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“Sort of.” I sighed before going into detail about my escape this morning. It was then that I realized my phone was still at his house. “Crap!” I huffed. “I guess I didn’t escape all the morning after walk of shame bullshit. My phone is still there.”
“That’s a reason to go back.” Aimee clapped giddily. “That’s a classic guy move. Leave something behind to have a reason to go back. Let me know how it goes.” She pranced into her room. “I need to pack. I gotta get out of here soon and back to the working world,” she grumbled.
ooooooooo
After Aimee left, I took a hot shower, put on an oversized tee, and curled up on my bed. I was tired, and looking for an excuse to not go back to Russ’s. It felt good to relax, and being in the house alone meant that it was quiet, with the exception of the AC. The system was old, and always made this rattling noise. Dad said he was going to fix it years ago, but that hasn’t happened yet.
My stomach woke me up midafternoon. All I’d had today was coffee, and it seemed my body was rebelling. I shuffled into the kitchen, and rummaged for something to eat. Aimee had my car, so I was biking the rest of the week.
I opened the fridge, and other than water and beer, we had a small thing of creamer, some tomatoes, and lettuce. I think Aimee had mentioned taco night, but that never happened. I opened a few cabinets and managed to find some mac and cheese. I grabbed a pot to boil water, and then meandered into the family room to turn on the TV while I waited.
It didn’t take long for the water to boil. I dumped the mac into the pot, set a timer, and then went back to the terrible eighties game show I’d found. When the timer beeped, it then occurred to me that I needed butter and milk to finish. I had neither. “Great,” I grumbled as I dumped the powdered cheese in with a little water and mixed it up. This would have to do. I grabbed a potholder and spoon, and carried the entire pot into the family room.
After placing the potholder on the coffee table, so I wouldn’t burn it, I set the pot down, and sat on the floor in front of it. I took a giant scoop and shoveled it into my mouth. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I nodded in appreciation as I turned the volume up on the TV, also making a mental note to go to the store for butter and milk.
About halfway through my meal, there was a knock at the door. I had no idea who would be coming over. Only a handful of people even knew I was here. I set my spoon down and stood up. I had forgotten that I was only in a tee. I mean, I was here alone. I shuffled over to the door, and slowly opened it. Bright sun shone in, almost blinding me until a large figure stepped up to block it.
“I thought you might need this.” Russ held out my phone.
“I wondered where that went,” I joked nervously.
“I thought you might come back for it. I was surprised you left so early.” He seemed hurt.
“I had to help Aimee pack and get on the road, then I crashed.” I motioned inside. “Wanna come in?”
“Sure.” He awkwardly stepped through the door, and then just stood there as I wandered back toward the couch. “You gonna put some pants on?” He almost coughed the words out.
I glanced down at my bare legs and remembered that if I lifted my arms, you could see my panties. “Whoops. One sec.” I rushed into my room, grabbed the first pair of clean shorts I could find, and almost tripped putting them on. As I crashed against the door, I slammed my elbow on the dresser, and then almost fell face down.
“You ok?” Russ called.
“Yep. Carpet grabbed my feet.” I whined as I slowly opened the door, and limped back out. “Want some dinner?” I offered my half-eaten mac and cheese.
“It’s three in the afternoon. Who eats dinner now?” Russ’s forehead wrinkled. Then he saw my elbow. “Ouch. Let me help you.” He stepped around me and went into the bathroom, reappearing with a first aid kit. “Sit.” He pointed to the couch. It sounded like he was talking to Taco. “This might sting,” he warned before rubbing the tiny fire cloth, also known as an alcohol wipe, over my elbow.
“OH, SNAP!” I growled.
“Snap?” He looked at me and laughed lightly.
“Can’t say bad words at work. Had to learn others. You should know this, Mr. Math Teacher.” I scowled. He opened a Band-Aid and gently placed it over the cut.
“There. Good as new.” He smiled. “Want me to kiss it better?” His smile turned serious, and I pulled away.
There was a moment of awkward silence, and then I remembered the last time he kissed me. “That didn’t go over so well the last time. Let’s not repeat it.” It broke the moment and we both laughed.
“Here. A repayment for the medical treatment.” I offered him the mac and cheese again.
“Thanks.” He chuckled before taking a giant bite. “This is… interesting.” He chewed and then forced the bite down. “What did you do to it?”
“I was missing some of the ingredients.” I shrugged. “So I improvised.”
“Like how?” His eyes narrowed.
“I used water instead of milk and left out the butter.” I took a bite.
“So, all the stuff is missing.” He clarified. “Go get dressed.” He shooed me toward the bedroom
“What?” I turned confused eyes on him.
