Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
Kyle
It’s been two weeks since me and Zara settled into some sort of a routine.
After lots of conversations where I felt like we were going in circles, she finally decided that it was safe for her to go back to work.
I would’ve laughed had she not looked so miserable.
She truly believed that those people would pounce on her the second she walked in only because she took unplanned time off for the first time in all the years she’s been working there for.
“Mitzi had frozen soup saved up for me,” she whispered into the phone when she called me that first morning after settling in. “Maybe I should tell her I wasn’t sick after all, and…”
“Take the soup,” I interrupted her.
“But she could give it to someone in true need…”
“Take the soup,” I repeated. “We’ll eat it together.”
So, that night, I made sure to be at her apartment when she got home from work. We defrosted the soup and warmed it up, then enjoyed a bowl of it each. That was followed by me fucking her into oblivion.
I’ve been doing that every day since then, which required me changing my working schedule. Since I am used to working when it’s night out, I pull down the blackout shades and pretend like the sun is not shining outdoors. I finish work with enough time to take a shower and get dressed.
She told me the exact time she gets home every day, so I make sure to get here a few minutes before. I find a good parking spot and wait. She always shows up at the time she said she would, and together, we walk up to her apartment.
Tonight, as I watch her finishing her dinner, I wonder which date we should consider as our anniversary. Would it be our very first date? The night we tried to have sex for the first time? Or the night of the do-over?
“What are you thinking so hard?” She smiles while resting her chin in her hand, elbow placed on the edge of the table.
“That you’re so beautiful,” I tell her. “And I can’t wait to get you naked as soon as we’re done in here.”
She blushes and looks away, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip.
“Uh, tonight is not a great time.”
My eyebrows go up in surprise. I guess I didn’t expect her to say no.
“It’s not what you’re probably thinking,” she chuckles nervously.
I lean over the table and touch her hand. “It’s not that big of a deal, babe.” Now she looks disappointed. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want you. You only have to blink my way, and I get hard. What can I say,” I laugh. “I’m a dog.”
She smiles but looks away. Then, she gets a determined look on her face and meets my eyes dead on.
”I am on my period,” she blurts out. “And I am not comfortable doing anything with you while that’s happening.” She lets out a long puff of air. “I feel better now that I told you. I don’t know why that sounded like an embarrassing thing in my head.”
I’m not sure what surprises me, her complete honesty, or the fact that she is indeed on her period.
None of the girls I casually dated before ever told me that, and I can confirm they were never on it while we were together.
I think they were on something that stopped it for happening, or maybe I just never happened to spend time with them around when that was supposed to happen.
I stretch my arm out to her, and when she grabs it, I snatch her up, making sure she lands in my lap. I wrap my arms around her and kiss the soft skin of her delicate jawline, going up and down her face until she finally relaxes a bit.
”Are you okay?”
She shrugs. “Yeah, I mean this is a monthly occurrence since I was twelve, so I’ve had time to adjust.”
”Twelve?” I almost shout. “That’s so wild, babe.”
Zara chuckles. “You don’t know much about girls and periods, huh?”
”I know nothing,” I admit. “I know they taught us something about the female anatomy when I was in school, but I’ll be honest. I only paid attention to the boobs and the pussy areas.”
She shakes her head at me but can’t meet my eyes. Every time I say the word pussy , she gets shy on me.
”So…” I rock her back and forth a couple of times. “What should we do? Go out? Watch a movie?”
She stares at me in shock.
”Did I say something wrong?”
”Uh, well…” She clears her throat nervously. “I didn’t expect you to want to stay since we can’t, uh, you know…”
”Fuck?” I help her out.
”Not as crass, but yes.” She rolls her eyes again. “Anyway, I thought you wouldn’t be here, and…”
”And what?” I ask when she hesitates.
“I was looking forward to a warm bath,” she says. “And then, I was going to work on something for work. I am still getting caught up with things from when I took time off two weeks ago.”
My initial thought had been that I would stay and hang out with her until I have to go home. After all, it’s not like I can’t control myself, no matter how hard she makes me. But it sounds like she has all these things she wants to do, and for which I’d be in the way.
I kiss the side of her head. “If you’re doing all that, I think I’ll go home, and work on some things, too,” I tell her. “I create my best work at night.”
