Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“ A week’s too long!”
Tracy’s panic put a damper on the excitement churning in Adam’s gut. He thought a week was too short. Two was more like it, giving them time to work this craving out of their systems.
But she hadn’t said no to the idea. “What sounds right to you?”
“I don’t know that it sounds right at all, but…” She paused to take a breath. “One night is plenty.”
“You think?” He did his best to ignore his sisters listening in on this intimate bargaining session. “I mean, we’ve never?—”
“Exactly. We just need to satisfy our curiosity. The first time usually isn’t all that great, but that will be a good thing.”
“It will?” He wasn’t following her logic at all.
“Sure. Did you ever watch that old Seinfeld episode where Jerry and Elaine decide to have sex to see what would happen?”
“I heard about it. It didn’t work out well.”
“See, that would be perfect. We could laugh about it and go back to being good friends, just like they did.”
“You want to have bad sex?”
“Wouldn’t that solve everything?”
“I guess, but….” The sound of muffled giggling distracted him. “Hey, you two, would you mind riding a few yards down the trail so we can discuss this without an audience?”
Claudette heaved a sigh. “If we must. C’mon, Mila. We know when we’re not wanted.”
He waited while they walked their horses a few feet away. When they stopped, he motioned to them. “ Un poco mas, por favor !”
They complied. A cold breeze carried their laughter back to him.
“That’s good!” He turned to Tracy. “You were saying?”
“Was that the contract you wanted me to look at?”
“It was. I thought a written agreement might appeal to you.”
“A written agreement about sex?”
“Well, you’re a contract lawyer, so?—”
“What did it say?”
“Kind of what Claudie was talking about. We’d agree that we weren’t dating or starting a relationship. We’d set a time limit when it would be over so neither of us would be the dumper or the dumpee.”
“What was the time limit?”
“Two weeks.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God. That’s crazy!”
“Why?”
“We might create a habit!”
He swallowed a laugh. Only Tracy would come up with that. “I doubt it.” An obsession maybe.
“Seriously. Some research shows it takes at least three weeks to form a habit, but others say eighteen days is enough time. We’re not taking that chance. We need to do it like in Seinfeld — one night.”
“How about a week?” Didn’t hurt to ask.
She shook her head. “Speaking for myself, I’d rather not have everyone in the family know about this. I said you’re free to tell whoever you want, but?—"
“I haven’t.”
“Not even Luis?”
“Nobody. So far it’s just the four of us.”
“Okay, then. We can trust those two.” She tiled her head in the direction of Mila and Claudette.
“I know.” He took a breath. “What night did you have in mind?”
“The only one that makes sense. Tonight.”
His breath whooshed out and drum line took up residence in his chest. “Tonight?”
“It’s perfect. I’m already here and if I stay another night, everyone will assume I’m over at Mila and Claudette’s. I can even park my truck there. It’s practically foolproof.”
Her speech was matter-of-fact, but the glow in her eyes matched the party going on in his eager body. “How do you want to work it?”
“Depends. Do you know if your family is getting together for dinner again tonight?”
“Don’t think so. Mom said something about going to the Raccoon with the Damsels tonight since Angie and her crew aren’t here.”
“See how this is working out? Once we get back, I’ll ride Moonlight home, pick up Bluebell and drive over.”
“When?” Now that he was counting hours and not days, each one was precious.
“Not till it’s dark. I’m glad your cabin is on the same side of the house as Mila’s place. I won’t have to cross the yard.” She glanced up at him. “Do you have?—”
“Condoms? Yes, ma’am.”
“I was gonna say food.”
“Oh. Food.” His hormone-soaked brain worked on the problem. What was in the fridge? He’d cooked this week, but damned if he could remember what he’d had. “I think there’s?—”
“Never mind. My folks keep plenty of two-person servings in the freezer. They’ve told me to help myself if I come out when they’re on the road.”
“That would be great. Thanks. I didn’t expect?—”
“No worries. You stocked in the most necessary item. Assuming they’re not expired.”
“Just bought ’em.” Whoops. Could have done with not saying that.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
She grinned. “What time?”
“Around three, I guess. Why?”
“Because I was in there buying them around four. Would’ve been funny if we’d met by the condom display.”
“Then you were thinking we might get around to doing this?”
“I had no idea, but I figured anything was possible. If you showed up at my door and… um…” Her cheeks got rosy. “I wanted to be prepared this time.”
“You probably shouldn’t have told me that.”
“I shouldn’t?”
“Now I know if I get a hankering, I can just show up at your door.”
“But you won’t get a hankering, because we’ll take care of that tonight.”
“So you say.”
“Adam, you know as well as I do that it’s awkward and less than satisfactory the first time.”
“I suppose.” He wouldn’t disabuse her of that, either. Clearly that had been her experience in the past. He liked this plan. It had real merit. But the one-night stand she had in mind wasn’t going to work out the way she thought it would.
“Hey, you two!” Mila waved a gloved hand in the air. “Sol and Pickles want you to wrap it up!”
“We’ll be right there!” Tracy called back. Then she glanced at him. “One more thing. You’re right that I like the idea of a contract. It might be silly, but?—”
“It’s not silly. My dad taught me the value of signing a written document. Most people feel an obligation to honor something they’ve put their John Hancock on.”
“Then I’d like you to change the one you drew up to one night instead of two weeks. If you print out copies before I get there, we can sign them before we… get into it.”
“I’ll have them ready.”
“Thanks.”
He’d write that contract any way she wanted. Then he’d have approximately twelve hours to convince her they should change it.