Page 89 of DadBod

ELIZABETH

This is it.It’s time for “The Talk.” I waited for Rome to get off work before putting on my own pair of pj’s. The ones I packed up this morning knowing I was sleeping over.

I’m sitting on the sofa. And ever since I heard the garage door open, I’ve been twisting my hands in my lap, nervously. The second I see him, I ask, “How was work?” I watch as he slips off his suit jacket. Today he wore a navy suit with a navy shirt and a tie that had blues and grays swirling around in it.

It was hot.

Maybe my favorite.

“Good. Busy night for a Thursday.”

“That’s good.”

“Busy is always good.”

“You hungry? Thirsty?” Why am I asking this stuff? He’s more than capable of getting his own food or drink.

It’s nerves.

“I take it you’re ready to talk.” Rome’s voice sounds tired.

“I’m ready, but if you’re too tired.”

“No.” Sitting next to me, he leans back, taking my hand in his as he goes. “I’m not too tired to talk.”

Turning my body until I’m facing him, I’ve got my knee bent and my foot tucked under me. I watch as Rome places his hand on my bent knee. “I’ve been thinking…”

Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good. Not the way he said it anyway. Forlorned.

He won’t look at me. He’s leaning away from me. I don’t have to be an expert in body language to know…

This isn’t good.

“What have you been thinking?”

Why do I already know the answer? Probably because this has happened before with the one other guy I’ve dated. When I first moved to Chicago, Jeriann set me up with a guy she knew. He was nice. His name was Mark. Kind of cute too. I thought he liked me, thought we had something good, but one night, after we did it, the only time we did it, he sat me down just like this and said, “Look. You’re a great girl…”

I’m not even going to bother telling you the rest. I will say that I haven’t seen that guy since. I think Jeriann may have murdered him. She was that angry about it.

It feels sort of the same, except this time, I’ll have to see Rome again––tomorrow. Never mind that thing that happened earlier today when I stripped down and showed him my lady-goods.

Ugh. He saw my boobs.

I feel the heat of embarrassment flush my cheeks in seconds.

“What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Crap. I hadn’t realized I was looking any certain way. “Oh. Sorry. Just thinking about an old boyfriend.”

“Why?”

I shrug. I shouldn’t have said that either. Wow. I’m really putting my foot in it. Or my boob, depending on which episode you’re referring to. “No reason.”

Rome’s staring at me. I wish he’d just get this over with. Tear the Band-Aid right off. “Go ahead, Rome. Just say it.”

“I care about you.”

Right. Mark said something like that too.

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