The next morning, he woke me up.I was too out of it to cook breakfast, so I sat beside him on the couch while he ate some cereal.Then I put my head on his shoulder and leaned on him and woke up two hours later, lying on the couch with a blanket over me and a note on the coffee table that read “I told you.”
The only time we could talk was during the day.Well, we texted, because I didn’t want anyone at work to overhear.I wasn’t at my most focused at work during that time.I never initiated texting because I didn’t know when he was on the set and couldn’t be interrupted, whereas I could usually stop whatever I was doing to answer his texts.He’d usually text in the afternoon.Some days, we’d have a conversation about things that were easier to text than talk about.One day, I texted him,What’s your kink?
I stared at my phone and unbent a paperclip and then nervously twisted it into a spiral around my pinkie finger.
He was typing for a long time.Finally, he responded,it’s not something you tell someone over text
I texted back,Is it animal, vegetable, or mineral?
i don’t know how to answer that
Is it bigger than a breadbox?
no
You said it doesn’t hurt, but is it uncomfortable?
A long pause, then,yeah.
If I guess what it is, will you tell me?
you’re not gonna guess
Never issue me a challenge, because I won’t back down.Also, I’m a professional researcher.I’ll find out what it is.
Another long pause.
I don’t want you to freak out, tapper.We don’t need to do it at the cottage.We’ve got other plans, right?
Which reminded me aboutmyplan, and I forgot all about his kink.
I started sneaking time at work to write my speech.It was hard to write.I didn’t want to sound like a greeting card.What I felt for him was so special it had to be worthy of him.Once I started writing, it got really personal, and maybe my eyes watered a bit.I didn’t know what he’d think.I was afraid it wouldn’t be good enough.
I practiced the speech every time I walked Perry Mason.I’d recite it out loud but quietly so the people I passed wouldn’t think I’d lost my mind.And when I got back from walking the dog, I’d search online for a nice suit to wear to our wedding.I wanted to look my best for him.
On the morning of Eddie’s last day of filming, he left so early I didn’t see him.I went to work early so I could leave early.I’d made a list of everything I needed to do.First off, get my hair cut, because I looked like a sheepdog.Then, since I was already at the mall, I bought some jeans.My old pairs were fine, but I wouldn’t call them sexy.While I was there, I bought him a hoodie the same color as his eyes.He never spent money on himself unless he had to, and I wanted to treat him.I picked up the rental car next, drove home, and parked in one of the visitor spots.
Then I did laundry.We hadn’t had time to do laundry for...there was a lot.I started four loads, then went back to the apartment, whipped up a pan of the brownies he loved, and while those were baking, I started packing.The whole time, I was going over all the things I still needed to do, and then I had a minor panic attack thinking I’d left the ring at work, until I found it zipped into the pocket of my winter coat.I didn’t know exactly when he was coming home.He said he’d try to be home for dinner, since we’d planned to go out to a restaurant, like a real date.
I was folding and packing the laundry, wondering if I had time to make a batch of the Malteser cookies he loved, and my thoughts were running a mile a minute when I heard his key in the door.
