Page 2 of Fight For Her
As I left the restaurant and the cool night breeze hit my face, I felt instantly better. Ocean air should be bottled and sold as an antidepressant. If anything, this date would provide me and Mia with a good laugh. I had promised I would call her as soon as I got home. She was such a mother hen. I’d bet anything she was looking at her phone every five minutes waiting for a text or call from me. Shawn was probably stuffing her with snacks and talking her down from getting in her car and driving to the restaurant.
I headed toward my car. As soon as I was seated, I shot Mia a text to let her know the date was finished.I couldn’t wait to get home and into pajamas.
Mia:Girl! Finally! I’ve been checking my phone every few minutes since 8. How’d it go?!
I laughed. I knew her so well. Twirling a strand of hair around my finger, I thought about a clever response.
Me:I wanted a cosmo and got a Boone’s farm that had been left open for 2 days after a frat party.
Mia:Oh no…you haven’t used the drink analogy in a while. Details?!
Me:I’ll call you when I get home. Gotta get out of these heels.
Mia:Pleaseeee do!
I narrowly avoided a conversation with my downstairs neighbor Mr. Fry and escaped into my apartment door. Heaving a sigh of relief, I flung my bra and heels onto the floor in three seconds flat. Sometimes the best part of going out was getting back home afterward and shucking off my outfit.
Normally socializing energized me. I was a true extrovert and thrived on interesting conversation and meeting new people. I was the kid in school who would burst with excitement when the teacher announced a group project. It gave me a break from the monotony of sitting alone at a desk, taking notes, and reading silently.
But lately, I didn’t know. Something inside me had shifted. Ben cheated on me, my first time back on the dating scene ended in a near assault, then I had opened myself up to Coby. I didn’t even know what to call what we were. The term dating didn’t feel right.
We’d texted a bunch, and some of the conversations had had me reaching for my favorite toy afterward. There had been moments at the gym with lingering touches and heated glances. Plus so many hot make-out sessions after our couple of dates. It was a miracle I hadn’t thrown him into my bed and kept him there for days. I came close but a part of me was still hurting from Ben. That pain and rejection kept me from sharing my body so easily. Coby respected my boundaries, even if he made it hard some of those nights for me to keep my resolve intact.
My skin flushed thinking about his dirty mouth and how well he’d use it.“Fuck Kendahl, your lips taste so sweet. Imagining what your pussy tastes like is driving me wild.”He’d savor my lips, brushing his tongue over them, before licking the beauty mark above my cupid’s bow.
Maybe we had been dating.
At the time, I wasn’t ready to call it that. He’d set clear boundaries also. He didn’t do serious. It was the perfect way for me to dip my feet back into the water. And now here I am, happy I didn’t let myself get swept up in him.
As promised, I clicked on Mia’s video call icon while flitting around getting comfortable. I desperately wanted to take off my makeup and apply a mask while drinking a bedtime glass of wine.Mia answered on the second ring. She looked cute lounging on her bed. Her head of curls rivaled Mufasa’s mane after being released from her usual messy bun.
“Hey, Mi. I’m home and safe. You can stop holding your breath now.” I teased, but there was some truth to my jest. Neither of us has been the same since my close call with that guy a few months ago. There were still moments when I closed my eyes and I could hear his voice in my ear saying,“You’re a filthy whore, aren’t you?”and still feel his fingertips biting into my thigh hard enough that I cried out. I knew Mia held on to guilt for letting me leave the bar with him.
“Haha, I’m not that bad. I was breathing without a paper bag the entire night. Thank you very much. I only stalked your location three times from my phone, and that’s a personal best for me.”
I shook my head as I grabbed a makeup removing wipe from my crowded bathroom countertop. “I’m glad you didn’t succumb to paper bag breathing. Regardless, I’m done with dating. That guy, Billy. I don’t even have words.”
“I’m sorry, love. I didn’t have high hopes since he was a setup from your mom.”
“True.” I snorted and wiped around my eyes to remove my stubborn mascara while I gave Mia the rundown of my date.
“I don’t know what’s going on lately. I can’t connect with people like I normally do. I feel like I’m turning into you.” Mia’s eyes narrowed. “Not in a bad way. Just that going out and meeting people seems to drain me lately. I literally dream of coming home and putting on pjs all day. It’s weird is all.”
Mia chewed her lip, and I caught a peek of a furry blond head in the corner of her camera.
“Remy, come lie down.” She scratched Shawn’s golden retriever, and he plopped next to her. “Sorry, he’s my little shadow these days. Maybe you just need to find your spark again. You’ve had a rough few months. Oooh! Let’s have a girls’ night—me, you, and Livvy. We can make vision boards, drink rosé, eat too much cheese, and watch a movie. We can talk about everything with you. It’s been too long.”
I propped my phone against the bathroom mirror and smeared black goo all over my face. The cooling sensation felt incredible.
Usually, I’d love that idea. Maybe not a movie. More often than not, Mia and I clashed in our movie tastes. But an involuntarily groan escaped my lips. “Sorry, I think I’m just cranky right now. That sounds fun. Let’s do it soon, okay?”
Soon meant at an undisclosed time, which may or may not ever happen. Mia’s face fell and her brows drew together.
“Ken, I can tell you’re blowing me off. Let’s talk about it. You know you can tell me anything. What would make you happy today?”
I avoided her gaze, focusing instead on tidying the random tubes of lipstick strewn on my counter. Even through the phone screen, she could see right through me.
“Honestly, I have no idea. I think that’s the issue. I love going to Krav class with you guys, and work is okay, but something’s missing, I guess.”
