Page 43 of The Space Between Your Heart & Mine

Remi:Are you saying no?

Me:That depends.

Remi:On?

Me:When and what time?

I smile wider, at this point just messing with him to mess with him. It’s ridiculous how much one person can change your life in what feels like an instant. Two weeks ago, I was fighting just to get through a day without breaking down. Today, I almost feel like a new person.

Don’t get me wrong, my pain and grief are still very real. It’s just that now they aren’t theonlythings I feel. It’s like the universe knew I needed someone like Remi in my life and planted him literally right in my path that day in the lobby.

Not that I’m over here planning our wedding or anything. Right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time and enjoying feeling like I’m actually alive again for the first time in way too long.

Remi:A month from Saturday. Seven o’clock. Please don’t say no because I may have gotten a little too excited and already bought the tickets.

A month... I gape at my phone.

Not that I don’t want this to continue. I do. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted something so much. And while that’s probably not entirely true, right now it feels about as close to the truth as you can get.

I won’t deny that a part of me truly thought he was just laying on the charm until he could get me into bed and things would quickly fall away from there. But you don’t invite someone to something that’s a full month away if you have no intention of keeping them around that long, do you? Or is this just a ploy to make me think he’s not in it for one thing? Does it truly even matter at this point?

Me:A month is pretty far out.

Remi:Planning on ditching me before then?

The inclusion of a wink face emoji helps me decipher the humor in his text. Sometimes you truly can’t tell.

Me:What if I was?

Remi:I’ve gotta warn you, I’m a hard person to get rid of.

Me:That kind of makes you seem even more stalker-ish.

I make sure to include a laugh emoji, just to be safe.

Remi:Shit, I guess it does. Fuck it. I’m going all in here. So what do you say? You, me,The Wizard of Oz???

Me:I could maybe make that work.

I hesitate to hit send, not really sure exactly what my reservations are, but definitely having some. I guess when you’ve spent the last year of your life just hoping for another day, another hour to get to spend with a person you love, you forget what it’s like to live for the future.

Remi:What would it take to convince you?

Me:I do like a man who begs.

My finger hovers over the send button for a long moment before I finally just say screw it and send the damn thing.

I’ve never been someone who flirts or insinuates things so openly, but something about Remi just brings that side out of me. A side I honestly didn’t even know I had until that night at Happy’s.

Remi:Oh, I’ll beg all right. On my knees... With you spread wide in front of me.

I swear every ounce of blood in my body rushes to my face in an instant, making my cheeks and neck flush with color. But that’s not the only reaction my body has as my lower belly aches in the most delicious way, making me feel almost desperate.

Jesus... I wipe my hand across my forehead, convinced I’m sweating.

Remi:But for now, how about I beg you over a turkey on rye.

Confusion tugs at my brow as I briefly wonder how he knows my typical lunch order. But the thought is short-lived when a light knock sounds on my office door.

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