Page 64 of Plum

“Now, this fellow set me back. He was two dollars and eighty cents.”

“They’re all two dollars and eighty cents. I don’t see why the guy ain’t marking them up. He’s ordering them for you special, now, isn’t he?”

Adam nods, and when I push at his shoulder, he lets me up so I can put the tomtit with the hummingbird and stork and the dozen others on my dresser. I rearrange them so they’re in a perfect circle on the mirrored tray I found at Goodwill.

“I’ll let him know my woman thinks he’s missing an opportunity to fleece me.”

He’s teasing, but still, my stomach feels queasy, and my mind goes back to the conversation with Nevaeh. To tell the truth, it’s been on repeat in my brain all day.

I saunter back to the bed, and try to change the subject. “So, you bought a truck?”

He’s reclining on his side, his head propped up in his hand. His black hair is tousled from the rush to undress. He takes up two thirds of the bed. It’s so hard to believe he’s got this body under the suits. Every muscle is defined, even when he’s totally relaxed.

It’s so hard to believe a man this magnificent is in my creaky bed.

“I did. I need something to haul the lumber for fixing the floor joist.”

I sit cross-legged at the foot of the bed. My pink panties are still on, but I still feel exposed when Adam’s eyes linger on my pussy. I flush. We’re not so desperate as we were at first. We can wait now and talk for a spell before we finish what we start each time he comes home.

Huh. Comes home. I force that aside. Don’t look at it too closely.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“I have a contractor coming over in the morning. He’s going to confirm that we can fix it with sistering, and then he and I will do the work together. I want to learn.”

“Worse than mice. Let a man in your house, next thing you know, he’s in the floorboards.”

“You’re prickly today. How’s the ankle?” His look turns speculative, and I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them.

“It’s fine. I went grocery shopping. Bought steaks.”

“Yeah?” He waits, giving me space and time. I used to be able to keep my own counsel, no problem. With Adam, though, all he needs to do is get quiet and pin me with those bright blue eyes, and I spill.

“I saw an old friend. We went out for ice cream.”

He smiles at that. “It’s thirty degrees outside.”

“She just moved back from Pyle. She’s heard of you.”

He nods, patient.

“She thinks I should ask you for jewelry.” I feel my face harden.

“You don’t wear jewelry.” He’s alert now. He hasn’t moved, but he’s watching me extra close now.

“She says if I’m being kept like a mistress, I should get the benefits a mistress gets.” I say it, and it’s ugly, and as soon as the words are out of my mouth, I want to shove them back in.

Adam sits up, swings his legs over the side of the bed. He’s closer to me now. He’s facing the wall, and I’m facing him, all huddled into myself. His hand rests on the quilt an inch from my feet.

“Do you feel like that’s how I treat you?” His voice is measured, the way he talks on the phone for business.

I bite my lip. “I don’t know. You always come here. I feel bad sometimes. Your whole life is in Pyle.”

“My whole life?”

“Your family. Your place. Work. Crew. All your gyms. That’s a lot of monthly fees going to waste.” Adam signed up for Future Fitness last month so we could go together. When he found out how cheap it was, he could hardly believe it.

“My whole life.” He exhales, and then he turns to me. The lamplight reflects off his glasses, but I can still see how deep blue his eyes have turned. “My whole life is right here.”

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