and Rose in the hallway, catching Rose’s eyes once for a long moment, wondering if she knew what I was thinking, if she knew what I wanted. If she understood that I wasn’t going to wait quietly in the wings anymore.
All this time, I thought she didn’t want me. I thought I couldn’t have her. But this morning, with her body against mine, I knew. When she looked at me, eyes wide and open, I was sure. She wanted me just as badly as I wanted her, and this time, I wouldn’t stop. Not until she was mine again.
My determination echoed in every beat of my heart, every footstep, every thought, as I showered, changed, walked the blocks to work. I needed a plan, because I couldn’t go into this guns blazing and just take her. Not yet. If I wasn’t careful, I’d blow it, and this was it. My last bullet.
I’d win back her trust, and the second I could make a move, I would.
By the time I walked into Tonic, I felt more sure of myself than I had before, maybe ever. The shop was mostly empty — I was on the early bird crew — though Joel was at his desk in his station. He looked up and looked me over, one eyebrow climbing.
“What set your boots on fire?”
I smiled. “Rose.”
“What’d you do?”
I walked into his station and leaned on the short wall. “Nothing, yet.”
“Well, don’t hold out on me. What happened? Tell me everything.”
“I’m gonna get her back.”
He waited for me to elaborate and huffed when I didn’t. “Stop being cryptic, goddammit, and tell me what’s going on.”
My smile stretched wider, though I struggled to find the words. “I’m not even sure how to tell you, Joel. When we woke up this morning, I just knew I had a shot. I felt so stupid for not seeing it before, but …” I rubbed my jaw. “I thought she didn’t want me, but that was a lie. I can get her back. I’ve just got to prove she can trust me again.”
“Hold up, back up. When you woke up? Together?”
“Yeah. We fell asleep on the couch last night, and this morning she just looked at me, and I knew. It was just a glimpse, but it was there.”
“Well, what are you going to do? Ask her out?”
My smile fell a little. “She’s doing some online dating thing. I ran into her yesterday after one of her dates.”
He folded his arms and shook his head. “Man, I told you this would eventually happen. Now it’s going to be even harder to get her back, you realize that, right? She’s going to meet her dream guy and forget all about you.”
“She won’t.”
“How do you know?”
I smirked and leaned forward. “Because I’m her dream guy.”
A laugh boomed out of him. “I can’t argue with that, Tricky. I really can’t.”
“I just can’t fuck it up this time.”
“No, you can’t. I suspect if there is a chance for you here, it’s the last one. Last call.”
“Last call,” I echoed, knowing it was the truth. I had to step up and order or walk out. And I wasn’t ready to leave.
IT'S TRICKY
Rose
I PUSHED OPEN THE DOOR to Genie’s after breakfast, and the girls filed out behind me.
“So,” Lily started, “we’ll get Ellie a thirty-day MetroCard, and hop the train to Times Square. After that, we’ll walk to Rockefeller, then to Grand Central and take the train back up to Saks.”
“Perfect, Mom,” I said cheerily. “Did you print up itineraries for us?”
She stuck her tongue out at me.
“Sounds good to me,” Ellie added, looking up at the buildings as we headed toward the subway. “Now that’s all settled, can we please talk about how you were sleeping with Tricky when I got here this morning?”
Lily and Maggie’s faces whipped around with identical expressions, and I felt my cheeks heat up.
“Uh, what’s that you say?” Lily asked.
“Whatever, it was nothing. He was hanging out last night, and we fell asleep on the couch. End of story.”
Ellie laughed. “Looked like more than that to me.”
I made a face. “We were fully clothed.”
No one
All this time, I thought she didn’t want me. I thought I couldn’t have her. But this morning, with her body against mine, I knew. When she looked at me, eyes wide and open, I was sure. She wanted me just as badly as I wanted her, and this time, I wouldn’t stop. Not until she was mine again.
My determination echoed in every beat of my heart, every footstep, every thought, as I showered, changed, walked the blocks to work. I needed a plan, because I couldn’t go into this guns blazing and just take her. Not yet. If I wasn’t careful, I’d blow it, and this was it. My last bullet.
I’d win back her trust, and the second I could make a move, I would.
By the time I walked into Tonic, I felt more sure of myself than I had before, maybe ever. The shop was mostly empty — I was on the early bird crew — though Joel was at his desk in his station. He looked up and looked me over, one eyebrow climbing.
“What set your boots on fire?”
I smiled. “Rose.”
“What’d you do?”
I walked into his station and leaned on the short wall. “Nothing, yet.”
“Well, don’t hold out on me. What happened? Tell me everything.”
“I’m gonna get her back.”
He waited for me to elaborate and huffed when I didn’t. “Stop being cryptic, goddammit, and tell me what’s going on.”
My smile stretched wider, though I struggled to find the words. “I’m not even sure how to tell you, Joel. When we woke up this morning, I just knew I had a shot. I felt so stupid for not seeing it before, but …” I rubbed my jaw. “I thought she didn’t want me, but that was a lie. I can get her back. I’ve just got to prove she can trust me again.”
“Hold up, back up. When you woke up? Together?”
“Yeah. We fell asleep on the couch last night, and this morning she just looked at me, and I knew. It was just a glimpse, but it was there.”
“Well, what are you going to do? Ask her out?”
My smile fell a little. “She’s doing some online dating thing. I ran into her yesterday after one of her dates.”
He folded his arms and shook his head. “Man, I told you this would eventually happen. Now it’s going to be even harder to get her back, you realize that, right? She’s going to meet her dream guy and forget all about you.”
“She won’t.”
“How do you know?”
I smirked and leaned forward. “Because I’m her dream guy.”
A laugh boomed out of him. “I can’t argue with that, Tricky. I really can’t.”
“I just can’t fuck it up this time.”
“No, you can’t. I suspect if there is a chance for you here, it’s the last one. Last call.”
“Last call,” I echoed, knowing it was the truth. I had to step up and order or walk out. And I wasn’t ready to leave.
IT'S TRICKY
Rose
I PUSHED OPEN THE DOOR to Genie’s after breakfast, and the girls filed out behind me.
“So,” Lily started, “we’ll get Ellie a thirty-day MetroCard, and hop the train to Times Square. After that, we’ll walk to Rockefeller, then to Grand Central and take the train back up to Saks.”
“Perfect, Mom,” I said cheerily. “Did you print up itineraries for us?”
She stuck her tongue out at me.
“Sounds good to me,” Ellie added, looking up at the buildings as we headed toward the subway. “Now that’s all settled, can we please talk about how you were sleeping with Tricky when I got here this morning?”
Lily and Maggie’s faces whipped around with identical expressions, and I felt my cheeks heat up.
“Uh, what’s that you say?” Lily asked.
“Whatever, it was nothing. He was hanging out last night, and we fell asleep on the couch. End of story.”
Ellie laughed. “Looked like more than that to me.”
I made a face. “We were fully clothed.”
No one
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