Page 38 of Come Back to Bed
“Surely you’ve gotten hammered at strip clubs with your bros.”
“Not since I was in my early twenties. Your concern is touching.”
“Awww. Were you afraid of getting into a Ross and Rachel ‘we were on a break’ situation?”
There goes the dimple. “I am a thirty-two-year-old man—I don’t make life decisions based on episodes of Nineties sitcoms.”
“Except for this time.”
He sighs. “Except for this one time.”
I lean against my washing machine and cross my arms across my chest, mirroring him. “I think that’s sweet.” I need to stop asking questions about his ex-girlfriend. I need to stop wondering why they broke up. He needs to stop staring at me because it’s cold down here in the basement and my nipples are pointing right at him, likehey you, yeah you, over here!“So, why’d you guys break up?” I can’t believe I asked that. I don’t usually ask guys this many personal questions. I don’t usually ask anyone this many personal questions.
He takes three slow steps towards me, arms still crossed, brow furrowed. “I think we’re done talking about my ex-girlfriend.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
I drop my arms to the side and push back against the washing machine just as his arms reach out on either side of me. He presses his hands down on top of the laundry machine and lowers his mouth to my ear. “I want to talk about you, Bernie.”
“Don’t call me Bernie,” I whisper.
And then my butt starts vibrating against the metal of the machine. It’s the phone in my back pocket. I am staring at Matt McGovern’s mouth as it hovers, inches away from mine, but instead of doing what every single cell in my body wants me to do, I reach for the phone and look down to check the Caller I.D.
It’s Sebastian. If he’s calling me this late on a Saturday night, it’s because he’s really stressed-out and needs to talk.
“I have to take this,” I say, watching his jaw clench. “It’s work.”
