Page 60 of Time To Live Again

I burst out laughing, then instantly feel bad. “No. I don’t think so. Youranalities, as you call them, make you unique. So your ‘instant click’ is out there somewhere.”

“Instant click,” she repeats, nodding. “I like that. Well, my Mr. Instant Click better get here soon. I’m losing my patience.”

“Why do you have to click right away? It doesn’t happen like that for everyone. Have you ever had a serious relationship?”

“Not really,” she mumbles. She inspects the surrounding area, then leans in. “I can’t believe I’m considering telling you this. Can you keep a secret?”

I lean in closer and whisper, “Of course.” One thing I’m good at is doing that. My head is a vault, and people seem to pick up on it somehow. Random strangers have spilled their guts to me, like on the bus or standing in line at the DMV. I don’t miss that because it felt like some were confessing their sins to a priest. And don’t get me started on what people lying on their deathbeds have told me.

“Did you ever have hate sex before?”

My eyebrows hit my hairline.Say what now?

“I guess not.” She looks away and doesn’t continue. There’s an awkward silence and I’m not sure if she’s waiting for me to say something.

“And…? You can’t stop there.”

She takes a deep breath. “Okay, about a year and a half ago, I stayed at a friend’s apartment in San Francisco because I had an internship at a convention center. My friend didn’t mention that she’d sublet the other bedroom to a guy until he ended up at the door. Long story short, he was a total slob, took nothing seriously, and drove me absolutely batty. What he called organized chaos was more like a tornado went through the place.”

She would hate my brother.

“Oh no. I can see where this is going.” I lean in. This is like listening to an audio romance. Who cares about food?

“And what annoyed the shit out of me most was that he wasgorgeous,” she snarks. “LikeGQmodel, drool fest, light-my-body-on-fire gorgeous. If he wasn’t wearing a designer suit, he was strutting around shirtless. The chemistry between us was off the charts from the moment we met. We bickered nonstop, and that added to the sexual tension.” She fans her flushed face with her hand. “Damn, I’m getting worked up thinking about it again.”

“Me too,” I admit, blood rushing to my cheeks. Where’s Leo when I need him? Now I’m really looking forward to tonight.

She nods with amusement. “Right? It gets better. The tension built until it exploded. Fireworks galore! We attacked each other. Clothes flying, knocking things over and breaking them, pawing each other—raw and intense, nothing soft about it. He threw me around like a rag doll because he was so big and bulky.” Her lips quirk up and she stares into space. “I loved that.”

I chuckle, then snap my fingers in front of her dazed face. “Hello, fireworks galore?”

She shakes herself out of her stupor. “Oops. Sorry. We went at it for hours. No talking at all. Just pure lust. When I woke up magnificently sore, sated, and covered in hickeys, he was gone with all his belongings.”

“No way!” I say, my voice carrying through the café. I look around and whisper, “Sorry.” Then I want to shrivel up. What if people are listening to our conversation? I hope the old couple two tables over can’t hear about Tonya’s sexcapades.

“Yep. Gone. Not a word. Not even to my friend. She didn’t care because he’d paid everything in advance.”

I sit back and cross my arms. “Well, that’s bullshit. You didn’t know where he was from or anything to help you find him?”

“Nope. I was okay with that. We didn’t discuss that kind of stuff. He’s the one who left. I wasn’t about to go chasing him. No regrets. Hands down, the best sex of my life. There were no feelings involved besides hate. The downside, I’ve never felt that fire again since.”

Our coffees and pastries arrive, and we spend a few minutes enjoying them, putting a welcomed pause on the subject. Tonya finishes the last bite of her vanilla éclair and cleans up her little mess, ensuring every crumb is off the table. I do the same with the remnants from my chocolate tart.

Finally, she looks up at me and says, “I’m still sad that you’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Me too. If you ever leave the island, come visit me. Or I could meet you in Seattle.”

“Sure! I’d love that.”

I slide out of my chair. “Listen, I need to go pack so I don’t have to do it tomorrow morning. Leo has something special planned for us tonight.”

She stands and braces her hands on the table. “Know what I think? I bet you and Leo are married by this time next year.”

I’ll play along, but she’s crazy. Who knows if we’ll stay in contact after I leave tomorrow. “You’re on. What’s the wager?”

She taps her chin a few times, then suggests, “How about a spa weekend away?” Her face lights up. “Leo would know the best places to go. Or we can think about something else. We have time. Let’s shake on it.” She extends her hand, and I shake it.

“You’re on, girl.”

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