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“Who do you consult? And what do you consult them about?”
“I consult companies on the way they run themselves.”
“To make them more profitable or more efficient?”
“Both,” he said. “They go hand in hand.” After another mouthful of coffee, he leaned in to rest his weight on his forearms on the edge of the table. “I want to hear more about your idea of foreplay.”
Despite him being yummy attractive, some comfort came from knowing he had a partner. Straight away, she didn’t have to worry about crossing any lines or being misconstrued. On top of that, they had something in common by virtue of who they’d been born to love.
“I don’t know if it’s different for men and women,” she said, watching her straw smooshing in and out of the crushed ice in her coffee. “I like to talk… about everything. I can talk and talk and talk all day. It’s important, I think, communication that is. How can I be upset by someone doing something I don’t like or not doing something I want unless I tell them?”
“In bed?”
“In everywhere,” she said, her chin moving on her hand so her eyes could find his. “We’re friends now. Wouldn’t it be easier if I was just straight with you rather than assuming you’ll read my mind? We have to help each other. Human to human, we’re all in the same race, trying to make it as fun and easy as possible before we get to the finish line.”
He thought about it for a second before asking. “The finish line is death?”
“Who knows what comes next? Maybe death is worth it.”
One side of his mouth rose. “You have a unique way of looking at things,” he said on a whisper of a laugh.
“Am I wrong? Do you know what’s next?”
“No, and maybe you’re right… and it’s a race, no doubt about that… Helping each other? That’s not something everyone subscribes to.”
Sitting up straight, she shook her head like her hair was free even though it was still in its messy bun. “People come into our orbits for a reason.”
“You believe that?”
“I do.” Popping the lid off her cup, she held it to the side while slouching to tip some of the slush into her mouth. The corner of the base stayed in contact with the table the whole time. “I love ice. Do you love ice?” She cringed. “Was that insensitive?”
“No,” he said, snickering. “And I can’t say I ever formed an opinion on ice.”
“I focus on dumb little things sometimes,” she said. “I love ice… I love water.” She screwed up her face for a second. “I don’t like it when they put lemon in water in restaurants… lime I like. I’d still drink it either way, it’s not offensive or anything.” She shrugged. “Just one of those things… Do you have siblings?”
To his credit, he didn’t take long to adjust to the gear change. “No.”
“Are your parents alive?”
“My father.”
“Are you close?”
He shook his head. “No. He wasn’t around when I was growing up. My mom died when I was fifteen and I became his problem. I’d only seen him a handful of times before then. Didn’t see him much after either.”
“My parents are divorced… I haven’t seen my dad since I was twelve. They split up when I was eight. We saw him less and less and then he just disappeared.”
“I’m sorry.”
Wasn’t his fault, but it was nice to have his sympathy, even if she didn’t need it.
Pushing her shoulders back, she straightened her spine. “I’m not. We can’t force people to care about us and if they can’t, we’re better off without them.”
“Good attitude. Better off without them. How does that fit in with your ‘people come into our orbits for a reason’ theory?”
“Some people come into our orbits to teach us a lesson.”
“That we’re better off without them?”
