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His fingers flexed into my shoulders. “For the summer, you mean. Since it’s a… a summer fling.”
If that was as much as he would give me, that’s what I would take. And if I already suspected that the summer was going to go by much too fast, well… we could renegotiate when the time came.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “That works for me. And in the meantime, there’s no one but the two of us. Deal?”
Flynn’s green eyes looked into mine warily. “Yeah, okay,” he agreed softly. “Deal.”
* * *
I threw my keys on the sideboard table in my apartment entryway and threw myself down on the sofa, heedless of my silk suit and all the wrinkles I was crushing into it. I felt like I’d lived six lives from the time I’d kissed Flynn goodbye just before dawn that morning.
Being back in my real life after so long away felt like the first workout after a long vacation from the gym. I’d lost all my stamina for polite elevator chitchat. I couldn’t bring myself to care about Jeff Namath’s big contract, even when he’d leaned against my office doorway and told me about it in annoying detail. The traffic and crowds that used to make me feel like part of something huge and vibrant were annoying. And when I’d walked into my building a few moments ago, the doorman had once again asked me for ID because he didn’t recognize me.
I needed to get my head back in the game, and I knew it… but it was really hard when my mind kept veering north. I wondered what Flynn was doing, which customers at the Tavern were making him laugh and scream in frustration, how stressed he was over his preparation for Brew Fest, whether Alden was teasing him over the way we’d disappeared into the woods yesterday, and whether Flynn could possibly be feeling like the whole world was a little flatter today, like I did.
I finally gave in and shimmied up on the sofa so I could pull my phone out of my pants pocket. I’d forced myself not to text Flynn all day—I didn’t want to seem weird or needy, and both of us needed to concentrate on our work—but I was missing our connection.
Me:Hey, I know you’re working right now, but did I leave my AirPods on your nightstand last night?
The reply was immediate.
Firecracker:Sorry, who’s this?
I grinned, the fatigue of the day falling away instantly. Christ, the man made life fun.
Me:Are there many people who could have left their shit on your nightstand last night? Were you entertaining in there while I was asleep?
Firecracker:See, I would have told you Frog Wellbridge was the only one…
Firecracker:But Frog promised this morning that he’d text me when his flight landed. I can only assume he got lost somewhere between Honeybridge and New York.
Firecracker:Too bad. I was just getting used to having him around.
My stomach lurched sideways and landed in a puddle of goo. I liked the idea of him being used to me. I liked it a lot.
Me:Shit. I didn’t remember I was supposed to message. I got to the office at noon and it was go go go all afternoon. Sorry.
Firecracker:Hmph. I’ll forgive you just this once since you were under the influence of a morning blowjob orgasm when you promised. But you’ll owe me. Big time.
I snorted.
Me:Seems fair.
The bubbles by his name floated for a long moment before his reply came through.
Firecracker:Damn. Bad day?
Ifrowned at the screen. Ithadbeen a long, shitty day, especially without Alice to brainstorm and share my workload. I wasn’t sure how Flynn could know that, though.
Me:???
Firecracker:Dude. You, JT Wellbridge, just agreed that you owe me, no negotiations, no demanding to know my terms. You must’ve had a bad day to be so far off your game.
Firecracker:Or else maybe you really missed freeloading on my bar stool while every person in Honeybridge stops by and gets all up in your business. *laugh emoji*
Firecracker:Be honest. It’s that one, isn’t it? You just can’t get enough stories about Jalissa’s daughter’s drama club rehearsal and how Ernie McLeroy’s arthritic knee proves climate change is real. LOL!
Yeah. Strangely enough, that was exactly it. And it was no laughing matter.
