart attack.
“Mama and baby are as healthy as can be,” I explain to put her at ease.