AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mark stared at me and I forced a smile, figuring that our conversation had come to an end. But he didn’t leave. I looked over at Sasha for help, but she didn’t get it. Her eyes darted back and forth between me and Mark and she smiled, like she was cooking up an idea.
“You know, you never answered any of my texts,” he said.
“Sorry about that. I… my phone’s been weird. I think I need to upgrade my plan or something. You know…”
The truth was that he’d texted a few times a day all week and I was running out of excuses to avoid meeting him for that commiseration drink. I had at one point actually typed out the sentenceI don’t want to go for drinks with you, so please stop askingbut I thought it sounded too harsh and I never sent it. I was regretting it now.
“Well then, since I have you here, what are you doing tonight?” he asked.
“She’s totally free,” Sasha answered for me.
I shot her aback offlook. “I’m not free. I have my son tonight.”
“I can babysit. I think Rex needs some quality time with his Auntie Sasha, don’t you agree?” she oh-so-helpfully told Mark. “He can sleep over at my place.”
“But—”
“That works for me,” Mark said, totally ignoring my sort-of objection. “I can get a sitter for Ashley and meet you at around eight.”
“She likes Rook’s,” Sasha informed him. “That bar on Third Street near the hardware store.”
“Then Rook’s it is,” Mark said. He winked at me. “See you at eight.”
I took a deep breath and waited for Mark to be out of earshot. When he was finally safely on his side of the playground with his headphones back on, I turned to Sasha, ready to strangle her pretty little head off.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” I snarled at her.
“I was thinking you’d be thanking me for being the greatest wing woman ever.”
“I don’t want to go out with him.”
“Why not?” she wondered. “He’s hot and he’s clearly into you. What more do you need?”
“I don’t know… maybe a real connection or something in common.”
“You have something in common. You’re both single. You’re both parents…”
I sighed, leaning back on the park bench and closing my eyes. Memories of that kiss with Carter flashed before my eyes. My face felt hot. My lips tingled.
I wanted more.
“There’s someone else, isn’t there?” Sasha asked.
My face must have been giving me away.
“Ooh!” she squealed. “It’s Hot Neighbor Guy. Did something finally happen between you two?”
She said it loudly and I tried to quiet her down, but she didn’t.
“What happened? Something happened. You’re beet red right now!”
“We kissed,” I whispered. “He kissed me.”
“What?”
“In Rex’s room. While we were painting. Fuck, it was… I don’t even know how to describe it.”
“It was that good?”
