Page 8 of Forever Mine

“Now you have my number, too. I’ll call you tonight, and we can pick a night, okay?” He leans in to kiss my cheek, and I catch a whiff of his excellent cologne. “Looking forward to getting to know you better, Monica.”

After he leaves, my grandmother gives me a wide grin.

“I’ve been talking you up all week! I knew he’d ask you out if he saw you,” she admits.

“Is that why you were so specific about what time I needed to be here today?” I ask, and she nods.

“It’s his last day as my physical therapist. He moves to another rotation for the next two weeks. It was now or never,bambino,” she tells me.

“You have to be the only grandmother on the planet recovering from hip surgery and trying to hook her granddaughter up with her physical therapist,” I remark dryly.

“Hardly. Shawn told me three other grandmothers have hinted at setting him up with their granddaughters in the last month.”

“Sounds like Shawn gets around.”

“You don’t know that.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me. Men can’t be trusted.”

“What made you so jaded about men,bambino?”

“My family.”

Nana sighs.

“That is unfortunately valid.”

Three dates with Shawn later, I realized my initial opinion of Shawn was indisputably correct. After he finally convinced me to go back to his apartment for a nightcap, he quickly got me out of my clothes. He had his way with me, and it was over in only a couple minutes, in which only one of us had a happy ending. He blissfully admitted that his favorite gig is hooking up with all the granddaughters of his patients. He even kept a tally on the side of his bed frame. “Twenty-two this year,” he boasted.

“Gross,” I blurted out.

“What the fuck, Monica? You don’t have to be crass. Y’all know the score. I never claimed to be looking for a relationship. Listen, babe, I’ll be honest with ya. You have been the best out of the twenty-two. So maybe we can keep this going. Enjoy each other. Fuck buddies.”

“Dude, I didn’t even come once,” I point out.

“Yeah, you did.”

“Um, no. No, I didn’t. I’d know if I came. And if you were a real man who paid attention in the sack, you’d know if I came, too.”

Shawn stares at me with his mouth agape.

“What?” he breathes.

I sigh.

“Look, Shawn, you seem like a nice guy. Well, except for bragging to your most recent conquest about all your past conquests. Jesus, man, it’s only March. You’ve had twenty-two partners this year?”

“No, that’s just the granddaughters,” he blurts out.

“God, did you wear two condoms? I feel like you should definitely be double bagging it,” I mutter. “Regardless, if you had ever made a woman come, you’d know it. You wouldn’t assume or think that a woman came. You’d fucking know it. I’d squeeze you so tightly you’d think it was a vice grip.”

Shawn noticeably pales.

“I think you need to leave,” he whispers.

“You drove me here.”

“I’ll give you money for an Uber, Monica. Just get the fuck out of my house,” he snaps as he reaches for his wallet and throws a handful of cash at me. I manage to catch it all while simultaneously getting dressed. I don’t even count it. No need. I want to get the hell out of here.

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