Page 10 of A Very No Strings Halloween
Her eyes pop wide open in a flash. “What? I’m here. Let’s do it.”
Laughing, I shake my head. Donna is a pretty great actress. I mean, even if she wasn’t I’d have a blast role-playing with her. She’s really good at it. But she’s completely full of shit right now. “Nah, you’re beat. You should go to sleep,” I tell her, even though a part of me—a very hard, frustrated part—is screaming to take her up on her offer.
“I just need a quick little nap,” she mumbles, moving to her bedroom and flopping down onto the bed. She curls up into a little ball, and the seams of her silk cheetah-or-whatever lingerie rips. I sigh, because I should have been the one to rip that off her. She doesn’t even seem to notice that it’s torn. She looks so vulnerable now. She still looks really fucking sexy, but it morphs into something else. Something more. Something beautiful. “Five minutes, I promise,” she says sleepily.
“Five minutes,” I say, playing along. “And then I’ll ravish you before your jealous ex gets here.”
“Yeah, five minutes before my drain gets plugged…” she slurs, already half asleep.
Her bed is perfectly made, and she’s on top of it. I look around, finding a folded blanket on the seat of an armchair. I gently spread it over her and tuck her in with my large hands that should be gripping her and vigorously massaging things by now. Part of me wants to curl up with her, to feel her warmth against me, to wake up next to her in the morning. But that’s against the rules too.
I never stay the night. Those are the rules. No catching feelings. If either of us ever starts to get serious about the other or wants more than sex, we have to end it. We made a pact.
I kiss her forehead, inhaling the citrus scent of her shampoo. “Night, Red.”
She responds with the heavy, slow breathing of a deep, much-needed sleep.
I pick up my boots and let myself out of her apartment, making sure I lock the door on my way out. Thankfully it’s not a long commute back to my place. Only a few steps right next door.
I take a deep breath. I’m frustrated. And confused. And horny. And maybe a little pissed? Why am I feeling all these things? I know why. There’s only one person who’s making me feel this way.
Nolan.
Fucking Nolan.
Me:Hey, Shitbag. Let’s go get wasted.
Fucking Nolan:Wish I could, but my daughter is having trouble sleeping. She needs me. Another night, you fuck.
Well, I need you too,I think to myself.I need you to get shit-faced with me. Do I not count at all anymore?
Me:Dec. Drinks. Now. Meet me in the bar at your hotel in halfan hour or I will come find you.
Manhattan:The answer is no. Even if it weren’t Sunday night, it would be no. And if you show up here and wake up my sleeping child I will destroy you. Or bury what’s left of you after Maddie gets to you first.
Manhattan:But thanks again for organizing Grandad’s party.
Well, that is not ideal. Seems pretty out of bounds to use your cute children against your cousin. And Dec and Nolan know I won’t do what I used to do, which is show up at their residences to party by force. And I know not to disturb Eddie because Pretty Boy needs his beauty sleep for some big movie he’s getting ready for.
The good ol’ days are really over, I guess.
I take off my wet socks and climb into bed with my clothes still on, staring at the wall next to me. Donna’s right on the other side of it. For a brief moment I picture that wall demolished. Then I shake my head and laugh.
Walls are good. Walls keep things fun and not messy. Walls keep you from getting tangled up and strangled by strings.
No strings. That’s the way to go.
Nolan and Dec and Eddie and my ma and Aunt Mamie and Grandad are all wrong. I have alreadysecured my immortality. People know me by reputation. By my deeds and the epic tales of my debauchery. I don’t need a girlfriend.
Donna gets it. She’s fun. And funny. And bright. And beautiful.
But she knows that serious relationships just keep you down. Serious relationships bring down the entire party that is life.
I don’tneeda girlfriend. But I’ll get one to win a bet. That’s it.
All I need is Donna.
Who I can’t have right now. Because she’s on that side of the wall and I’m on this one. Which is good.
