“Shit,” she whispers to herself.
“Yeah, ‘shit’ about sums it up.”
“I’m so sorry, Caleb. I wasn’t trying to be insensitive. They were just being stupid.”
“It’s okay, Emma. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. However, I stand by my earlier description that they are assholes.”
“No, it’s not. I should have stopped them, but honestly it was hilarious watching women shoot them down over and over again. Both of them left with their tails firmly curled between their legs.”
“Well, at least they got put in their place.” I just wish it were me who had put them there.
“I got hit on a few times though.”
“Oh yeah? How’d you handle that?” I ask, sipping off my beer.
“I very kindly told them that I was straight then offered a compliment on their shoes, shirts, or hair. By the end of the night, I had quite a few friends.”
“I bet you had more than just a few friends,” I tease.
“Well I had more than the guys, that’s for sure.” She laughs before the phone goes quiet with uncomfortable silence. “So. You’ve been thinking about my ass?” she questions, referring to my outburst earlier.
“Ah, that. Yeah, that was the truth, but I’ll be happy to tell you it was a lie if it would make you more comfortable.”
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” she boldly admits, surprising me once again. I can’t believe she is being this forward or…well, honest. But based on our earlier conversation, it’s not exactly like I’ve been good at hiding my attraction either.
“Shit, Em. That makes two of us.”
“This is going to be really bad, isn’t it?” she says quietly.
“Probably,” I answer shortly. It’s not exactly the truth. This is going to be far worse than bad. This is going to be epic proportions of horrible, but I still ask, “When are you coming back?”
“Hopefully late next week. Just depends how quickly I can get packed and finish the photos for my clients here before I leave.”
There is no doubt that this is going to end in disaster, but once again, I add fuel to the fire. “You want to meet for dinner or something when you get back?” I have no idea what I’m doing, but if she is going to be this open, then I am too.
“Yeah, I think I’d like that.” Once again, she sounds happy, and the seriousness fades from my voice too.
“I need to go before I have a chance to ask you something stupid, like the color of your bra,” I say, equally praying to God that she will and won’t answer.
“Nude,” she announces without hesitation.
“And now I have to go!” I stand up off the couch. I don’t know where I think I’m going to escape when the phone is still securely anchored to my ear, but I know I need to stop this conversation.
“Okay. Go to bed,” she says with a small laugh that proves that she knows exactly how much she’s affecting me. “Oh, and Caleb?” She catches me before I can say goodbye. “I didn’t mean nude the color.”
I have to bite my lip to keep a groan from escaping. What the fuck happened here tonight? I went from being an absolute dick to having a date and all-too-vivid image of Emma’s lack of undergarments. Fuck. Me.
“Goodnight, sweetheart.” I quickly pull the phone away, ending the call.
I fall back on the couch, shaking my head at myself. I just opened a door, and Emma all too willingly walked right through it. Let the shit show begin.
AFTER CALEB and I got off the phone last night, I struggled to fall back asleep. I went to the living room and had a long talk with Hunter and Alex. I love those guys. They were half drunk, but that only made the conversation more interesting.
Hunter has been moping around since I told him I was moving out. He was pissed at first, but after a little chat, he understood why I needed to go. He just didn’t understand why I was making it a permanent move instead of just an extended stay. I love that boy, but damn he is so hardheaded when he wants to be. I know he’s going to miss me. Hell, I’m going to miss the shit of out of him too. He and I have been through a lot together. He leaned on me about his girl and his best friend. And over the last few years, I’ve really leaned on him about Sarah. He swears he is going to come visit once a month, and I don’t doubt that for one second.
Alex is much more laid back about my up and leaving. I know he loves me. It’s nothing personal. He’s just a big tough guy, and even if my leaving devastated him, he’d never tell me. He and I just have a very different relationship than Hunter and I do. While Hunter is my overprotective best friend, Alex is my overprotective big brother. I’ve known him since elementary school. He lived next door for most of our lives. Truth be told, he actually made out with Sarah on more than one drunken occasion growing up. He’s always been a part of my life.