Chapter 25 #2
“Okay. I’ll cook dinner because I think we’ve exhausted all takeout options,” she says.
I huff. “Sounds good to me.”
“I’m glad you called,” Mae says softly.
I smile to myself.
“I am too,” I rasp.
We sit there for a moment, and I don’t want to hang up, but I need to. I need to get some rest, and I’m sure Mae does too.
“I don’t want to hang up, but I know you’re tired.”
“Then don’t hang up. I need to finish getting ready for bed. I got as far as my pajamas on,” she says.
I rub my mustache, smiling. “What are you wearing?” I ask her.
She doesn’t answer, then I hear a beep on my phone. Lifting it from my ear, I check it and see she’s trying to video chat with me. I sit up straight and press the green button.
Her face pops up, and she’s smiling with a sly look on her face as she moves the phone from her beautiful face down her body. She’s in a giant t-shirt and baggy shorts that go to her knees. I bristle. They look like men’s clothes.
“So sexy,” she says sarcastically.
“Are those another man’s clothes?” I ask her.
She giggles. “Why? Jealous?”
I grumble, and she laughs. “No, they aren’t. I just like baggy clothes.”
“I figured you women wore lingerie or something.”
She laughs a full belly laugh, and my chest warms at the sound of her laughter. “I don’t know if I own a piece of lingerie.”
“We may have to change that,” I mutter.
Mae giggles again and takes me with her. It’s dark, then a light flips on in her bathroom.
“If I bought any, it would be for me, not you,” she says.
“Obviously, but it would be a gift that keeps on giving,” I grit out. She has no idea what she does to me. Or maybe she does, and she loves messing with me. I like both options.
“You make it sound like I’m a fruitcake,” she snorts.
“Only I wouldn’t give you to anyone else, and hog you all for myself,” I say, without thinking.
Our eyes meet through the screen, and satisfaction rolls through me as her cheeks tinge rose.
“I still don’t know how I feel about being compared to a fruitcake,” she mumbles and put her toothbrush in her mouth.
I go to my bathroom to do the same. “I’d say more like a gift, but if you want to go the fruitcake route, we can roll with it.”
She smiles through her toothbrush. “You’re ridiculous,” she says, and a bit of toothpaste runs from her mouth.
“And you are unforgettable.”
We stare at each other while brushing, and as weird as it is to video chat brushing teeth together. It feels normal, natural.
I wash my face and then take my phone to my room to change.
I unbutton my shirt and toss it onto the pile of laundry that keeps growing and needs to be washed.
Mae gasps over the phone, and I turn to her, wondering what the sound was for.
She’s staring at me, her entire face filling the screen, and I grin widely, flipping the buckle of my belt and take the end, sliding it through the loops.
I drop it onto the chair in the corner and flip the button of my jeans.
There’s most definitely mud on them, and normally I would have showered and changed already, but I didn’t have time between making dinner and getting ready for Rebekah to come over.
I watch her face as I take a few steps closer to the phone. Her lips part and her eyes go soft.
She’s seen my naked chest before, but that’s it. I was more focused on her last time, but that doesn’t mean I can’t tease her.
My fingers grab the zipper lazily, dragging it down my fly, and I watch her eyes move down with my hand.
“See something you like, stubborn?”
I push my jeans down, leaving me in my boxers, and the corner of her mouth tips up.
“If I do, what are you going to do about it?”
I snort and grab the phone, keeping it on my face. “I have some ideas, but I think I’ll keep them to myself for now.”
Visions of watching her moan and tremble fill my mind, and I need to remember I have a seven-year-old across the hall from me. Now is not the time nor the place.
“Tease,” she grumbles.
“Hey, I said I’d keep my ideas to myself. No one said you had to keep yours.”
She rubs her lips and looks away, evidently feeling the same way I am. Hunger is all over her face, and I want to consume every inch of her.
Setting the phone down, I go back to the bathroom to shower. “I need to take a quick shower. Do you still want to stay on?” I ask.
“I get a show too?” she asks.
I chuckle. “I think you’re supposed to buy me dinner first.” I tease.
She giggles and shakes her head. “I can stay on,” she says.
I set the phone on the counter and shower as fast as I can.
When I’m done, I wrap a towel around my waist and get back to my room, quietly closing the door behind me.
“You still there?” I call. Her phone is facing up to the ceiling. She could have fallen asleep for all I know.
“Still here,” she says breathlessly.
I smile and look at her carefully.
“You okay?” I ask her.
She frowns and pouts her lips. “You know I’m not,” she grumbles.
I huff. “If it makes you feel better, I’m equally as frustrated.”
Mae bites her lower lip and averts her eyes. I put my boxers and shorts on and slide into bed.
I watch her do the same and settle back on her pillows.
“What now?” she says.
I stare at her. I know exactly what I want to say, but again … seven-year-old.
“Read any good books lately?” I blurt.
Mae grins and looks away, thinking about her answer. “I read the update to the latest tax law a couple of days ago. It was quite thrilling. What about you?”
I laugh quietly. “I’m on the tenth Magic Tree House book. They are full of adventure.”
Mae smiles and sets the phone up so it’s like she’s looking at me next to her in bed.
“Tell me more about her,” she says.
I hum, going through the list of things. “I think you already noticed she’s really good at math.”
“I did, she reminded me of myself when I was young. I was ahead of most kids in math.”
My heart spins at the fact Mae and Naomi have anything in common.
“She’s getting interested in baking. I blame June, though.
They bake things when she babysits. I’m afraid a monster has been created and I’ll be surrounded by terrible-tasting cookies for the next three months, and it won’t be because of Naomi.
It will be because of me. I struggle to make sure she has dinner that includes a vegetable. ”
Mae smiles, her eyes glowing in the light. “I think you’re doing an amazing job,” she says.
A strange sense of relief falls over me. I don’t know why. It’s not like we’re married and doing this together, but hearing Mae, who hasn’t been in all the drama, tell me that is overwhelming, but in a good way.
“Thank you,” I tell her.
“Mae?”
“Hmm?” she says, her eyes sleepily.
“How is it possible you haven’t had a relationship before?” I ask her. Not that we are together, but on our next date I’m certainly going to ask to make it happen.
She sighs and looks at me sadly. “I don’t know …
I thought it was because there was something wrong with me.
I know I can hold on to control a little too tightly.
But I never thought I was that bad. I take care of myself.
I have a good job. I’m emotionally stable.
I don’t know what else to improve about myself. ”
I snort. “Nothing, literally nothing,” I tell her.
“That’s why I like you,” she says.
“And I finally get the truth.”
She smiles sleepily and says, “I do. I really like you, and it scares me, but it’s also so exciting. I’ve never experienced any of this before. And I hate admitting it, but I know you’re not going to judge me like others have.”
“Other men have judged you for this?” I ask her. My jaw ticks, and if I knew who these guys were, I’d go after them. I don’t know why, well no, I do know why, but what kind of man would judge a woman for inexperience? An insecure boy, that’s who. He’s not a man at all.
“Yeah,” she sighs.
“But maybe that’s over, and maybe one day we won’t have to do this over the phone,” she says, and it melts something in me.
“Maybe we won’t,” I say quietly.
Her eyes are closed and her face relaxes as she falls asleep.
I stare at her peacefulness until I fall next to her.