7. Zoe
SEVEN
zoe
“You are one hundred percent sure?” Charlee asked through the phone. It was on speaker while I cleaned up my takeout. I’d told Charlee and Natalie I was fine, that I did not need to join them for dinner, but the two of them still tag teamed me. Called as soon as they were finished to see if they could drag me to Boots and Brews.
“One thousand percent.”
“You won’t be a third wheel.”
Closing the dishwasher, the kitchen all cleaned up, I sat at the counter. My apartment, walking distance to the bar they were heading to, wasn’t overly luxurious, but I loved it. Loved being within walking distance to Main Street. I could easily get dressed and join them, which would be less awkward than being at dinner with the four of them, but that wasn’t the real reason I wanted to stay in.
“First of all, I am a third wheel.”
“You aren’t,” Natalie chimed in. If I’d ever met a nicer person than Nat, I couldn’t remember who. She was sweetness personified. But she wouldn’t persuade me tonight.
“Second, I’m already in my cozy clothes.”
“An easy fix,” Charlee said. Knowing how spontaneous I was, Charlee was right. I would change on a dime if I wanted to.
“Sure, but,” I hedged. I didn’t want to lie to my friends, but I knew how this looked. . . dating Nate, so quickly after Erik, while we were technically still in the middle of Operation Distraction. And a whole New Orleans trip next weekend, just for me? Meanwhile, I’d been thinking more about Nate than the guy I’d dated for six months which was definitely not normal.
Even still. I couldn’t quite reconcile my feelings, which were leading me in a direction I didn’t necessarily want to go. Yet, the thought of not texting Nate was. . . absurd.
“Nate said he thought it was going to be a slow day today,” I explained. Not surprisingly, no one said a word. “That means, when he wakes up, which should be soon, he may have some time to text this morning.”
“This morning?” Natalie asked.
“It’ll be four a.m. for him soon. Kinda early, but he’s usually up by five.”
“Hooooold on.” Charlee nearly climbed through the phone. “I knew you guys were talking, but you know his schedule?”
I sighed. “I do.”
“Which means you’ve been talking a lot.”
“We have,” I admitted.
“You said she asked what he looked like,” Natalie piped in. “That can’t be a surprise. I mean, the guy’s hot. And single. And no one knows better than you the appeal of a man in uniform. And one who hunts people down for a living? Extra hot.”
I might argue the “hunts people down for a living” comment, but there was no denying the role Nate played in the military had a certain sex appeal to it.
“You ladies ready to roll?”
That was Lucas’s voice which meant this conversation was over.
“You guys have a blast. I’m just gonna go snuggle up with a good show and will catch up with you tomorrow.”
“A good show,” Charlee mocked. “Whatever you say.”
Smiling, I said goodbye to the girls and putzed around my apartment, trying not to look at the time. Four a.m. there now. Still early, but feasible. Nearly an hour later, everything was clean, I’d tried to actually watch a show and failed, and was basically relegated to picking up and putting down my phone like a madwoman.
And then it buzzed.
I raced to it.
What’s shakin’ in Kitchi Falls?
Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod.
Breathe, Zoe. He’s just a guy. Not even one you’re dating. Just a guy you barely know who you’ve texted a few times.
Albeit a really nice, funny, sexy, uniform-wearing sniper guy, but a guy just the same.
I forced myself not to text back immediately. Instead, I poured a wine and casually, or not so casually, carried it to the couch. I pulled a blanket on my lap, took a sip of wine, and picked up my phone. Ready.
Staying in tonight.
It didn’t take him long.
Doesn’t sound like you.
It isn’t usually, but I’ve been out a lot recently so. . .
I see
Did he suspect I was staying home because of him? Since I’d admitted I liked him, and he’d done the same, our conversational tone had definitely shifted.
Do you?
Kinda
What do you see, exactly?
Not you, unfortunately.
That took it up a notch. Since I hadn’t washed my face yet, I decided to go for it. Turning the phone around, I took a selfie. And another. After four later, I had a decent one.
I hit “send.” It took a few seconds to get delivered.
Now you see me.
I certainly do. Sexy Zoe girl.
LOL. I am anything but sexy in my pjs.
Wanna bet?
I took a sip of wine. Yep, this was getting interesting.
How about one of you? Fair play?
Pause.
Wish I could. Later maybe.
Probably too many people around. Or he was in a secure area or something of the sort.
That’s OK
But holy hell, Zoe. You are one gorgeous girl. Though I assume you know that already.
And how would I know such a thing? You better tell me a few more times.
In response, he sent a series of fire emojis. Smiling, I took another sip of wine.
So, staying in. Drinking wine? What else?
That’s it. And talking to you.
Lucky me
Same
Glad to hear it.
Glad I sent that note.
You can say that again.
So, where are you?
Why do you ask?
He couldn’t see it, but I actually did blush. I’d asked for the exact reason he thought I did. I wondered if he was in a private spot but most likely wasn’t since he couldn’t send me a pic.
No reason
Mm-hmm
Seriously. I was just curious.
I’ll take your word for it.
He didn’t believe me. Smart man.
You think I had ulterior motives?
Maybe
Like?
Pause. No way he’d actually answer me.
Like seeing if I was alone in the event our convo was about to take a turn.
Holy shit. He answered.
What kind of turn?
I waited. And waited. And waited some more. This was the thing with Nate. One second, we could be in the middle of an intense conversation. The next, he could be gone for minutes or hours.
Finally, text bubbles.
The kind where I told you how much I’d like to be there with you right now.
Oh boy.
And if you were?
I was probably playing with fire now, but. . . what the hell?
If I was on that couch with you?
I swallowed.
Yeah
First of all, you wouldn’t have so many clothes on.
I took another sip of wine.
No?
No
And?
On a scale of one to ten, how easily are you offended?
So, this was the turning point. My answer came easily enough.
One being not getting offended at all and ten getting very offended?
Sure
In that case. . .
I took a deep breath wondering exactly how far Nate would push the limits. Hopefully, he liked to push them pretty far.
Zero
He sent a thinking face emoji.
What?
This is me not believing you.
Try me
I waited. Though this time, I had a feeling Nate was actually considering his next text rather than doing. . . whatever he usually did on long pauses between texts. Sure enough, the next one came through not much later.
I’d be pinning you against that couch with my fingers deep inside your pussy as I worked you until you screamed my name.
I nearly spit out the wine I’d just sipped. Well then. He really didn’t screw around.
Is that so?
That’s so
Two could play at this game.
In that case. . .
I left him hanging. Deliberately. Just for a few seconds.
I really do wish you were here.
Waiting for his next text was such delicious torture, I wondered why everyone didn’t start their relationship this way. Not that this was the start to a relationship.
Or was it?
Didn’t matter.
What mattered at the moment were those little text bubbles that taunted me.
That makes two of us.