Page 24 of Reckless

“We’re here. All set up. I’m gonna go take a shower and turn in,” Krista says, stretching and yawning. “It’s been a long day. Interesting, but long.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” I pop my seatbelt and get up. “Thanks for everything today. It was a lot to ask and I’m still shocked you agreed.”

“You’re welcome.”

Krista shows me how to turn the couch into a pull-out bed and hands me the bag with the new bedding we bought earlier. As I make it up, I can hear the shower running from beyond the sliding door into the bedroom.

It’s hard, but I manage not to imagine her back there. It feels wrong, considering everything she’s done today. After using the smaller bathroom and brushing my teeth, I settle into the makeshift bed. It’s comfortable. The walls are so thin I can hear her moving around and see when she turns off the light in her room.

After staring at the ceiling long after she’s fallen asleep, I realize what Krista did. She got me thinking about something from the past, a good memory, a time when I was happy. When none of the stresses and pressure of my current life were weighing me down.

Listening to that album soothed me. It quietened the noise in my head that I’ve been trying to hide for months now.

She’s done more for me in one day than anyone I’ve been close to for years has been able to. I don’t even know if she knows it, or it was pure coincidence.

I’m not the kind of guy who believes in fate. You make your own luck. A part of me can’t help wondering if this is what I’ve been searching for. Finding someone who expects nothing of me yet understands me.

It makes me nervous because I can’t afford to let her burrow too deep. Not when this is a short-term deal. If I took one thing away from the therapist, it was don’t latch on to something else that will be difficult to let go of.

Choosing to maintain the mood listening to that album brought me. I close my eyes and drift into the kind of sleep I’ve not had for a long time.

The following morning, I’m up before Krista. I gather everything I need to make breakfast. I’m not great with eggs, but I can fry some bacon and I’m a whizz with a toaster. When I hear shuffling around from the bedroom, I get the coffee ready. Krista drinks it heavy on the cream, but no sugar.

“Earning your keep?”

I grin, taking in today’s outfit. She’s wearing comfortable looking gym pants and another baggy band T. I’m getting the impression everything is about comfort on this trip.

“Breakfast and hot coffee are the least I can do.”

Krista peers into the pan and nods, then goes about getting everything ready at the table. It’s almost domestic how we sit down to eat.

“What’s the plan today?” I ask.

“I write for a while first thing, then I want to head into town. There is a great little bookstore here I always visit when I pass through. Oh, there is a music store too. You should check that out.”

“I will, thanks.”

It’s not a bad idea. I was thinking about how to get a guitar shipped somewhere so I could play, but this works if they have a decent selection of instruments.

I do the dishes and notice how she watches me moving about. She’s not entirely sure about me, I get that. It must be weird having someone in her space. If her plan is to write, I want to leave her to it. Hell, I get easily distracted when I’m writing.

Letting her know I’m going to explore, she grabs a map from the drawer and hands it to me. It shows the small-town layout.

“How about I meet you at the park around one? We can grab lunch.”

“Great.”

“It’s only a fifteen-minute walk to town.”

“Damn, I’m getting my steps in.”

“It’s good for your heart, and your brain,” she points out, pulling out her laptop and setting it all up on the table.

“I’ll try to remember that.”

“Don’t forget your hat,” she tosses it to me.

I salute, put it on, then head out.

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