by Tia Siren
I chuckled. “I don’t know what that entails, but I don’t think I am.”
She rolled her eyes. “You are not that old, and don’t even try to tell me you haven’t sexted with anyone. Hell, even I sext my husband.”
I grimaced. “Too much information.”
“How do you think we made three babies in a matter of five years?” she said with a sexy grin.
I groaned. My half-written message had just lost all appeal. “You’re killing me.”
“Anyway, you’re late. You’re supposed to go do that opening at some bakery.”
“Oh, shit. I forgot all about that,” I muttered.
“I know you did. You always do. Get your ass in gear. You look like shit by the way.”
I took a deep breath. “I wasn’t planning on doing any public appearances.”
She walked out of the doorway. That was a bit rude.
“Here,” she said, coming back and handing me a garment bag.
I grinned. “You take such good care of me. You think your husband will share you with me?”
“He already does.”
I laughed as she closed the door and left me to change. I quickly put on the dark suit, hating it but knowing I had an image to uphold. Tina was waiting for me and rushed me out the door.
I got through the opening, smiling and posing for pictures. The entire time, all I could think about was getting back to the office and texting Mia. I had found a couple memes and couldn’t wait to send them. We were in a bit of a competition. Well, actually, I was the only one trying to win some weird game of who could send the naughtiest meme.
She didn’t exactly send raunchy memes, but she did laugh at the ones I sent. Well, I assumed she laughed. Her LOL response suggested she laughed, but it was hard to know for sure.
As I walked back into the station after the opening, I was getting ready to send Mia another meme when Jaxon stepped in front of me.
“Hey! Have you been dodging me?”
I looked up from my phone. “What?”
“I’ve called you several times and you never returned my calls. You can’t still be mad.”
“Mad?”
“Because I didn’t go to the beach with you that morning.”
I laughed. “Jaxon, I don’t give a shit if you want to lie in bed and fuck some woman all day, every day. I’m not mad. I’ve been here, same as you.”
He nodded but didn’t look convinced. “What are you doing?”
“Going to my office.”
“On the phone, asshole. You were staring at it pretty intently.”
I pushed a button to lock the screen and slid it into my pocket. “Nothing. Reading a text.”
He eyed me up and down. “Who is she?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve got a woman. It explains why you’ve been hiding from me and the way you were staring at the screen with that weird look on your face. Don’t deny it. Who is she?” he asked again.
I shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t have a woman. It’s an old friend. We’ve been texting lately.”
He was smiling and nodding his head, his arms crossed over his chest. I felt as if I were standing in front of the school principal. “A friend. Uh-huh. I’ve never seen you this giddy over a text message I’ve sent you.”
“You don’t have the same sense of humor. She’s gorgeous and funny, two things you’re not.”
He chuckled and turned to walk with me down the hall. “Who is she?”
“Just someone I used to know a long time ago.”
“Is this why you’re taking some vacation time?”
“Oh my God. Does everyone know about that? Holy shit, can’t a guy take a couple days off?” I grumbled.
“Not you, my friend. Not you. You’re a workhorse. We all take vacations. You don’t.”
“Well, I am now.”
We chatted about business as we walked. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I was anxious to see if it was a response from Mia, but I didn’t pull it out of my pocket. I would wait until I was in the privacy of my office. I had just sent her a particularly funny, although naughty, meme about men who didn’t have regular sex.
Jaxon finally left. I shut my office door and pulled out my phone. I laughed aloud in my empty office. Her suggestion about how I could take care of my lack of sex was creative. Leave it to her to find a solution to my problem.
I did a quick Google search and sent Mia a link to several articles that proved a man lived longer if he was married. I waited, staring at my phone, anxious to see what she would write back.
When the phone chimed, I pulled up the text. She suggested I find a catalog to buy a bride. I laughed and put the phone away. I had to get some actual work done. My vacation was coming up and I needed to have some shows on standby.
“You off tomorrow?” Tina asked as I packed up my small briefcase.
“I am.”
“Got big plans?”
“Going to hit the beach.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know, when you get that woman to settle down and marry you, you’re not going to have as much free time. She’s going to want to hang out and spend time with you.”
“I hope so. The only reason I’m going surfing so much is because I don’t have a woman. I’m feeling a little tense—if you know what I mean.” I winked.
She laughed. “Go out with Jaxon. He’ll get you laid.”
“No. I don’t want any more of Jaxon’s hookups. I’m telling you, I’m a changed man. I’m saving myself for marriage,” I teased.
She gave me a look that said I was full of shit. I was, in a way. “I guess if surfing works for you. When are you going to see her?”
“Soon.”
“Does she know you’re coming?”
I laughed. “Yes and no. I told her I was going to, but she doesn’t believe me. She thinks I’m the same cocky kid from eleven years ago.”
“You are that same cocky kid, but now you’re older,” she quipped.
“Nope. I’ve changed. I’m going to convince her we’re meant to be together.”
