Chapter 5
Riggs
Thoughts of Zoe meeting up with some asshole frat boy have plagued me all day. I should let her go, but I can’t bring myself to stop texting with her. She’s easy to talk with, and there’s a draw to her that’s impossible to resist. I’m sure any guys she might have met last night feel the same.
Fuck it. I need to find out if she met someone last night.
Me
Did you have fun last night?
Zoe
It was okay.
Me
Just okay?
Zoe
My roommate spent all night sucking face with her new boyfriend. Sorta felt like a third wheel.
Me
No sucking face for you?
Please let her say no. If she hooked up with some punk last night, I’ll puke.
Zoe
Pretty sure I’ve sworn off men.
Me
Why is that?
Zoe
I can’t have the one I want.
Me
Zoe
Is it wrong I can’t stop smiling that she feels the same way I do?
Zoe
What?
Me
Don’t tempt me.
Zoe
*shrugging woman emoji*
Me
I better go.
Zoe
Wait. I’m sorry. I won’t say that again.
Me
I still better go.
Zoe
K
Me
Have you been to Old West Steakhouse?
Zoe
No. Is it good?
Me
It almost went under last year, so I invested in it. I’m thinking about bringing in live entertainment on Friday nights.
Zoe
Like a band?
Me
Yeah. What do you think?
Zoe
That’s a good idea. Busted Root might be a good one. They’re a local band that’s gaining a pretty big following among the students at my college.
Me
. . .
. . .
I type and erase several messages before deciding to let it go. I need to stay away from Zoe. We both need to move on, and it’s impossible with the constant messaging.
Zoe
I drove by the Old West Steakhouse last night. Looked pretty busy.
Me
Yeah. We had Busted Root play. That was a good suggestion.
Zoe
I’m glad to hear that.
. . .
Me
I better run. I’m picking up our new hire for dinner soon.
Zoe
Is he nice?
Me
She seems cool.
Zoe
. . .
I better not keep you then.
Shit. She’s upset. Maybe it’s for the best. We can’t keep tempting fate like this.
Zoe
Are you having a nice dinner?
Me
I’d rather be having dinner with you.
Yeah, I’m a masochist. Instead of letting things between us fizzle, I keep blurring the boundary I tried to set.
Zoe
I thought I was too young for you?
Me
You are.
Zoe
???
Me
You're right, we need to stop this.
Zoe
But we’re not doing anything…
Me
Bye, Zoe.
Me
You up still?
Zoe
No. I’m asleep at 9:30 on a Saturday night.
Me
Smart ass.
calling
Zoe answers the phone on the second ring. “Hey, you.” Her voice is smooth like velvet, making my dick instantly hard.
I should not be calling her, but I can’t seem to stay away. At least we’re just texting with an occasional phone call. I know we should keep things platonic, but I can’t seem to do that. The more we talk, the more those lines are blurred. Zoe is proving to be impossible to resist.
“I’m pretty sure I played cupid tonight,” I tell her.
“Oh, yeah?” Her tone is cautious, making me worry.
“Yeah.”
“That’s nice.”
“You sound funny.”
She sighs. “I’m just not sure why you’re telling me this.”
“I was afraid you might’ve thought Piper and I were on a date earlier. We weren’t. I’m her boss,” I admit.
“It’s none of my business if you date someone.”
“We both know that’s not entirely true.” She has to realize the more we talk, the more I want her.
“I thought I was too young for you.”
“You are.”
“Let’s talk about something else,” she says, changing the subject.
I want to press it further, but what’s the point? “Tell me what you’re reading.”
She chuckles. “I’m out of my thriller phase and have moved on to a new genre.”
“What’s that?”
“Dark romance.”
“What does that mean?”
She proceeds to tell me all about the genre I hadn’t heard of until just now. I keep asking questions. Not because I want to read those types of books, but because I love hearing her talk. Plus, books are safe.
We switch from books to movies to my days as a motocross racer. The hours tick by while she tells me about her dad’s suicide attempt and subsequent death when she was in high school, and I tell her about getting my ex-wife pregnant when we were only seventeen. The conversation flows with a comfort that I’ve never had with a woman. Talking to Zoe is easy. She’s the first person who seems to understand me. She makes me feel like I’m waking up from a deep sleep.
As much as I’d like to keep her on the phone forever, the sun has started to rise. The yawns and pauses on her end of the line have grown longer.
“I guess I better let you go,” I say, not wanting to but knowing I need to.
“Yeah. I need to try to get a little sleep before class. Or maybe I’ll just skip it.”
“Don’t skip class. It’s important.” I’ll hate myself if I fuck with her future.
“I’m not sure college is for me.”
“Why is that?”
“I just feel like I’m stuck in limbo. Like I don’t really belong here.”
My chest aches for her. Everyone needs a place to belong. “Is it really that bad?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” She sighs. “Ignore me. I’m just tired.”
“Get some rest. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Bye.”
I end the call, glad my Vegas trip is coming soon. I need to get away. Otherwise, I’m going to lose this battle of resisting Zoe.