kneading all the muscles in my back as the salon woman massages me all the way up to my calves before layering on a mask that smells faintly of spearmint. I can't keep a straight face. I'm certain this chair is seducing me.
"Do you like it?" Lex asks from the chair beside me, laughing at the way my eyes threaten to roll into the back of my head.
"I need one of these. Holy hell, this is what I call a back massage."
"No kidding," she says, "I try to come every two weeks. But, I haven't been in for a while…." She trails off, then shifts and looks away, uncomfortable. I guess what's kept her away is she and Leo screwing like rabbits.
To distract her from thoughts of the asshole, I tell Lex about Owen. This topic peaks her interest, as I knew it would. She leans into my words as I describe how hard he is to read. I go on describing his appearance in obnoxious detail and even go as far as making a cupping gesture in midair, squeezing an imaginary ass. Then I throw my head back as though the description is getting me riled up and I let out a frustrated groan. "I want him so bad, you have no idea."
"I mean, since when are you shy about going after what you want?" Lex asks.
"I'm in no way shy—"
"Don't act like you're an innocent. We all know that ship has sailed. It sailed and it was ransacked by pirates, and those pirates burned it down…"
My sister erupts into a fit of self-indulgent snickering and while it's nice to see her laughing, I look on, glaring playfully. "It's not that. Trust me."
"What is it then?" she asks, rearranging her face to innocent curiosity.
"I'm not sure. It's like we're doing this seductive dance around the bush." I wave my arms around to demonstrate, ignoring the bewildered look the woman painting my toenails gives me. "All primal, caveman like. You know, daring each other to—"
"Screw the other's brain's out?" Lex offers.
"Well, yeah."
"Okay, so I get that you obviously like him. But what happens when you leave town? Do you really want to get caught up in a long distance thing?"
"Well…no."
"Just…" She hesitates. "Keep your focus on what's important. A man is never what's important."
I know she's right. San Francisco is where my future is. But where I'll be in the coming weeks doesn't change where I am now.
It doesn't change how I feel now.
I can't deny the real force pulling me back to the diner. It's not the food. It's not the ambiance. It's Owen. This mysterious, guarded man making me wish I had a way to access hints of his thoughts.
I know I shouldn't be curious. I shouldn't wonder what his body looks like lit from behind by the glow of a lamp, glistening with sweat as he handles me in all the ways I suspect he can.
What I should be doing is pulling my life together. Simplifying. Not lusting after potentially complicated things.
I know this. I do. But, dammit, I still want him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I'm hung-over Monday morning, forgetting my sister will be there when I wake up. Having her off work for the holidays is an adjustment to the previous week when I had the condo to myself during the day. She makes another remark about me drinking too much and tasks me with helping her wrap Christmas presents. I don't get to sneak away to the diner for breakfast like I wanted, opting, instead, for helping my sister run errands.
Early Tuesday morning, I wake up to an unexpected call from the law firm that agreed to interview me after the holidays.
"A change?" I clutch the telephone tighter and try to keep my voice even. "May I ask what's changed?"
The woman on the phone, who isn't Janie—the one I originally spoke with—stays vague. Says there's been a misunderstanding. The interview is off.
They were perfectly interested in me just a few days ago. The change of heart is curious and, if my suspicions are correct, I'm in deep, deep shit.
Calling the dozen or so firms I've sent job applications to takes a surprisingly short period of time. Each
"Do you like it?" Lex asks from the chair beside me, laughing at the way my eyes threaten to roll into the back of my head.
"I need one of these. Holy hell, this is what I call a back massage."
"No kidding," she says, "I try to come every two weeks. But, I haven't been in for a while…." She trails off, then shifts and looks away, uncomfortable. I guess what's kept her away is she and Leo screwing like rabbits.
To distract her from thoughts of the asshole, I tell Lex about Owen. This topic peaks her interest, as I knew it would. She leans into my words as I describe how hard he is to read. I go on describing his appearance in obnoxious detail and even go as far as making a cupping gesture in midair, squeezing an imaginary ass. Then I throw my head back as though the description is getting me riled up and I let out a frustrated groan. "I want him so bad, you have no idea."
"I mean, since when are you shy about going after what you want?" Lex asks.
"I'm in no way shy—"
"Don't act like you're an innocent. We all know that ship has sailed. It sailed and it was ransacked by pirates, and those pirates burned it down…"
My sister erupts into a fit of self-indulgent snickering and while it's nice to see her laughing, I look on, glaring playfully. "It's not that. Trust me."
"What is it then?" she asks, rearranging her face to innocent curiosity.
"I'm not sure. It's like we're doing this seductive dance around the bush." I wave my arms around to demonstrate, ignoring the bewildered look the woman painting my toenails gives me. "All primal, caveman like. You know, daring each other to—"
"Screw the other's brain's out?" Lex offers.
"Well, yeah."
"Okay, so I get that you obviously like him. But what happens when you leave town? Do you really want to get caught up in a long distance thing?"
"Well…no."
"Just…" She hesitates. "Keep your focus on what's important. A man is never what's important."
I know she's right. San Francisco is where my future is. But where I'll be in the coming weeks doesn't change where I am now.
It doesn't change how I feel now.
I can't deny the real force pulling me back to the diner. It's not the food. It's not the ambiance. It's Owen. This mysterious, guarded man making me wish I had a way to access hints of his thoughts.
I know I shouldn't be curious. I shouldn't wonder what his body looks like lit from behind by the glow of a lamp, glistening with sweat as he handles me in all the ways I suspect he can.
What I should be doing is pulling my life together. Simplifying. Not lusting after potentially complicated things.
I know this. I do. But, dammit, I still want him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I'm hung-over Monday morning, forgetting my sister will be there when I wake up. Having her off work for the holidays is an adjustment to the previous week when I had the condo to myself during the day. She makes another remark about me drinking too much and tasks me with helping her wrap Christmas presents. I don't get to sneak away to the diner for breakfast like I wanted, opting, instead, for helping my sister run errands.
Early Tuesday morning, I wake up to an unexpected call from the law firm that agreed to interview me after the holidays.
"A change?" I clutch the telephone tighter and try to keep my voice even. "May I ask what's changed?"
The woman on the phone, who isn't Janie—the one I originally spoke with—stays vague. Says there's been a misunderstanding. The interview is off.
They were perfectly interested in me just a few days ago. The change of heart is curious and, if my suspicions are correct, I'm in deep, deep shit.
Calling the dozen or so firms I've sent job applications to takes a surprisingly short period of time. Each
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