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He snorts at that, his eyes losing their focus. I bet he’s remembering that “Utah”didn’t leave my lips yesterday. Yes, my safe word is a tribute to a Keanu Reeves character, but it’s never been uttered. Maybe he’s as sore as I am. Either way, his sleep-deprivation isn’t a surprise! A smirk reaches his lush lips and a silent sigh follows. “Trust…” Trailing off, he readjusts his pants, directing my attention to his growing bulge that proves me right.
“I’ve never lied to you.” I press. I don’t understand Alex’s knee-jerk reaction to my savior. “I told you that I’ve kept in touch with Nino. We live thousands of miles apart, and I might never see him again!”But I hope that I will. “Give me time to process my… accident, please.” I scrunch my nose to refrain from calling it NDE to his face because Alex wasn’t there to witness my near-death experience and I don’t want him to blame himself for that.
“Sure. I understand.” He vehemently shakes his head, contradicting his statement. He cups my cheek, and I greedily lean into his magnetic touch. “I shouldn’t get all worked up.”
“You’ve never been jealous before...” I hate that my voice sounds so whiny. “What changed?”
My man clicks his tongue.
“Gut feeling.”
CHAPTER8
STILLNESS OF HEART
Nino
Frigid wind and an annoying drizzle greet me when I step out of Orly Airport. A shiver runs down my spine. What a rude awakening! It’s not even five in the morning and my stomach barely survived the airline food.
“Stupid fuck!” I curse myself for wearing flip-flops and grip the handle of my tiny suitcase before drifting to the right to keep from blocking the exit doors. “Come on, it’s supposed to be summertime!” I zip my hoodie, the sole barrier between my short-sleeved T-shirt and the loathsome weather. “September starts in two weeks, dammit!”
Quivering, I close the Uber app once I secure my ride home, then wait for the driver to inform me of our meeting point. That gives me time to text Ash.
Nino
Back from Mykonos. Guess where my next job is?
An Uber notification pops up, and I trudge past the sea of travelers to find my driver. It’s not a given, since taxis are given priority.
Perfect timing, though!
Sliding into the backseat of the sedan, my eyes widen as I see three dots appear on the screen at the exact moment that the driver provides a traffic update. I bite my lower lip, torn between checking if Ash texted back and being polite to Mr. Uber. I opt for the latter and discard my phone in my backpack to suppress the temptation. The more I talk to the guy, the more my anticipation builds. By the time he drops me off, my heart is pounding in my chest like a schoolgirl.
What’s going on with me?
Minutes later, I drop my suitcase in the entryway of my bachelor pad, and for the first time in recent memory, visiting Garcia isn’t my top priority. As if my body isn’t producing enough adrenaline, I make myself a cup of strong java to take the edge off of my drowsiness and persistent chill. On autopilot, I gulp the hot beverage and cringe when I burn the tip of my tongue.
This isnotmy morning!
To ease the pain, I fumble through my backpack, find my iPhone, and select myOldies but Goodiesplaylist on Spotify. Etta James’s deep voice comforts me;If I Can’t Have You… right!
I plop my sorry ass on the brown leather chesterfield and scroll through my social media while mindlessly singing along. My legs impatiently bounce, and my flip-flops fly in opposite directions and land with a muffled sound.
What are you waiting for?
Yeah, that’s a damn good question! Part of me is stalling because suspense is my jam. The other part is masochistically hoping that by the time I see Ash’s reply, he’ll be asleep. Yes, I know that this makes no sense.
At last, I cave. With my heels resting on the edge of the coffee table, I slide a bit deeper into the couch. A smile tugs at my lips.
Ash
Tell me it’s NYC. I need a breather.
Would be fun to SEE each other again in person.
He’s right, it would be fun. This time, I type my answer right away.
Nino