Zara turned wide eyes at me. “You do?”
”Yeah.” I lift one shoulder as it to say it’s no big deal. “I don’t know when it started, but it’s nice at night. There is no background noise from the outside, and I can focus better.”
She continues staring at me for the longest time.
”What?” I laugh. “I’m kind of a night owl.”
”Is that why you were late that morning at the diner?”
That’s when we got into a fight, which led to us initiating a new phase in our brand new non-relationship.
”Yes,” I now tell her. “I was running on very low sleep. I’m sorry for being late.”
Her face changes, becoming softer somehow, and more understanding. She places her hands on each side of my face before reaching up to kiss me on the lips.
It is the most chaste kiss of my life that’s coming from a girl I have sex with. But it is the best in the world.
”You really are the sweetest, Kyle. Do you know that?”
Zara’s words touch me in a way that she can’t even imagine. I’ve always been the funny guy of any group I was part of. When it came to women, I was always down for a good time, lot of times even for repeats. But no one has ever accused me of being the sweets.
“Only for you, babe.” I guess that’s true since she’s the only one who’s ever felt this way about me.
Her cell phone ringing interrupts out moment. I am disappointed when she presses her hands against my shoulders to stand up, but I let her go. I remain seated, a smile on my face as I watch her talking to whoever just called.
“No, I will have it done and ready for you to review first thing in the morning…”
Her words echo through the apartment, fading a bit when she enters her bedroom. She shows back up a few moments later, with a laptop in the hand that’s not holding the phone. She places it on the kitchen table and powers it on.
It looks like I am already out of her mind as she sets up her workstation. I guess she really meant it when she said tonight was not a good time. I hate the fact that she thought I wouldn’t want to stay with her unless we had sex, but I don’t want to be in her way either.
Standing up, I look for my own phone and car fob, then I walk over to where she’s standing. I tap her on the shoulder, and I chuckle when she turns startled eyes my way.
“I’m gonna go,” I mouth to her. “Call me later?”
She grins from ear to ear and gives me a thumbs up. I lean forward and give her a quick kiss, not wanting to interrupt her conversation.
Once I find myself out in the parking lot of her apartment complex, I lean against my car and take a minute to think, not even sure about what. It’s weird how my life has changed so much in almost three weeks. In fact, I felt the change the second I saw Zara’s picture on the Holidates app.
I stare around the parking lot, wondering if I should go home or go out for a bit. I don’t want to be alone, but I don’t want to go to work either.
Pulling my phone out, I debate on which one of my friends I should call. The core group is all paired up except for me and Alex. And I sure as hell don’t want to go hang out with him. He’s too damn depressing lately.
I get in the truck and start it. As I pull out of the parking lot, I decide to go home after all. If I work extra hours for the next three days, I will have more time with Zara this weekend.
The speakers in the truck suddenly go off with the cell phone ringing. It is so loud and obnoxious that I jump and almost end up off the road.
“What the hell you want?” I bark at Ray when I notice that it’s him calling.
He laughs like the asshole that he is. “That’s no way to greet your friends.”
“It is in your case, fucker,” I deadpan.
“Nice. I’m gonna tell my woman that you’re picking on me,” he says.
“What’s she gonna do? Beat my ass?”
“Well, she is pretty feisty,” Ray informs me with obvious pride in his voice.
I’m a little jealous that he found the one woman who is perfect for him.
I want that, too, which blows my mind. Where is this coming from?
Not to mention, I want it, but only if it’s with Zara.
Her and I will need to have a serious conversation soon.
We need to figure what we want, if we think we can commit to each other, or if we’re really going to part ways after the Fourth of July party.
My stomach is in knots at the thought of not seeing her anymore in less than a month.
Then again, it’s not like I want her to marry me before then.
I just want to know if we can try to see where this goes.
What if she is my person, and I miss out on an amazing opportunity?
Then I’ll have to turn into Alex and walk around acting like an asshole toward everyone.
“How’s your girl doing?” Ray asks, breaking my crazy train of thought.
“She’s really good. I’m just leaving her house. She has to work on a project for an important client,” I brag. “She’s so smart.”
“I could see that,” Ray agrees.
“See what?”