8. Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Harrison
After tossing and turning most of the night, I came up with a plan to impress Kat when she called this morning. I would answer her questions first this time, and make sure she got what she needed for her article. Then we could talk about other matters— us. I’d found a show in Milwaukee this weekend by an Elvis impersonator who was supposed to be pretty good, some guy named Ashton Olsson, so I’d grabbed tickets in the middle of the night.
As I sipped my coffee, my mind was preoccupied with my phone, both for the time and for any messages from Kat. When my phone vibrated, I jumped and grabbed for it.
JJ: How was the interview?
I frowned at the message from my cousin. He’d been trying to get me back out there for months.
Me: Interesting.
JJ: Was she hot at least?
I rolled my eyes and didn’t answer him. I wasn’t interested in talking about Kat to him, not yet anyway.
JJ: Come on. I’m at the coffee shop down the street from you - The Frothy Mug.
I sighed, realized I had an hour to wait still, and decided to go meet him. As I pushed open the door, I was greeted with the deep aroma of roasted coffee beans. Scanning the crowd, I spotted JJ at a table in the corner.
He looked me over as I sat down. JJ had an annoying habit of being able to read me too well. “You got laid.”
I groaned. “How do you fucking do that?”
Shrugging, he took a sip of his drink. “It’s a gift, along with my magical powers.”
“So all illusion?”
He scoffed. “It’s an art.”
“It’s a lie,” I said, the familiar fight a welcome reprieve from talking about Kat.
“It’s art,” JJ said, taking a sip of his coffee. “So, how was it? I’m going to assume you banged the reporter, so you don’t even need to say it. After all that difficulty, though, you went and had a one-night stand anyway?”
I scoffed. “It was more than that.”
“Sex with a stranger’s rarely anything else.”
“You’re such a cynic.”
JJ raised an eyebrow. “And you’re looking for something serious after being married for so long? Didn’t that mess you up enough? Don’t you want a break?”
I sighed. JJ didn’t get it, and I wasn’t sure he ever would. “She’s different. She’s actually into archaeology.”
He hummed. “Well, that is a huge point in her favor.”
“Except that she ran right after we . . .”
He chuckled. “Aww, you were that bad, hey?”
“Oh, shut up,” I said, frowning, but I was soon laughing with him. Taking a deep breath, I checked my phone. “Well, as stimulating as this conversation was, I have to go.”
“The girl?” JJ said as I pushed up from the table.
I nodded. “We have a time to finish the interview this morning, and then I have a surprise for her that hopefully makes a difference in things.”
“Good luck, man,” he said, saluting me with his mug, and I nodded, then headed out back into the warm weather and to my apartment. Turning my sound on, I waited for Kat to call, but as nine o’clock turned into 9:20, I had doubts about whether I’d hear from her at all, and I had to be at the university by half past ten.