Page 20 of Unrealistic Expectations

“But you’re always cute, not just when you’re pissed off. Just cuter when you’re shooting daggers at me out of your eyeballs.”

“That should make you more afraid than horny.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong, and it makes me doubt that you know what you’re talking about when you say that people should wait to have sex until after marriage.”

She pointed at him. “I did not say that, and I didn’t mean it that way.”

“But you judge people who can’t wait until the first date is over before they rip each other’s clothes off?”

“I’m not judging them.” At least she wasn’t saying anything directly judgmental. But her training experience taught her that couples who jumped into bed too quickly often burned out just as quickly. “It just helps to know someone before fucking them.”

“Helps what?”

“It’s good to know whether or not someone is a good person before becoming blinded by lust.”

Galvin snorted a little. “I think I’d be more clouded by the lust before I’ve had sex with someone. The only thing having sex with someone too quickly under your metrics has done for me is clarified that I’m with the wrong person.”

Jessica bit her lip, because she had rather harsh feedback for him based on that last statement. But she wasn’t going to say anything out loud, because she wasn’t a clinical-grade asshole like him.

“What are you not saying?” Of course he wasn’t going to let her get away with it.

“You don’t want to hear what I’m not saying.”

He was standing too close to her. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to hear it.”

Jessica took a deep breath. “You probably lose interest once you sleep with someone because there’s shame working somewhere, and you are more interested in the dopamine of the chase than you are in the actual relationship.”

She thought he was going to walk out the door. She really tried not to psychoanalyze the people in her civilian life, but Galvin had insulted her and tried her patience. But instead of walking away, Galvin looked at her curiously. “Tell me more about shame over predinner drinks?”

Even though she was still mad at him, his willingness to ask questions made it impossible for her to cancel her date. “Lead the way.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

How do you feel right after you ‘finish’ with someone?”

She was a little bit gratified when Galvin choked on his water after she asked her question. “We’re going in the deep end right now?”

“No time like the present.” At some point during the ride to dinner, she felt like the power shifted between them, and she’d regained the upper hand. He hadn’t made any more digs about her breakup and had kept the conversation light. This adversarial dynamic between them wouldn’t be super healthy if this were a real relationship, but right now, they were more like colleagues or teammates. She needed to suss out his strengths and weaknesses so she would know how to best have his back.

He looked as though he was giving her question some serious thought, and she appreciated that. He actually seemed like a very thoughtful person, which made it so curious that he was so thoughtless when it came to his past treatment of romantic partners.

“I feel like I want to break the sound barrier putting on my clothes and leaving.”

“So, no cuddling?” Jessica leaned closer to him so they wouldn’t be heard by any other diners nearby. She’d been dying to try this restaurant with Luke, but he hadn’t been able to get a reservation for six months. She smirked thinking about the fact that she’d been in charge of calendaring social events, so he’d probably space on the reservation and be charged a $250 no-show fee. He was cheap, so he’d really hate that.

“I don’t like how you’re looking at me right now,” Galvin said, snapping her back into the moment. “Why do you stay and cuddle after sex?”

Jessica wasn’t used to people being able to ask her questions, and she wasn’t sure she liked it. She did, however, like the hot rolls they brought out at the restaurant, so she ripped one open and popped a piece into her mouth.

Galvin had a satisfied-looking grin on his face. “You’re all flushed.”

“I’m not used to this being a two-way street.” It hadn’t even been a two-way street with Luke. She thought for a moment about why she liked after-sex cuddling. “I guess that it reassures me of the connection.”

She thought a little bit more. She’d needed the cuddling more than the sex in the months leading up to the breakup, and the affection had been scarce. Instead of thinking about it, she looked at his big hands as they ripped apart a fresh roll. She wanted his hands on her, and lust hit her.

She didn’t know how long she stared at his hands, but it must have been an awkward silence. “Are you okay?” she heard him ask.

“Sorry, I drifted.” She was really off her game if she couldn’t be present while someone was talking to her. “I was thinking that Luke couldn’t get us into this restaurant for like six months, and he’ll probably get stuck with a no-show fee because he doesn’t know where he’s supposed to be from day to day without me telling him.”

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