Page 20 of See Her

That’s it. Turns out, two weeks is my limit. Tomorrow, I’m making Mayzie mine.

10

MAYZIE

Iwake up gently and roll onto my back, stretching my stiff muscles.Ugghh, I’m in my clothes and I’m… on top of my covers.I sit up, finding my throw blanket is over me, and it takes a groggy minute or two to figure out what led to me falling asleep like this.My brain jumps to last night, and the last thing I remember is sitting on my couch, watching a movie with Jack.I was tired and felt a little sleepy from the beer, and sure enough, I don’t remember anything after that. Not the movie finishing, or him leaving.And I sure as hell don’t remember coming to bed on my own.

Warmth floods through me when I realize he must have brought me in here.I go back and forth from feeling crestfallen that we still haven’t kissed to pleasantly thrilled at the idea his arms were around me. Too bad I slept through that part.The fact he’s not here doesn’t have me too worried though. I fell asleep and he went home, obviously after carrying me to my room and laying me down on my bed like a gallant knight, no less.

After discarding the clothing I slept in and trading it for some comfy yoga clothes, I shuffle into my kitchen. I need coffee, stat.

As the pot starts brewing, I head over to my computer to do my morning ritual of checking my emails and seeing if there areany available jobs I can snatch up and work on this week. Opening the lid of my laptop, I grab a pen and reach for my notepad, faltering when I see the note scrawled on the top sheet.

Thanks for having me over. I had a nice time with you, as always. I hope it’s okay that I put you on your bed. I just wanted you to be comfortable.

Call me later,

Jack

P.S. You have the sexiest snore ever

What?!Oh, no. Why did he have to hear me snore? And the thing is, I only do that very occasionally when I’m seriously exhausted.Of course he would be around to witness one of those few occasions.Now I’m vacillating between feeling deeply touched and deeply mortified. I look at the clock and see it’s around eight in the morning.I wonder if it’s too early to send him a text.I decide to just go for it, getting up to find my phone.I pick it up and tap out a quick message.

Me: Thanks for putting my sorry ass to bed, and sorry for passing out on you.And I don’t snore! You were imagining things.

I rise to retrieve a mug of the newly brewed coffee and let my mind wander.Jack carried me to bed.I was in his arms, and he saw my room.We may not have kissed, but there is something romantic about what he did.I hang on to that thought and smile as I add a ton of sugar to the life-giving dark liquid. I try so hard to search my memory foranykind of sensation that might have come from Jack wrapping his strong, protective arms around me.I try to at least imagine it, and I’m blissed out just by the thought.

A while later, after I’ve showered, I’m just getting started on work when my phone pings with a text from Jack. I wonder when he woke up.

Jack: Don’t be sorry, we both crashed out. And you most certainly do snore.Don’t worry, I love it.

I stare at the text, smiling for a moment, and I’m just about to set my phone down when I see the three dots dancing below the previous message. I wait a moment, my body tightening with excitement that he has more to say.

Jack: Come see me at work later?

Okay, some kind of weird chemical reaction just racked my body at the idea that he’s asking to see me.

Having afternoon plans with Annie would give me a good excuse to play hard to get, but there’s no way I want to do that.

Me: Sure! I’ve got plans with my friend, but we’ll swing by ??

Jack: Great, I’ll see you then – xo

XO?

“I swearthis has to be the equivalent of when women hold off on sex with guys,” I philosophize out loud to Annie as we walk down the busy midtown street. “He’s going to kill me. I’m going to die of lady blue balls.” I drop my arms at my sides, huffing out a sigh as the twit laughs in stride beside me.

“It’s like he keeps getting close, but not close enough for you to get that satisfaction,” she jeers between giggles. “And your little heart is going to explode like a guy’s balls when he’s denied sex for too long!”

I toss her an eye-rolling deadpan as we get closer to The Cedar. “Do you think he’s playing games?” I ask, feeling the insecure, neurotic old me trying to creep in and infest my psyche.

“Ugghh,” she grunts out. “Mayzie, don’t you start!” I see her look pointedly in my peripheral. “He’s probably taking it slow because he cares. Think of all the guys that have rushed things in the past. It’s always crashed and burned right after takeoff – with no survivors,” she points out. She’s making me feel so much better with every word.

When we walk through the big wooden door, I look around, just taking it in for a second.I’ve been here only a couple of times, and it’s been a while.Its format is like an ale house with exposed pipes and beams and high ceilings.The bar lines the right side of the big open room, with a large space full of tables on the other side of it.Straight back against the farthest wall is a stage for when bands play, and I’m imagining what it’s like when Turn it Up is up there, playing for a packed house on a Friday night. Jack hasn’t mentioned any upcoming shows, but the visual has me excited to see his band play sometime soon.

I look over in the direction of the bar and see Jack placing a beer in front of someone.He looks up, giving me a smile and a wave. There’s another guy tending bar with him that is just as tall, but seems to prefer to keep his body in John Cena form. They’re both in black slacks and grey short sleeved button-down shirts, so I assume that’s their uniform. No complaints from me.

“Oh, he is seriously cute, Mayzie,” Annie says from beside me. “No wonder your thong’s in a twist over him.”

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