Tina smiled. “I think that is really sweet. I hope she falls for you. But, Brad?”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t let her break your heart. It’s been a long time. We can’t always go back. You’ve both had a lot of time apart and done a lot of growing up. People change. What we liked back then isn’t going to be the same as what we like today.”
I nodded in understanding. “I get it, which is why I haven’t bought a ring.”
Her eyes widened. “What? You were actually thinking about it?”
“I can’t very well marry her without a ring, can I?”
“Brad, you’re having a midlife crisis. You should talk to someone. You’re going off the deep end. You don’t call a woman out of the blue and decide you’re going to marry her. Plus, have you forgotten you live on opposite sides of the country?”
I threw my head back and laughed. “No, I’m not having a midlife crisis. I don’t think anyway. I’m jumping in with both feet, but I know exactly what I’m doing and who I’m doing it with. I want this. We’ll figure out the geography later.”
“Promise me you’ll take some time and get to know her again. Trust me, I’ve done the quickie marriage thing before.”
“I thought you and your husband have been together forever?”
“We have, but before him, there was another man. We met and fell in love and got married all within about two months. We were divorced six months later. I didn’t know him like I thought I did. It was an infatuation fueled by passion. Once the dust settled, we realized we didn’t really like each other all that much when we weren’t between the sheets,” she said in a wistful tone.
I hadn’t known that about Tina, which was strange. I had thought I knew her fairly well.
“That’s where we’re different,” I said. “Mia and I were best friends for six years. We only had sex one time, and that was the last night I was in Ne
w York. We knew everything there was to know about each other.”
Her eyes narrowed and her hands went to her hips. “You slept with your best friend in the world, a woman you clearly loved, and then you jumped on a plane and never called her?”
I stared at Tina. This was the fierce woman I knew. She was a bulldog around the office. She was tiny but mighty.
“I, uh—it wasn’t like that.”
She shook her head. “I hope that woman keeps you dangling on a string for a long time. Shame on you, Brad. And if you hope to win her back, I suggest you start thinking about something grand.”
I grinned. “Want to help me?”
“No!” she said and walked away from me.
I shrugged a shoulder, not having expected any input from the woman. I had to do this on my own. I headed home, thinking about Mia the entire time. I was on the verge of being downright horny. I felt like a randy teenager. But unlike a sex-crazed hormonal teen boy, I only wanted one woman. I wasn’t willing to sleep with just anyone to take the edge off. I wanted Mia. I wasn’t lying to Tina when I said I was waiting for marriage. I kind of was.
I reached down and stroked my aching cock. It had been two months since I’d had sex. It was a serious dry spell, but it was of my own choosing. I was used to having women fall at my feet. I could go out to the clubs and have a woman or two on my arm the moment I arrived. But I didn’t want any of them. I wanted Mia.
It was too late to go surfing, but tomorrow morning, I would get out there. Catching a good wave was pretty close to sex. I could ride all day tomorrow until I couldn’t stand up. I would be too tired to do anything but fall into bed and pass out. I wouldn’t have to dream about Mia or fantasize about the many different ways I was going to fuck her.
I wondered if her body was still tight like it used to be. That night, I had nearly blown my wad the second I had slid insider her slick, tight pussy. It had been pure heaven. One night with her hadn’t been enough. I wanted her again and again. I was going to go to New York and do whatever it took to make the woman accept me back into her life. The sex was certainly going to be important, but it was her I craved: her sense of humor, her wit, and her genuine honesty.
Tina was right. I couldn’t believe I had waited so long to reach out to Mia. I was a fucking idiot. No man in their right mind would ever walk away from a woman like her. She was the total package.
Chapter Ten
Mia
I reread my article for the tenth time at least, made a few last-second edits, and then forwarded it on to the proofer for review. I loved finishing up an article. It always gave me a sense of accomplishment. Some articles took months for me to complete. The one I just wrapped up had taken me a few weeks. It was about the underground fashion movement. I had met a lot of aspiring designers who were looking to get their big break.
There had been a few who were eccentric and really didn’t care if their designs were featured in our magazine. They made clothes for fun, which was inspiring. I had bought a couple pieces, loving the fact that they were all one of a kind.
Checking my schedule, I realized I was free for the rest of the weekend. I had beat my deadline, which meant I got to take tomorrow off.
I packed up, deciding I didn’t want to waste another minute of the beautiful spring day cooped up in my office.
“Hi!” I said to my mom as I walked through the door of her shop.
“What are you doing here?” she asked in surprise.
“I finished early and wanted to see if you could get lunch and maybe go for a walk? It is absolutely gorgeous outside. We could both use the fresh air.”
There had been plenty of bright spring days, but today felt different. I felt different. I felt alive and looked forward to the future. I was not going to give Brad all the credit for my new outlook on life. No way. I was convinced it was the closure. I finally had closure for that heartache in my life. I was healed and ready to get out there once again.
“I would love to. Let me tell Mattie,” she said, disappearing behind the little curtain that separated the front and back rooms.
