wanting.
"I want you to think about that for a few days before you decide you only want to be my friend," he said and left me alone in the kitchen.
Moments later I heard the front door close.
I was stil reeling when my phone buzzed on the kitchen table. On weak knees I crossed the kitchen and plucked the phone off of the table.
"Hey, babe," Luke said.
"Hey," I said, breathlessly.
"You sound like you ran to the phone."
"I practical y did," I lied and then mental y chastised myself for lying.
Wel , I couldn't tel him Kyle left me breathless, could I?
"How are you?" Luke asked.
A little fucked up.
"Fine. Tired. How are you?"
"The same," he sighed.
He proceeded to talk about the suckish points of his day. I didn't mind. Luke doesn't complain much, so if something bothers him I want to hear
about it.
"So, what's going on in your world?" He asked when he finished talking.
"The Sterlings invited us to a cocktail party they're having on Saturday."
"While that sounds painful y merry, I have a bachelor's party to attend Saturday night in Chicago."
I giggled. "Painful y merry. Funny. I forgot you weren't coming right home. You're flying to Chicago to get drunk and have other women shake
their boobs in your face."
"If it bothers you, I won't go," he said seriously.
"No," I kicked at the table leg. "It doesn't bother me. Maybe I'm just jealous."
"Jealous? You're not the jealous type."
"Maybe I want boobs shaken in my face."
He laughed hard for almost an entire minute.
"You're a riot."
"I know. Seriously, though, have a good time, be careful. Make sure you get a lap dance."
"I'd rather have you dancing on my lap."
"Wel , you know where to find me."
He chuckled. "I'm going to get to bed. Talk to you tomorrow."
"Night. Miss you."
"Miss you, too. And..."
"And?"
"I love you," he said in a quiet tone.
"I love you, too, Luke."
We hung up. I sat down in a chair and let my head hit the table with a loud THUNK .
Chapter Seventeen
At work, I pretended that nothing had happened. Kyle did, too, which should have made life a little easier, but Kyle wasn't being friendly. He
wasn't being a dick either. He was indifferent. It was as if he were saying "See, this is how it wil be if you decide you only want to be friends."
At the end of late work nights, Kyle usual y left with me, always offering to take me to my car. This time when I stepped into the elevator, he bid
me goodnight and took the stairs. By the time the elevator picked up stragglers from other floors, Kyle was gone.
I decided that I was going to have to shake it off. Psshh, that kiss wasn't even al that. If he wanted it to be that way, that was fine. I can be
indifferent, too. I was indifferent before he stalked me and found me in my bar that night.
When Saturday rol ed around, I was mental y and emotional y exhausted from being indifferent. I almost didn't feel like going to the cocktail
party. I lounged around on the couch, flipping through boring Saturday television, eating popcorn with too much butter. My mom cal ed me half a
mil ion times, but I never answered. Judging from the voicemails she left, she wasn't cal ing about anything important.
The party was at six. At three, I had to make a decision. If I were to go, I had to shower, shave, wash and style my hair and do my makeup. My
dress was stil in the bag from when I bought it, draped over a chair in the living room, and my new shoes sat in a box by the couch. If I didn't go, the
careful y selected dress and shoes would have been bought in vain, and I do not waste designer clothes and shoes.
I dragged myself off of the couch and went upstairs to get ready.
***
The Sterling Estate was off of the affluent Main Line, not far from stupid Jess's family estate. The enormous house sat on thirty acres of private
land. During the summer, the property was beautiful y landscaped with lush gardens and fountains shaped like naked little cherubs spitting water out
of their mouths…and other
"I want you to think about that for a few days before you decide you only want to be my friend," he said and left me alone in the kitchen.
Moments later I heard the front door close.
I was stil reeling when my phone buzzed on the kitchen table. On weak knees I crossed the kitchen and plucked the phone off of the table.
"Hey, babe," Luke said.
"Hey," I said, breathlessly.
"You sound like you ran to the phone."
"I practical y did," I lied and then mental y chastised myself for lying.
Wel , I couldn't tel him Kyle left me breathless, could I?
"How are you?" Luke asked.
A little fucked up.
"Fine. Tired. How are you?"
"The same," he sighed.
He proceeded to talk about the suckish points of his day. I didn't mind. Luke doesn't complain much, so if something bothers him I want to hear
about it.
"So, what's going on in your world?" He asked when he finished talking.
"The Sterlings invited us to a cocktail party they're having on Saturday."
"While that sounds painful y merry, I have a bachelor's party to attend Saturday night in Chicago."
I giggled. "Painful y merry. Funny. I forgot you weren't coming right home. You're flying to Chicago to get drunk and have other women shake
their boobs in your face."
"If it bothers you, I won't go," he said seriously.
"No," I kicked at the table leg. "It doesn't bother me. Maybe I'm just jealous."
"Jealous? You're not the jealous type."
"Maybe I want boobs shaken in my face."
He laughed hard for almost an entire minute.
"You're a riot."
"I know. Seriously, though, have a good time, be careful. Make sure you get a lap dance."
"I'd rather have you dancing on my lap."
"Wel , you know where to find me."
He chuckled. "I'm going to get to bed. Talk to you tomorrow."
"Night. Miss you."
"Miss you, too. And..."
"And?"
"I love you," he said in a quiet tone.
"I love you, too, Luke."
We hung up. I sat down in a chair and let my head hit the table with a loud THUNK .
Chapter Seventeen
At work, I pretended that nothing had happened. Kyle did, too, which should have made life a little easier, but Kyle wasn't being friendly. He
wasn't being a dick either. He was indifferent. It was as if he were saying "See, this is how it wil be if you decide you only want to be friends."
At the end of late work nights, Kyle usual y left with me, always offering to take me to my car. This time when I stepped into the elevator, he bid
me goodnight and took the stairs. By the time the elevator picked up stragglers from other floors, Kyle was gone.
I decided that I was going to have to shake it off. Psshh, that kiss wasn't even al that. If he wanted it to be that way, that was fine. I can be
indifferent, too. I was indifferent before he stalked me and found me in my bar that night.
When Saturday rol ed around, I was mental y and emotional y exhausted from being indifferent. I almost didn't feel like going to the cocktail
party. I lounged around on the couch, flipping through boring Saturday television, eating popcorn with too much butter. My mom cal ed me half a
mil ion times, but I never answered. Judging from the voicemails she left, she wasn't cal ing about anything important.
The party was at six. At three, I had to make a decision. If I were to go, I had to shower, shave, wash and style my hair and do my makeup. My
dress was stil in the bag from when I bought it, draped over a chair in the living room, and my new shoes sat in a box by the couch. If I didn't go, the
careful y selected dress and shoes would have been bought in vain, and I do not waste designer clothes and shoes.
I dragged myself off of the couch and went upstairs to get ready.
***
The Sterling Estate was off of the affluent Main Line, not far from stupid Jess's family estate. The enormous house sat on thirty acres of private
land. During the summer, the property was beautiful y landscaped with lush gardens and fountains shaped like naked little cherubs spitting water out
of their mouths…and other
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