Page 40 of I Got You

“Glasses.”

“Good grief.” She mumbles under her breath.

“What? I wear glasses.” I have no idea what her deal is.

She just shakes her head, setting down her purse and keys. “Anyway, if you were able to get something to stand, he’s not the only smart one…Clark Kent.” She turns to get a glass of water before spinning back. “Do you have to step into a phone booth to put those on?”

I roll my eyes and pull my glasses off.

She laughs. “Is Hank home?”

“Yeah. He grabbed food and went to his room. I hope that’s ok.”

She sighs, leaning against the counter. “Yeah. I’m cutting him a little slack. His first game is tomorrow. Some of the guys on the team have been giving him a hard time because he’s starting, and they're not. Plus, he gets nervous before games even though he’ll outrun and out-score all of them.”

“What time is his game?” I’m curious to see what this kid can do.

“Two o’clock.”

“I can meet you there after practice,” I say, like this isn’t completely foreign territory to me. I’ve gone from spending my nights alone to science club experiments and soccer games.

“Ok.” She takes a sip of water. “How’s practice going?”

“I kicked one of my best players off the field today. He’s got a mouth problem and a chip on his shoulder the size of the Grand Canyon.”

“Sounds fun. I made a girl cry once. Guess I was pushing a little too hard.” She smiles softly. “I have a feeling you’re going to do just fine in this new gig.”

Silence lingers between us, and she pushes away from the counter. “I’ve got to get them through showers, and then I’m going to bed. I know this is weird, but just do whatever you normally do.”

Weird? This is unprecedented. “I think I’m going to work out.” I hope to wear myself the hell out, so I fall into bed like a dead man.

“Ok.” Her eyes roam over the kitchen from the doorway. “Hey, thanks for helping Garrett and cleaning up the mess.”

She leaves, and I stand there like a dumbass in an unknown environment. I can’t even think about going to bed. Sharing a bed with her is going to be…different. Mainly her tiny, very feminine body lying next to mine. I’ve tried not to think about all the ways in which this could be challenging, but it’s imminent, and I need to get my shit together.

I shove my earbuds in and descend the stairs, trying desperately to ignore thoughts about Maggie and me…in bed…together.

∞∞∞

I push it hard for an hour, then stop in the kitchen to refill my water bottle. The house is quiet, and I just need to get this first night over with. I need to grow a pair and sleep next to my wife. I’ve slept with women before, not a lot of women, and maybe not all night, but it’s no big deal. Just like Maggie said on our one and only date, we’re both adults, and we’re going to sleep in the same bed.

No touching. She’ll be on her side, and I’ll be on mine.

The problem is sleeping with Maggie feels…different. It’s different in a way that I’ve not experienced before, like we should’ve had way more dates and kissing before I’m allowed in her bed.

I walk down the hall to find the door open. Maggie is propped up in bed, scrolling her phone with the quiet whispers of SportsCenter in the background. Her t-shirt falls off her shoulder, her hair is pulled back, and she looks tranquil and relaxed. Shit.

I inhale through my nose, slowly readying myself. Her clean vanilla scent mixed with mint fills the air, and it's…calming. I force my feet to move to my designated dresser and pull out some shorts and a t-shirt.

“Did I make enough room for all of your stuff?” Her question is casual like we’ve known each other for years.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“You don’t need to thank me. It’s weird seeing all of your stuff in the bathroom. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to clean it.” She puts her phone down. “Just so you know. I’m kind of a slob. I’ll try to do better, but I think this is the first time in my life that I haven’t had dirty clothes and piles of stuff everywhere.”

“It’ll be fine.” I try to convince myself of just that heading into the bathroom to shower.

Fifteen minutes later, I crack the door to find Maggie in the same spot in her massive bed. Damn it. Why isn’t she sleeping?

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