Well, no.That wasn’t fair.I had enough reason to leave now, and I was taking a chance on that.Flynn was part of it - a big part, sure - but any success or failure I might run into was my own doing.
“He’s headed back tomorrow,” I said.There’d be a better time to explain he wouldn’t be alone.“How about the four of us grab a drink tonight?”
Catherine gave an exaggerated gasp.“You’ll share him!How generous of you.I’ll let Kyle know.”
I shook my head, half-regretting it already.“Don’t forget to wear something classy: the fashion reputation of this town rests upon your shoulders.”
She chuckled.“I’ll check my closet for animal-boob couture.”
#
Part of me wanted Flynnto say he was busy, to make an excuse.To give me a reason of my own to delay the inevitable.Catherine and Kyle would be happy for me, that I’d finally found a guy I liked, I had no doubt of that.They’d even be excited for me, at the prospect of moving away.Yet there’d also be the inevitable disappointment: that our little hometown trio would be stretched, and probably never quite feel the same again.
The idea of that brought a lump to my throat as I tapped the button to call Flynn.
“Hey, handsome.”
I rolled my eyes.“Imaginative.”
He laughed.“Just trying out some options.How do you feel about ‘pretty dick’?”
“I’m gonna hang up the phone, now,” I threatened.
Flynn apparently found that hilarious.“Wait!No, fine, not that one, then.Man, you’re difficult to please.”
“That depends on where you lick me.”
Silence, for a beat.
“I’m suddenly very, very hard,” he admitted.“That’s quite the talent you have, there.And, just for clarity, I’ll gladly lick you anywhere, and I’m very much looking forward to licking you in my - sorry, our - place tomorrow.”
“I admire the enthusiasm,” I said, smiling.He wasn’t the only one hard at the prospect, though I wasn’t planning to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.“Do you want to get a drink with Kyle and Catherine tonight?”
“You’d share your besties with me?I’m honored.”
It was close enough to the sentiment Catherine had voiced that I blushed at the memory.They were both only joking, I knew that, but all the same it was a reminder of just how segmented my life had become.Dismantling some of those boundaries was scary, but I wanted to believe I’d feel happier at the end of it.
“I make no promises as to how polite they’ll be.You know my friends are practically feral.”
“Consider me forewarned and excited,” Flynn said.“Are you on your way home now?”
“Why, did you miss me?”
“Yes.”
It came out so quickly, so bluntly - none of the playful teasing, or flirting, that I was enjoying getting used to - that I blinked in surprise.Wrong-footed, and left with only honesty myself.
“I missed you, too.”
I could hear him breathing, just slightly, over the faint digital static.
“I was worried today, that I was rushing you,” he admitted, finally.“Forcing you into decisions that you weren’t ready to make.”
“Funny, the Flynn I remember from today was half-naked in my store.”
He grunted.“I am a man of multitudes, Oli.”
“Clearly.”I knew he’d be able to hear the smile in my tone.“I don’t feel rushed.Or, at least, not by you, and not in a bad way.More in a ‘it’s about fucking time you did something new’ way.”
