Page 23 of Until Landon
She isn’t pulling back and disinfecting with Purell, so that is a good sign.
“I’m not really a romantic guy. But you look so pretty tonight, it called for a kiss.”
“Could be you’ve been misidentifying yourself,” she says.
Our hands stay together.
“I know it sounds like something a bullshit artist would say.” Hope she disagrees.
“I thought the kiss was the very description of romance.”
She tops it off by rubbing a thumb over my knuckles. Weird how a movement so seemingly innocent can feel so thoroughly impure. Down to my ballsack nasty. We are stuck in the stare. Neither needing to fill the silence with something as ridiculous as words.
My cell sounds. Decline.
“Here’s our wine,” I say, seeing the approaching server.
She presents the bottle for my approval and when I nod she works to uncork it.
“I think you’ll like this. It’s one of my favorites,” I say.
The phone again. Wes.Shit man! You’re cockblocking.Decline.
Kim’s glass is poured first, followed by mine.
I lift my glass. “Here’s to life’s best twists.”
“I will drink to that.”
The phone again. Decline.
“That’s just Wes. We’re riding tomorrow. He’ll leave a message.”
Again. It rings.
“Maybe you should answer,” she says. “Go ahead. I’m going to visit the ladies’ room.”
She rises and heads for the restrooms as I’m returning the call. He picks up on the first ring.
“Brother. Your dad’s been taken to Smyrna General. I don’t know much, but there was a fall.”
My entire body responds in alert mode.
“Where? Who found him? Is he alright?”
“He called 9-1-1 himself. I don’t know anything more. He called me from the ambulance but they made him stop talking. I think they were hooking up an IV or something.”
“An IV for a fall?”
“I don’t know what they were doing. I just know I heard the EMTs doing something.”
“Shit! Okay I’ll head there now. It’s going to take me about half an hour. We are at Pure Thai. Can you get to the hospital? Just in case he needs someone there?”
“July and I are on our way now. We got it. Stay calm. I have my phone and July or I will call if we get an update.”
“Okay. Good. God. I’m …I don’t know what I am. See you there. And tell him I am on the way, Wes.”
“I will, bro. Drive safe. No need to speed.”
