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Why couldn’t I have been born twenty years ago?
“Okay. Yeah. Sounds good,” I finally say, following him out the front door into the cool night air.
In the breeze, the scent of pine wafts off him and carries back toward me.
My clit throbs and I squeeze my thighs together in an attempt to quell the urges, but it does no good.
Clive opens the truck door and helps me inside. My hand sinks into his as I climb up, and for a second, I wonder how many women he’s helped up into this truck.
I should really stop torturing myself.
When he rounds the truck and climbs inside, I stare toward him, watching as his biceps move and his hand swallows the shifter. It’s an old Chevy. I don’t know the year, but it reminds me of a work truck that’s been fixed a dozen times over.
“Sorry it smells like diesel in here. Product of the repair I did.” His tone is so low that whatever jargon he just said sounded sexy.
I drag in the scent of pine and oil, memorizing every note. Normally, I wouldn’t think of the two as complimentary to each other, but somehow, Clive and this beat up Chevy make it work.
“You okay?” He starts up the engine and flicks on his blinker.
“Yeah, why?”
“You’re sighing like something’s on your mind.”
Something is on my mind alright.
“I’m fine,” I lie.
He pulls out onto the street. “You’re clearly not fine. If this is weird for you, I apologize. I know I’d be weird too if I were with my ex’s dad.”
“Oh, no. It’s nothing. I’m not weird, I’m good. Just living life, ya know? One day at a time. I don’t even miss Cody. He wasn’t for me. Not that you asked, but, ya know, if you were curious. Not that he’s not good for someone… because he is, I’m sure. But, ya know, he’s just immature for me, and I’m not right for him. I,” I suck in air as though I’m running low, “I’m talking too much.”
Clive laughs. “Cody is a pain in the ass. I always thought you could do better.”
I freeze in place. I’m sure the words mean nothing in reality, but in my twisted mind, they mean everything.
“I shouldn’t have said all that. Cody’s a good guy. We’re just not made for each other, ya know?” Why do I keep saying ‘ya know’ like a sixteen-year-old valley girl? Next, I’ll be twisting my hair and blowing big, pink bubbles. Thankfully, I’m fresh out of bubble gum.
Clive nods and laughs as he pulls onto the road that leads up the mountainside. “You forget I know who he is. I was there when he cheated on you, Lark. I know that had to hurt. You didn’t deserve it. He and I had a lot of talks about that.” He clears his throat. “Not that any of them sank in.”
I glance away and back again. “I figure he did me a favor. Better I know now that I’m not his thing than two years from now.”
“Still,” Clive says, “it was wrong. I’m sorry about that.”
“You don’t have to apologize. You didn’t do anything.”
“I raised him to know better. Feels like a failure on my part.” Clive clears his throat. “I saw Bobby talking to you at the bar tonight. How’s that going?”
I laugh. “He wants to go out tomorrow night.”
“Is that why you were napping?”
“Was it that noticeable?” I grin. “I’ve never done that before, I swear!”
He shakes his head and strokes his beard before glancing toward me. “Where is he taking you?”
“Who? Bobby?”
His eyes are on the road again.
