Page 75 of Ask Me Something

I exhaled. “Because it’s that time for me.”

He looked completely confused.

“My period,” I clarified, watching him pale. “Yeah, not something we non-relationship types have had to discuss before. Um, anyhow, I was—”

He held up his hands. “No, I get it. I’ll call you, uh, later.”

I nodded, trying not to let it hurt my feelings that he couldn’t get away fast enough. Then again, I hadn’t exactly invited him in. After I shut the door, the tears started, and I cursed. Stupid hormones.

* * *

There wasanother knock less than twenty minutes later. When I opened the door this time, Brian was standing there with a bag in hand.

“Can I come in for a few minutes?” he implored.

Nodding, I was curious why he’d come back and what was in the bag.

“I owe you an apology,” he started, taking my chin in his hand and kissing me softly. “I shouldn’t have bailed on Friday, and then I blew it again by leaving tonight.”

“I didn’t exactly make you feel welcome,” I conceded.

He sighed. “With good cause.

“What’s in the bag?”

He smiled and set it down on my kitchen counter. “First of all, I have Haagen Dazs ice cream.”

He pulled out the container, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

“Secondly, I have a bag of salty chips. Next, I have Motrin and water pills, which are supposed to help with the cramps and bloat. And finally, I have bubble bath. I’m told that a soak will help you sleep better.”

“Who told you to get these things?”

He looked instantly uncomfortable.

“This is very sweet Bri, but you ran out of here like a deer in headlights at the mere mention of the word period, and now you’re back like you’ve read a how to deal with a woman on her period handbook.”

“Okay, but don’t get angry because I didn’t mention any names. I only said that I blew it with someone I’d been seeing, and you know he’s my best friend, plus he’s married—”

Heat flooded my face. “Brian, please tell me you did not call Josh, the owner of the company we work for, not to mention my boss’s boss, to ask him what to do with a woman on her period. Did you?” Josh may not know about our arrangement, but to have this type of intimate question asked of him mortified me just the same.

He shifted his feet. “No, I didn’t call him.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Technically, I texted him.”

“Oh. My. God.” I put my hands over my face, beyond embarrassed.

“Please don’t be mad. I needed advice after screwing up. And I’m not here for sex. If you’d like me to stay, maybe we could hang out, and I can run you a bath. But if you want me to go and be alone, I’m cool with that, too.”

I had to process for a moment. How the hell could I stay irritated with a man who would text another man to ask for advice, especially on this subject? “I’m not mad. But I am taken aback that you went to all this trouble, Bri.” I was quietly trying to get a handle on my emotions over such a gesture.

“We were friends first, Sash, and the amazing sex aside, I do enjoy being with you. I’ve never been in a steady relationship, so I was dumbly ignorant of, you know.”

“My period.” I giggled at his wince.

“Sorry, it’s something foreign to me, that’s all.”

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