Page 39 of Level Me Up

Chapter Twenty-one

Morgan

I’ve been unproductive at work all morning. After several IM’s back and forth with Ruby, she pulls me out of my cube and drags me down the street to our favorite lunchtime spot. Dex has only been gone twelve hours, and I’m all mopey and pathetic. I’m deep in my thoughts before I realize the server just walked off with our order.

“Did you order for me?” I ask snapping out of my fog.

In a stuffy, snooty voice she replies, “Well, yes, I did my darling,” and turns her attention to her phone in her hand, “and I ordered it extra spicy, just the way you hate it.”

I smile, “Funny. I guess I deserve that, how long was your one-sided conversation?”

Ruby brushes it off as she places her phone in her purse and chatters away about the latest drama about the office alcoholic and a giant stuffed pizza.

“Honestly, I’m not surprised you’re acting like sad little Bambi with Dex out of town,” she says casually.

I scrunch up my nose at that. “What? I’m not Bambi, I’m just in a mood. With Dex out of town and my dad selling the house, it’s all just bad timing. Plus, I’m really bored at work.”

“I get it,” she shrugs. “You need to blow off some steam and your Lover Boy isn’t here to fulfill your wants and desires.”

“Wha-? Uh…I…no…” I stutter.

“Ooh, and you guys can always sext,” she offers. Like it’s no big deal that we are sitting in a crowded, nearly shoulder-to-shoulder restaurant when she says it so casually, and almost too loud considering the turn our conversation has taken.

“Shhhh. Be quiet, Ruby.”

“What? Sexting can be fun. Though, I can see you being a bit shy about it.”

I blush a tad with the thought. She is right. I probably wouldn't be able to pull it off. “We haven’t been having sex for long. I don’t think we are ready for sexting,” I whisper to her.

“Amazing sex. You said it’s been amazing, and you are totally ready for sexting. Plus, it doesn’t take much to get a guy going, the hard part is on him.” She bursts out laughing immediately realizing what she said. I hold in my giggle as best I can. However, the elderly ladies sitting on our right are giving us disapproving looks.

She regains control quickly once she notices the dirty looks and in a lower, more appropriate voice, “I mean, it’s just usually harder for the girl to get into it, so he has to put in more work.”

“I understand what you meant, Rube. And thank you for your concern, but I’m sure we will be just fine,” I say half-heartedly.

“If you say so. But let me know if you need any tips on getting started.” She replies, back in her normal voice.

One of the ladies next to us lets out a snooty huff and shakes her head looking right at Ruby. I cover my mouth to hold in my laugh. Ruby, however, looks right at her and in a matter-of-fact way says, “What? You gotta start off strong, or it just fizzles out, and then you’re stuck doing the work all on your own!”

I drop enough money on the table to cover our bill and tip, reach out for Ruby’s arm, pull her up and drag her out of the restaurant. Then, I start laughing.

~~~

The night seems to be the worst. When I’m lying in bed, or vegging out on the couch, it isn’t enough to keep my mind off the fact that I have no idea what Dex is doing right now.

I know he is busy with the tournament, but I haven’t actually talked to him since I dropped him off at the airport yesterday. While the drop-off itself hadn’t been horrible, it was the part before we got to the car. He was waiting for me when I got home from work, and right when I saw him sitting on my bed flipping through a magazine, I just kinda fell onto him and buried my face in the crook of his neck. We laid there for almost an hour before his phone buzzed with his alarm. We spent the next twenty minutes kissing before his second alarm sounded and we had to be off, heading for the airport.

I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me. For some reason, I have been reduced to a pile of mush with him out of town. He texted as promised when they landed. But it was hours later when I was awoken from a restless sleep by another text telling me he’d call me tomorrow. He said that he would call, I understood, it was late, and he probably just didn’t want to wake me up.

But now, I’ve texted him a few times today, and gotten no reply. Try as I might, I can't help but feel forgotten—which is a horrible feeling to have hanging around. The last thing I want to do is to take away from his focus of the tournament. That’s why I really don’t want to bother him. So, I’ll just continue to sit here on the couch and watch a movie with Gia and Ruby and try not to think about what the heck he is doing that has kept him from calling me.

“You know your phone isn’t going to ring if you just keep longingly staring at it,” I hear Gia scoff from the chair beside me.

I look up at her and offer a disgruntled smile. “I know,” I sigh.

“I thought some hot, bad-ass superheroes would keep your mind off Dex,” she offers.

“I mean, look at the way Thor wields his hammer. Chris Hemsworth is so freaking hot.” Ruby gushes without taking her eyes off the screen. Thor is my favorite hero, and he is totally hot, that's for sure, but not hot enough to keep my mind elsewhere.

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