I took a minute to look around and burst into laughter at the princess costume for an extra-large dog. I somehow didn’t see a proud Labrador or Great Dane being happy to be sport a frilly pink getup.
“I’m ready,” my mom said, emerging with her purse and sunglasses.
Smiling, I once again thanked the universe for letting me keep my mom on this earth a little longer.
“What do you want for lunch? My treat.”
“Oh, gosh, I don’t know. I’m sure you’re tired of sandwiches.”
I shrugged. “I could go for a nice meaty sandwich with everything piled on it. Let’s stop at the shop on the corner where we used to always go.”
“Sounds good to me.”
We walked to the corner and ordered our lunch before walking across the street to have our picnic. The entire time, my phone was beeping.
“Who is that? Do you need to answer it?” she asked with concern.
“No.”
“What’s new with you anyway?” She smiled. “Is that a boyfriend you’re dodging?”
“Not exactly.”
We sat down on a park bench overlooking a small pond.
“Tell me,” she said in a low voice.
I hesitated for a second. My mother was my best friend. I knew I could tell her everything. She had known Brad well. She had been fond of him.
After taking a deep breath, I blurted out the twisted story of our marriage pact and the fact that Brad was calling it in now after all this time without even talking.
She was smiling, beaming really.
“I think you should do it,” she announced after only mulling it over a few short seconds.
“Mom!” I exclaimed in horror. “You can’t be serious!”
She nodded her head. “I am. You’re all alone, Mia. He cared about you so much back then. I had always hoped you would be able to see it, and you never did. I didn’t know if you were oblivious or simply didn’t feel the same way. I always thought you two would end up together. When you didn’t, I was very sad. He’s a good man, and he always treated you so well.”
“You mean when he up and left and never called me again after we slept together?” I said dryly.
She waved a hand in the air. “You were both young back then. You both had your entire lives ahead of you. He was looking at a career doing something he loved. You were too. Neither one of you was ready to settle down.”
“No, but he could have called,” I said.
“Maybe he didn’t know what to say. Or maybe he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to leave you if he talked to you. You were both on the brink of making huge changes in your lives, and if he had stayed, he might have missed his chance. Maybe you guys would have gotten together, but he would have resented you. He would have constantly wondered what would have happened if he had gotten on that plane.”
“I hate when you’re rational,” I grumbled before taking a bite of my sandwich.
She just laughed. “And besides, phones do work both ways. You could have called him, too, but you never did.” She gave me a pointed look and dug into her lunch.
What did she mean by that? He was the one who had left. I mean, yes, I knew he was leaving that next day, but he had promised not to get weird, and he had. That was all on him. Right? Ugh, I hated when my mom didn’t just side with me.
We ate in silence for a while, doing a little people watching while we listened to the birds. It was peaceful, and I needed peaceful right now.
“So, when’s he coming?” my mom asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know that he is. He hasn’t given me a specific date. I think he’s just having some fun. He’s probably bored or between girlfriends.”
“I don’t know about that. For him to call you out of the blue like that seems like he is pretty serious.”
I laughed. “Brad is never serious about anything. It’s all a silly game. He’ll get tired
of it soon enough. He’ll find a new girlfriend and the whole thing will be forgotten again.”
“Sometimes fate has a funny way of working out.”
“Yes, it does, but does fate normally take vacations that stretch eleven years?”
She nodded. “Yep, if that’s what is needed to have everything work out as it should.”
“I don’t know, Mom. Brad and I had our time. It didn’t work.”
With a shrug, she didn’t say another word about it. We spent the rest of the afternoon doing a little window shopping and walking around the city. It wasn’t often I got to take a step back and simply enjoy the life I had. Being with my mom on a beautiful spring day was something I wanted to treasure forever.
“I should get going,” my mom said. “Thank you for hanging out with me today. I had a really good time.”
“So did I, Mom. I’ll call you tomorrow,” I said, waving as I hailed a cab to take me home.
It was after dinner by the time I got home. I had used my phone app to have dinner delivered. It would be at the desk by the time I showed up.
“Hi, George,” I said to the man at the front security desk.
“Good evening, Miss Hunter. Got a couple things for you,” he said, pulling out the bag of takeout.
He also handed me a stack of mail and then grabbed the vase of pretty pink and yellow tulips off the desk.
“What’s this?” I asked, looking at the vase full of gorgeous flowers.
“They were delivered for you earlier,” he said with a smile. “I sure do love spring flowers.”
I smiled, already knowing who they were from. I loved tulips. They were my favorite flower, and there was only one person in my life besides my mother who knew that: Brad.
“Thanks, George,” I said, hanging the bag of food from my arm before taking the vase.
Once I got in the elevator, I quickly opened the card. There were no sweet words or even a name. A kissy face emoji was front and center. It was enough. The man was going to spoil me. I couldn’t let him lull me into this idea of a relationship. We weren’t together. We wouldn’t be together. He was in California and I was in New York. We both had careers and lives and couldn’t just up and leave. One of us would have to move. I wasn’t going to do the long-distance thing.
