Page 16 of Resolve

I smile at the joke and look up. “Alright. One real date it is.”

The corners of his mouth twitch. “Yeah, but we got a lot of vacation dates to do first. Don’t think you’re shorting me on that.”

Satisfied, I snuggle into him, and Greg shifts so we’re lying down. The clock by the bed says it’s 12:53. It’s still the first hour of the new year, and so far, this year is way better than the last.

EPILOGUE: I RESOLVE TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME WITH HER AS I CAN

Six monthslater

Greg

“Jav,this Reuben is amazing. Even better than the one last week.” I extend a fist out to the chef, who bumps it with his while passing by. I’ve been his taste-tester for weeks now, and when he found out I had staunch opinions on Reubens, he put me to work helping him perfect his.

“Hey, man, glad to hear it.” Jav sets a case of lemons on the counter and glances down the bar. “Shouldn’t Michelle be off by now?”

I look down the bar, too. Michelle’s leaning on the bar top, forearms braced, while she has a serious-looking conversation with a Black woman I recognize. I’m not here that often, but when my schedule allows, I leave the hospital and come here for dinner and then hang out until she’s ready to go. I’ve gotten to know Jav because he’s usually hanging out until the kitchen officially closes at ten.

And I know some of the regulars, too, though not this one Michelle’s talking to.

“It’s alright,” I tell Jav. And it is. It’s worth waiting to get to spend some time with Michelle.

We chat until Michelle appears, purse slung over her shoulder.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I say, giving her a kiss. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” she says, but it’s subdued.

I sling my arm around Michelle’s shoulder and guide her out of the bar and into the warm summer air.

“Everything alright?”

Michelle’s quiet for a moment, and I open the car door for her. When we’re both in, she finally speaks. “Just ready to go home.”

Michelle and I dated for a while when we first got back from our New Year’s Eve vacation, seeing each other when we could fit it around our work schedules. But last month, Michelle’s lease was up, and I made the very logical argument that if we lived together, we’d see each other at least a thousand times more than we did living apart.

And very logically, Michelle said yes to moving in with me.

We get home and get ready for bed. Michelle’s still quiet, so I let her lead, and when the light is clicked off, and we’re under the covers, she reaches for me. Her hand wraps around my soft cock, and I respond by spreading her legs with my own and tracing her vulva, teasing her until she’s slick and ready for me.

I grab a condom from my nightstand—understandably, we’re always careful about using them—and slip it on. Michelle pushes me back and swings a leg over my hips, sinking down onto my cock in one fluid motion.

We didn’t have vaginal sex until a few weeks after our return from the Caribbean, and since then, it’s varied so much, from crazy raw animal sex to slow, passionate lovemaking. This is a frequent favorite, though—quick and dirty because it’s late, and I’ve got a shift tomorrow.

Michelle’s hips grind as she works herself to orgasm—my job is to hang on for as long as I can, which is hard, especially heightened by the dark and my inability to see anything. I can only feel.

And hear.

And taste.

That’s how Michelle comes, with a quiet breath right in my ear as I grip her hips and suck on her nipple. I follow right after, pulsing into the condom and straining in the dark.

We clean up and flop back into bed.

“Donna’s pregnant,” Michelle says once I’ve turned the lights off again. “She’s nervous, not sure if she wants to keep the baby.”

Donna must be the woman at the bar. I reach over and thread my fingers through Michelle’s, giving her a light squeeze of support.

“I told her about taking the pill and how I got it mailed here. Her boyfriend’s leaving it up to her, so that’s good.” Michelle sighs. “It’s making me think a lot about how great you were, helping me and keeping me company. Her boyfriend works nights, so it’ll be tough for her. I want to be there if she needs me.”

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