SIMON

My night was endless. Visions of her smile, sensory memories of her touch, scent, the taste and feel of her mouth, haunt me. I didn’t get much sleep, and at the radio station; I was an absolute bore. None of my usual antics, jokes, or stories of how we got our start. Couldn’t even talk about my past trail of heartache. Needless to say, Sebastian had to take over to save face. Myka wasn’t pleased to say the least.

Come to think of it, I’m not sure what state her mind was in this morning. The moments I caught her not looking at us or on the phone, she carried a blank stare. Part of me wonders what she was thinking, the other part kind of knows.

“Well, I’d say we had a nice little tour, don’t you think, bro?” Sebastian asks, coming up alongside me as we often walk when we board a plane.

“It was. Seeing Mum was especially good.”

“Sure was. Hey, why were you so tired today? I asked Myka if she heard anything about you maybe being out late and she said you walked her to the room, and she went to bed. Didn’t hear a thing.”

“Maybe it is jet lag. You know I’m off the drugs and drink…most drinks. I still enjoy a pint every now and then.”

“Hmm, maybe you should get a physical to make sure you didn’t pick up anything from your many trysts.” He laughs, and I really want to punch him in his throat.

“Bugger off, Bastian.” I store my bag in the overhead bin as usual and go to sit with Myka.

“Hey, Andrew. Sit next to me. I want to go over a few of those questions you had,” Myka states before I have a chance to take the seat next to her. She peers at me with her brown eyes, and there’s a bit of concern in them.

I casually move past them and take the seat behind her. Thinking about why she’s suddenly pushing me away. I thought we made a connection last night. Maybe we did, and she’s afraid. I lean back in my seat, pop in my earbuds, and listen to a playlist she curated for Osiris.

* * *

“Ayyee, my boys are back home,” Lenny says when we walk out of the terminal at LAX. “Oh, and look. There is my star PR. You boys must’ve kept her busy. The baby looks tired.”

“Hey, Lenny,” she says as he gives her a one-armed hug.

“So, is everybody ready for tonight? Daddy’s house is packed, and that’s with SRO.”

“That’s great, Len,” I say, looking at Myka grabbing her bag off the carousel. “Excuse me.” I jog over to her and take her bag. “Hey, let me get that and I’ll walk you to your car.”

Myka didn’t bother with a car service. She’d prepaid for parking instead.

“I got it, thanks.”

She tries to maneuver the suitcase from me, and I keep it out of her reach. “No, Ms. Myka. I told you once before, I am a gentleman, always.”

She steps to the side and uses her hand for the universal after-you sign.

We stroll through the exit and over to the parking garage until we reach her car.

She presses the button on her fob to open the trunk, and I place her luggage and the tote inside.

I softly close her trunk and turn to look at her. I reach for her face, but she abruptly turns her head away from my advances.

“Did I do something wrong? Do I have bad breath?” I blow into my hands to check.

“Simon, um,” she starts. “Don’t get me wrong. That kiss last night was amazing.”

“Yes, it was,” I respond, moving closer to her, trying to touch her face again.

She still recoils. “But we can’t do that again.”

“Can’t do what? Kiss? Well, I’m down for more.” I put my arms around her waist, but she pushes them off.

“No. Anything related to the act of being intimate. More than friends.”

I step back. The words she lays out hurt worse than being dumped when I was sixteen. I’ve shown my hand to her, and she mucks it.