Loving Lily(10)
“Maybe next time?” Biting down on my upper lip, I gave Masie an apologetic look. This was her tenth time inviting us. Surprisingly, she hadn’t given up. “Drake’s been really burning both ends. He won’t be home until late tonight, because he has some negotiating to do.”
The thing was, I would love to hang out with my friends; however, Drake’s intense schedule usually left him running on fumes. Then, the times that he didn’t have a business engagement, I knew he would rather spend at home to unwind and just be himself.
“Well, if you’re all by yourself, why don’t you come on over and join us for dinner, then?” Masie pressed on, seeming unabashed that I was making excuses again.
“I promise, I’ll go next time.” When I wasn’t feeling like a zombie. “I’ve just been really exhausted, and when I sleep, I don’t even dream. I sleep like a dead person.” Normally, I dreamed most nights. I supposed exhaustion affected all aspects of the body. “I don’t even know how you do it, Mase. I can barely drive back to my house, let alone go to a movie theater.”
“Lots and lots of caffeine, baby. That’s the only way to do it.” She winked at me. Before leaving the subject alone, she made me promise that, if I ever felt bat-shit crazy, AKA Shannon, was somewhere lurking around the house, I would immediately call her. Or, if I ever felt like I was lonely and needed someone to talk to, she was always ready to rescue me.
“Yeah, I think you’re too wired sometimes,” I remarked as she sent another wink my way.
After work, Masie and I went our separate ways since she had parked a little farther down, while I had parked closer to the store. With it being only me tonight, I decided to order some sushi to-go and maybe get caught up on some movies on Netflix or the shows I had missed out on for almost two seasons.
Getting home at thirty past seven with my sushi in hand, I went to the kitchen to immediately let Skull out of his cage. Skull, Drake’s dog prior to when we got together, was more loyal to me than he was with Drake these days.
Too excited to see me, he instantly pawed on my legs, licking and jumping to get his daily dose of tlc.
“All right, all right, little one,” I said just as I bent over to pick him up, cradling him like a baby before scratching the back of his ear. He instantaneously closed his eyes amid the heavenly gesture. “I’ve missed you, too, Skully.” The word baby always went hand in hand, so his name plus baby somehow transpired into this new nickname I had for him, Skully.
Still petting him, I strode to the patio doors to let him out in the garden. He was such a well-trained dog that it was hard not to fall in love with him. Once he was done, Skully and I situated ourselves in the living room, ready to eat my dinner while we browsed through the shows and movies.
After sifting through the selections, I decided to watch Bluefish, a documentary about killer whales and how SeaWorld was exploiting the animals in such a cruel way. It was sad how the infamous Shamu had been separated from his family and how that seemed to stem his unusual rage towards his caretakers. The documentary tugged at my heart so much that I barely finished half of the Japanese take-out I ordered, which was unheard of since I would never not finish spicy tuna, crunch rolls, and tataki salmon. Alas, Shamu and his history killed my appetite. It wasn’t right for a corporation to profit from animal cruelty. It just wasn’t.
Sighing, I eventually managed to drag myself out of the living room and into the kitchen to dispose of my trash before heading upstairs to have a quick shower. Skull trailed behind me. He was so attached he went inside the bathroom simply to watch me shower.
After my quick, steamy shower, I strolled into the lounge area opposing the bedroom to read a few articles online from my tablet while Skully curled against me, softly snoring. I wasn’t sure what prompted me, but after checking the time and not hearing a peep from Drake, I decided to text him to check on how he was coping with the business dinner. There were times he would randomly text me with jokes about how boring it was.
Grabbing my cell phone, I started texting him.
What time will you be home tonight?
My phone beeped a minute later with his response, making me grin immediately, already half expecting something hilarious.
Maybe no later than midnight? I’m still dining with Paul and Katie.
Oh, he had never mentioned it was Katie and her father he was joining tonight. Katie Thompson, drop dead gorgeous extraordinaire. I knew I shouldn’t feel the mighty sting of jealousy, yet I was. Whenever beautiful women were concerned, the green-eyed monster never failed to come out. I was plain Jane with somewhat passable facial features and mousy brown hair and eyes. I was not striking enough to make men do a double take. Shannon hadn’t been far off when she said I wasn’t Drake’s type. We all knew that. Still, it gave that bitch more ammunition to harp on my disadvantages. It was disconcerting that she always used it to get under my skin. Though I would act as if it didn’t, mentally, it affected me greatly. Was it my fault that Drake’s past women were just exquisitely beautiful creatures?