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Placing a hand flat against the shower wall, I take a few deep breaths, allowing the surge of my orgasm to move through my body until the shimmering edges of it begin to dim and fade.
I quickly wash up, dry off, and wrap a towel around my waist as I wander into my room to throw on some boxers. I stare, once again, at my empty bedroom. At the bare wall where the dresser used to be. At the empty space where our bed used to be.
Over the past few months, I’ve been replacing the furniture I got rid of. The couch and tables in the living room, the kitchen table and chairs, new furniture for my office.
But my bedroom is still…empty.
God knows I’m too old to be sleeping on the floor in my late 30s, but laying out a blanket and pillow seems easier than the steps it would take to replace the bed that was here before. The bed that belonged to myself and Melody.
Shaking my head, I drop down to the massive blanket that rests in the corner of the room on my thankfully soft carpet and sprawl out on my back, tucking a hand beneath my head as I stare up at the rotating ceiling fan.
Tonight was stupid. Going out then coming home and falling asleep in my car?
But something felt different between us this week, and I don’t know what changed. I didn’t want to come in and…obligate her to talk to me in the kitchen. Or whatever it is we do on Friday nights.
All I know for sure is that tonight, it feels like I’ve pushed Emily further away, and there’s no clear-cut way to fix it.
***
A week later, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, just about everyone I know comes to the house to celebrate Teddy’s fourth birthday. I might have been here in Sandalwood for a year and a half now, but the majority of people I invite are, surprisingly, people I’ve met this summer while working at the school.
Which is why I’m surprised by how many people show up, many of whom I don’t recognize.
“Who are all these people?” I ask August, assuming they’re his friends. “I told you to invite some friends, not everyone you know.”
August snorts. “You think I know all these women with kids?” He lets out a laugh. “Not a chance. This is Emily, for sure. My guess is she meets these people at the park and stuff. Now that I know where all these gorgeous women are going every day, I might need to change up my workout routine.”
I roll my eyes.
Even back when we were younger, August was always much more the playboy. I took women on dates; he took women to bed. Do I care that he hasn’t changed his routine? Not really, but I don’t want him dipping his stick into this pool of women.
“No scouting at my son’s birthday party,” I tell him, wanting to laugh at the offended look on his face.
“You think I would ever do such a thing?”
I raise an eyebrow, and August’s expression falls into laughter.
“That’s what I thought. Go be a good boy.”
“Always!” he tells me, giving me a wink before wandering off toward a group of women.
The rascal.
“Hey! Colton, so good to see you!”
I turn at the familiar-sounding voice, but it takes me a second to recognize the woman speaking to me.
It must show on my face because she points at herself.
“Shannon. August’s friend. We’ve talked a few times at his place.”
“Oh right, Shannon,” I say, vaguely remembering speaking with her about taxes or something like that. “You’re a CPA, right?”
She pauses, but the easy smile never falters. “Right, yeah, we did talk about that, didn’t we?”
I grin at her. “You know, I’m actually glad you’re here. I was thinking about hiring someone to handle my taxes instead of doing them myself. With my wife passing and now hiring an employee, plus my new job, it all seems like it will be a lot more complicated than the returns I filed last year. Do you work for a firm or for yourself?”
Shannon steps closer and leans back against the side of the house, holding her drink close to her chest.
