Page 3 of Learn Your Limits
This must be my payback. Karma’s a bitch and all that.
I manage to dry off and throw on a pair of boxer briefs and gray joggers before grabbing my phone from where I left it on my bed. The app is still open, and my eyes catch on a new notification.
Holy crap. He actually replied.
I was over here stressing about how long I would have to wait, and he responded while I was in the shower. Now I kind of feel like an ass for making him wait for me to reply.
Damn. Calm down, Reid. It’s not that serious.
Plus, this man—Milo—is older. More mature. More sophisticated. I highly doubt he’s sitting there clinging to his phone like I would have been had I not abandoned it to jump in the shower.
My lips tug into a smile as I read his message, my cheeks heating at the implication of his words.
The start of much more.
A swarm of butterflies takes flight in my stomach, and I can’t remember the last time I felt this way. If I ever have. And since when do I fucking blush? We’ve exchanged mere sentences, and already he has my attention. The way he greeted me in Spanish has me wondering if he’s fluent in the language. What would it be like to have him whispering Spanish sweet nothings in my ear. I mean, first, I’d have to tell him my real name. But we’re not there yet.
Whoa, back up. I’m getting a little too ahead of myself here.
This man—My-lo or Me-lo?—is the first I’ve ever talked to with the intention of possibly building more than a simple friendship, and the last thing I want to do is scare him away.
CallMeCal:I’m the one who feels special. Coming out of the shower to find a message from you might just be the highlight of my night.
Shit. Was that too forward?
I wasn’t necessarily trying to give him the image of me in the shower. The nerves fluttering in my stomach are balancing precariously between excitement and anxiety, and it’s messing with my train of thought. I’ve texted with plenty of girls over the years. Why does this somehow feel so different?
CallMeCal:Sorry if that was too much. I’m a little nervous.
CallMeCal:Annnnd I don’t know why I just told you that.
CallMeCal:Let’s pretend I’m not over here embarrassing myself.
CallMeCal:How is your night going, Milo?
I don’t know if there’s any saving this conversation now. He’s going to read my...fiveback-to-back messages and realize talking to me isn’t worth the hassle. Who the heck even sends rapid fire messages like that?
Apparently, I do.
Laying down with my sketchbook in hand, I prop myself up on a stack of pillows against the wall at the head of my bed. I have no plans for the design I’ve been working on for most of the day, though it would make for a badass tattoo. The shading isn’t quite where I want it yet, but the base layer consisting of a skeletal hand grasping an old school pocket watch is complete. I’ve added a basic outline of vines filled with thorns and roses wrapping around the hand and watch, but I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. Immersing myself in my designs is often the only way to occupy my mind and get it to settle, and it usually works.
However, it’s currently no match for the buzz of energy coursing beneath my skin as I wait with bated breath to see if Milo is going to respond or if I’ve managed to scare him off in a matter of minutes. Thankfully, he doesn’t make me wait long.
JustMilo:I find eagerness to be as cute as it is sexy. Tell me, Cal, are you eager?
JustMilo:My night has been a rollercoaster, but I find myself currently at the peak of the ride. As cliche as it might sound, it was loneliness that brought me onto the app tonight. Though I’m not feeling much of that anymore.
Is there some catchy phrase that implies a stronger emotion than having butterflies? Whatever it is, that’s how I feel. This man has managed to turn me into a complete blushing mess with just a few sentences.
Tossing my sketchbook down next to me, I shift my position on the bed and adjust the pillows beneath me, allowing me to lay back. There’s no way I’ll be able to distract myself from this conversation now. He didn’t balk at my back-to-back messages. In fact, he almost seems intrigued.
And flirty.
He’s definitely being flirtatious, right?
Fuck.It’s not like I can just ask him if he’s flirting with me. That would be pathetic. But he did ask if I was eager. Eager for what? To form a connection that goes beyond friendship with someone? For him? The answer to both of those right now is “yes.”
CallMeCal:Would it be a bad thing if I said yes?
