Page 13 of Without Apology

CHAPTER FIVE

Peyton

The kiss from Simon left me floored. As I got ready for work on Monday morning, I replayed the entire date. He’d been formal at first, but I’d noticed him relaxing throughout dinner. Although the bit about wondering why I wasn’t in a relationship was momentarily bothersome, I was certainly used to the question by now. I was turning the big 3-0 later this year, and even my sister was starting to encourage me to “settle down.”

All I focused on in that statement, however, was the word settle. I’d meant what I said about not understanding why an age should dictate what you do. Sure, I’d love to have someone to spend my life with. Someone to have kids with and who’d plan a future together with me. But I hadn’t found the right match yet. And I’d never subscribed to the theory a man was needed in order to feel complete. Not even when I was turning thirty.

After taking Cooper for his morning walk and gulping down a cup of much-needed coffee, I drove into the office on a typical Monday morning commute.

As urban sprawl grew, the roads were progressively getting worse traveling in and out of Dallas to the north. Although there were some train options or the bus, I was much more of a get-in-my-own-car, listen-to-my-own-music-and-not-have-to-smell-anyone-else-in-the-morning kind of girl.

My sister’s number showed up on the console of my Tahoe over Bluetooth. I was sure she couldn’t wait for me to dish on my weekend with Simon by evidence of her early phone call. I was shocked she hadn’t called yesterday until I’d remembered they’d had a day planned with my nieces which had probably prevented her from doing so.

“Good morning.”

“Well, good morning to you. I don’t have much time as I need to get the girls off to school, but how was your date?”

“Great.”

“Great as in penetration great?”

I rolled my eyes, looking around at gridlock as if to say to the other drivers, you see what I have to put up with? Part mom, part older sister, and a lot of friend, my sister took on all hats for me. “Good grief, Jen. The word penetration sounds so crude.”

“Fine, did he stick his noodle in your doodle?”

I burst out laughing. “No. We had a nice dinner, then a kiss good night on my porch.”

“Probably for the best. You probably don’t want to go putting out on a first date.”

“Noted.” Although if given the opportunity, I’m not sure I’d make it past the second.

“I wonder if he’s uncircumcised. I’ve heard most Europeans are.”

Only my sister would voice this type of question. “That’s a really personal question.”

“Translation: you didn’t suck his dick, either.”

“On my front porch. No. I didn’t.” What part of one kiss didn’t she understand? I then laughed when I heard my brother-in-law, Kevin, in the background.

“Who’s sucking whose dick?”

“Not yours, honey. But if you want to do the girl’s hair this morning, I bet there will be one in it for you tonight.”

I groaned. “La, la, la la. I do not need to hear your blow job bribery at seven o’clock in the morning.”

“You scoff, but you should be taking notes. Blow jobs are the very best currency in marriage. And it’s a win-win for both of us.”

“Got it. But I’m about to pull into the parking garage, so I’m gonna let you go.” In truth, I had fifteen more minutes on the road, but this conversation had deteriorated into the gutter, and there was little hope of a rescue.

“If you say so. But at least tell me if you plan to see him again.”

I smiled in remembrance of his text yesterday telling me how much he’d enjoyed our date. “I am. Probably Friday as he has to work late nights this week.”

“Damn, I can hear your blush through the phone. I certainly hope he’s in town awhile then.”

She wasn’t the only one.

I was running a bit late. Then again, this was the perk to being an exempt employee who put in ten-hour days. Although I typically was at the office by seven, today I was pushing half past.

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