Page 68 of Here's to Tomorrow

“Tell me about it. Why do you think I don’t ever do it?”

“Thanks for the warning,” I mumble.

I hear Perry quietly talking to someone in the background. I’m not certain who exactly it is, but I know it’s a girl. He chuckles at something she says.

“Are you fucking flirting while I’m in the middle of a crisis? You’re a terrible person, Perry Hartman!”

“I love you, sweet girl,” he says, laying the charm on thick.

I huff even though I can’t help but smile at the idiot. “Love you too. Wear a condom.”

“Always. Night dear.”

“Later gator.” I hang up, still as confused as I was before I called him.

I pace my apartment for about ten more minutes until I decide to call it a night.

I’m crawling into bed when I hear the front door open. Then I hear giggling. I can tell it’s Haley.

“Hales?” I call out.

“Shh…be quiet,” she says to whomever made her giggle. “Rae! Don’t come out. I’ve brought home a man!”

Is she drunk?“Are you drunk?”

“No. Yes. Kind of. We went to Clyde’s and I ended up having a good time after all. And I met a man. A really sexy man. He’s going to take care of me,” she yells dramatically. I hear more giggling and footsteps as they go into Haley’s room.

I just roll my eyes and put my pillow over my head.

I’m almost asleep so I barely hear my phone vibrate on my bedside table. Grabbing it, I check the screen. It’s Hudson. I put in my headphones, just in case Haley decides now is a good time to start having sex.

FMK: What’s your favorite color?

I smile. He wasn’t kidding about the random texts.

Me: If we’re going to do this, then you have to answer every question you ask. Deal?

He takes a minute to respond.

FMK: Deal. Dark blue. Your turn.

Me: Orange.

FMK What’s your middle name?

Me: Rae Bethany Kamden. Yours?

FMK: Hudson Michael Tamell. Why the name Rae? No offense or anything, it’s just different.

Me: I don’t know. Ask my dad, he picked it. I hate it.

FMK: Really? I like it. I have a thing for girls with boy names. It’s unique. And Hudson was my mom’s maiden name. Guess she wanted some connection to her life pre-Rocky Tamell.

He likes my name.That causes me to blush…a lot.Fuck, I feel like I’m a damn teenager again.

Me: Rocky? As in your dog? You named your dog after your dad?

FMK: Yes? Is that too weird?

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