Page 4 of Love in Pieces

Dallas

Aubrey’s hand reachesfor my forearm as I attempt to pull myself out of her bed. The sheets catch on my thigh, pulling them off the curves of her body. She still wears the blue lacy bra she insisted on putting on for me last night.

“You haven’t had any coffee yet,” she yawns. Her long neon-green nails graze across my skin as I stand up, giving me goosebumps. There’s a distinct difference between her pale complexion and my tanned skin.

I pull on my buffalo-plaid boxers and stuff my legs into my jeans. “I’ll get coffee at home. Do you know where my shirt is?” I scan the clothing-covered floor. We weren’t exactly tidy last night. A few drinks in and Aubrey was ready to jump me, not that she needed the liquid courage.

“How am I supposed to know? You whipped it off before we made it through the door,” she chuckles.

“I’ll check the living room.”

My work shirt lies on the floor behind the orange couch in the living room. Her apartment is decorated to the high heavens. Plants line the windows and coat every flat surface. She has quite an eclectic taste when it comes to furniture. Next to the orange couch sits a navy blue accent chair, a circular rattan coffee table, and an emerald green loveseat. Her walls are lined with different kinds of tapestries, depicting mushrooms, space, and crystals. Somehow, all the colors and décor work together to create a cohesive flow.

“Found it,” I call behind me as I pull it over my head.

Aubrey walks to the kitchen with nothing on but an oversized T-shirt. She looks over her shoulder, looking me up and down with a devilish grin on her face, before turning back toward the coffee pot. “Come on. It only takes a few minutes.”

“Aubrey, I have to get to practice.” I take another step toward the door in an attempt to escape.

“Please?” she asks, giving me those bright blue puppy dog eyes.

“Fine. One cup—”

“Plenty of creamer. I know.” She gives me a sly smile before turning on a dime and starting up the Keurig. “When’s your last game?”

I take a seat on the cold, black metal bench behind the breakfast bar and scroll through my phone to see what I missed since last night. “Next Saturday.”

“What time? Can I come?” she asks, pulling two mugs out of the cabinet.

“It’s at one. Don’t you work at noon?” I secretly hope she can’t make it.

“I don’t start until four since we’ve got Code Names playing that night. They requested a late start and late finish, so we’re open until two instead of one. I could probably come for a few innings,” she explains.

Well, so much for that. Code Names is a punk rock band from Oxly that started a few years ago and they started to make it big last year. They’re coming back to town for a home gig. Part of me is glad I work after the game. Big bands always bring more people, which means more tips. Aubrey and I both work at Landry’s Bar and Grill downtown. It’s close to campus, so it’s basically a college bar. Bartending wasn’t ever part of my plan, but when Aubrey brought up the idea of training me further, I jumped at the opportunity to get away from being the host.

“If a scout approaches you, what would you pick? Baseball or the hospital?” she asks, her back still facing me. “Also, red or yellow?”

“Um, red?” I answer, not fully sure what she’s asking. “And honestly, I don’t know. My dad would be devastated if I didn’t pick baseball. I think part of me would be, too. But I love physical therapy.”

She turns and hands me a red mug with white snowflakes on it. “Good choice.” She brings her yellow smiley face mug to her pink lips. “Well, you pick what you want to do. Not what anyone else tells you to do.”

“You do realize it’s the end of April, right?” I raise an eyebrow, taking a sip of the warm brown liquid and ignoring her last comment. Not exactly a conversation I want to have with her.

“You do realize I don’t care, right?” she mocks.

“Fair enough. So, do you work your normal shift today?” I ask, already knowing the answer is yes, but hoping small talk will help the time pass by faster. I don’t usually stick around after our nights together. We are more friends-with-benefits kind of people. At least I am. Except today, it seems she wants to prolong my stay. She’s likely just being friendly although I can’t help but wonder if she’s got ulterior motives.

I don’t do relationships. Not after what my ex did. Aubrey will not be an exception.

“Yeah, you work at four tonight, right?”

I nod. She doesn’t seem to have anything more to talk about either. We sit silently sipping our coffees for a few minutes before I take a large final swig. “Well, thank you for the coffee, but I really have to get going.” I move to put my mug in the sink before shifting toward the door.

As I’m slipping my shoes on, she saunters over to me and leans against the wall. “I’ll see you tonight then?” she asks.

“See you tonight.” I fake a salute before pulling the door open and heading towards the stairs. The click of her front door signals I’m alone, and I habitually shift into baseball mode.

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