Page 19 of Overeager
“He’syoung,” Eli said again, not sure of how else to put it. When Faith’s expression didn’t change, he tried a different tack. “Think of yourself in your twenties. Think of how … inexperienced you were. He might think he likes me, but he just hasn’t seen enough to know.”
It was Faith’s turn to roll her eyes. “That sounds like you’re talking about yourself. Yourself and Richard. Who, we’ve already established, can absolutely get fucked, and not in a good way.”
Their server, who had been bravely approaching again, did an abrupt turnaround.
Eli was never getting his fried green tomato sandwich at this point.
“I’m just saying people change their minds,” he said. “And we barely know each other. I think he was just doing what he thought you’re supposed to do. Trying to be … polite.”
“Banging and bailing,” Faith deadpanned. “How polite. But if you don’t think he’s really serious about seeing you, then chuck his number, and you can tuck the whole thing into your pocket as a good, unexpected experience. You rebounded!” she crowed, way too loud for where they were, gesturing the server back over. “Finally!”
They ordered, and Eli decided to leave it at that.
Faith would listen, if he really wanted to talk it out more. She was always there for him when he really needed it. She worked in marketing and could have moved to whatever city she wanted, but she’d followed him to Phoenix when he’d gotten his faculty position here. It had worked out for her—she’d found herself an omega wife she adored, who adored her in turn. But still, she’d made the move for him.
And she’d listened, endlessly patient, to all his issues with Richard over the years. All the disappointments and regrets. Eli just didn’t have it in him to bring her more relationship drama to dissect so soon. Didn’t have the heart to tell her, “Hey, I know I only just finalized my divorce and I’ve only known this guy for one night, but I might really like him, and I’m afraid to call and find out I was wrong about it after all?”
Faith was right. Eli should just let the whole thing be what it was—two strangers finding temporary pleasure in each other.Noah would meet so many omegas in the coming years, and now that he’d had some experience, maybe he would loosen his exacting standards, let himself experience a little more.
That was what youth was for. Not shackling himself to the first person he found that he liked the smell of. That was the road that led to divorce in one’s thirties.
So Eli would leave it at that. And he wouldn’t tell his sister he was still carrying the number in his pocket like a pathetic talisman.
Fine.
Good.
Smart.
Monday morning came much too quickly.
Normally Eli was excited to start the new semester, but he woke up to a heavy weight on his chest. And he didn’t just mean World’s Deadliest Assassin, although his catwasheavy as hell, folded into a loaf on top of Eli’s chest and purring at him menacingly.
“You have a robotic feeder,” Eli told her, too sleepy to sound properly stern. “So don’t look at me like that.”
In the next second, the telltale sound of the feeder going off echoed through the house, and Deadly proved his point by hopping off him and running for her breakfast.
Eli was tempted to hit snooze on his alarm and pretend the day didn’t exist for another half hour, but he liked a leisurely morning before work, and sleeping through it didn’t hold the same satisfaction. So he rolled out of bed to take his shower, donning his robe afterward and pouring himself a cup of coffee to take into the yard.
He fished some leaves out of the pool, sipping slowly, enjoying the cool of the morning.
Should he sell the house?
It was the thousandth time he’d asked himself that question in the past year. It seemed like he should have been making some sort of bid for a fresh start, but he and Richard had only moved there right before the separation—their version of a Band-Aid baby, thoughnotthe version Richard had wanted—and it wasn’t like Eli was dodging happy marital memories left and right.
Richard had barely been at home in the end, and he definitely hadn’t put any of himself into the house. It should have been Eli’s first sign that things were really ending—Richard not having a thousand fucking opinions for once.
He looked to see Deadly at the door to the yard, her face pressed against the glass, watching him intently. “I won it fair and square in the settlement,” he told her, aware that she could probably only half hear him. And also that she was a cat, not a therapist.
Eli liked the house too. It was a cute single-story, two-bedroom next to campus, the perfect size for him. The property was completely walled off, which made for good privacy, especially with the little pool in the backyard, which was crucial for the summertime.
Maybe Eli would start holding wild pool parties with the other professors. They’d drink martinis and smoke cigarettes, and anyone in a couple would have to agree to swing before they were allowed across the premises.
He grinned at the thought. He’d rather die, honestly, but it was fun to have the option.
Although, another option immediately popped into his treacherous brain.
Noah.
