29
“Hey,” I said, getting out of my Jeep at the fire station.
“I never thought I’d ever see you again,” Heath said, standing against the ambulance. He was in a gray hoodie sweatshirt and athletic pants and looked very hot, but not what I wanted or needed. What I wanted and needed was sitting at my kitchen table, cursing the lack of capitalization in a student’s essay about the Teapot Dome scandal and its impact on Warren Harding’s presidential legacy while waiting for me to come home so we could go get a drink at The Horse. I couldn’t wait.
“I wanted to clear the air about a few things. I feel like I owe you that much,” I said.
He crossed his arms across his chest. “Okay, I’m all ears.”
I took a breath. “I’m really sorry about how it all went down. You know, dragging you to LA and everything.”
He gave a short laugh. “Hey, you didn’t drag me anywhere. I was a guest of David Anders.”
“That’s true. But I’m sorry.”
“You were different on that trip,” he said.
“So were you.”
He sighed. “Maybe we both needed to see that in each other. Deep down, Devon, I think I knew the whole time. You and Kyle, it was going to happen one way or another. I just got caught in the crosshairs of it.”
He was right. “You didn’t deserve that.”
He shrugged. “It happens. At least you weren’t spitting tobacco into the aisles of a movie theater.” We both laughed, which felt good considering how badly we had ended things. “But I appreciate you coming over to talk to me, Dev. Most girls wouldn’t have bothered.”
I smiled. “I figured you might show up on my campus at some point again, and it always helps to be on the good side of emergency responders.”
“Generally, a solid plan,” he agreed. “Have a great life, Devon.”
“You, too, Heath.” I meant it.
...
“I just graded the worst paper of my life,” Kyle said from my kitchen table as I walked in the door. “Somehow, the kid confused FDR with TR but then mixed JFK in there. I don’t know what’s going on. Was my use of acronyms in class that confusing? I need a drink.”
I leaned down and kissed him, savoring that I was finally home with him.
“How was your day?” he asked. “I want to know what happened with Marnie. I couldn’t help but plant that kiss on you when she showed up. I mean, I wanted to kiss you, but I loved getting that reaction. You know what I mean.”
“Marnie,” I said, pulling him to his feet and meeting his lips with mine. “Is just the tip of the iceberg. I have so many stories to tell you. Tons. We’re going to shut down The Horse tonight.”
“You’re speaking my language, woman. Too bad the Celtics don’t play until tomorrow night,” he said, wrapping his arms around me. “Speaking of which, can we go sometime?” he asked almost sheepishly.
“You want to go to a basketball game with me, Mr. Holling?”
“Will I finally get to meet this elusive guy?”
I pulled him to the door. “Is that the only reason you want to go?”
Kyle closed my apartment door behind us. “He’s really good, Devon.”
“Don’t I know it?”
THE END