I got ready that morning and picked out the tie of mine I knew was Robin’s favorite. I liked fun, colorful, sometimes wild ties, but she always complimented my white paisley tie the most. It was the only paisley tie I owned, and I knew I would always associate it with her.
I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror mentally reciting Landry’s rabbit story as I tied my tie when my phone buzzed. It was a text from a number I had never seen before.
Hey Luke, it’s April. Got your number from Ken, hope that’s okay. Just wanted to let you know everything is going well with your classes, but it’s not the same around here without you. Hope you are doing all right.
I read the message probably twenty times in a row as my tie dangled from around my neck.
She’s just being polite, I told myself. What would you expect? She’s a nice lady who knows your friend just died. Don’t read anything into it, dumbass.
I didn’t care that what I was telling myself was true. She reached out, and it really meant a lot to me. I had gotten texts and calls from people hoping I was okay, but none felt like this one did. This one wasn’t expected at all.
I wasn’t sure how to respond back. I went through a hundred different responses and settled with: Thank you, April. Glad to hear things are going well. I’m doing okay.
I hit send and then immediately regretted it. I should have sounded nicer, not like she was bothering me or something.
God, I was an idiot. Of all the things I could have said in response, she probably thought I thought she was annoying me or being insincere.
My phone buzzed again.
:-) If you get a chance, and feel up to it, do you think you could stop by my classroom while you are down here?
I was torn. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be anywhere near Robin’s room today. The funeral was going to be in the Lakefront church sanctuary, which was on the same campus as the school. I hadn’t planned on going anywhere near Robin’s classroom or my own.
My phone buzzed again.
Oh god, I’m a terrible person. I’m sorry. Can you just text me if you get a free second and I will come find you instead?
She had been thinking the same thing I had been, and immediately apologized. God, this woman was something else.
Holly had been showering behind me, and emerged, hair wet and body draped in a towel. To me, there isn’t anything sexier than an attractive woman with wet hair. It just...makes my brain stop working. And stuff. Add a body only covered by a towel, and normally I’d be a goner.
As if reading my mind and wanting to punish me for thinking it, she wrapped her dirty blonde hair with a towel that made it look like a giant white beehive was sprouting out of her head. Surprisingly, this was still nearly as sexy.
“I don’t think I have seen this particular tie before,” she said, placing her hands on both sides of it. She began to tie it for me, most certainly not to the tune of a rabbit’s song. I was tempted to recite it for her, but decided otherwise.
“I break it out on occasion.”
“I really like it. It’s...sexy.” Her voice trailed off as she finished tying a perfect knot. I was really impressed. It was better than most knots I ended up with, although mine were usually a bit rushed. She might be worth keeping around solely for this one skill. Thankfully, she possessed more.
“Well, sexy wasn’t exactly what I was going for,” I said. “I don’t think this is a dress to impress kind of event.”
“Hey,” she said, mock slapping me, “I didn’t say everyone was going to want to jump your bones or anything. I just know if you are still wearing it later this afternoon, I’m going to.”
We hadn’t had sex since the night Robin had been taken to the hospital. In the past, this kind of delay would have bothered one, if not both of us, or we would have at least mentioned something about it. She had spent a good chunk of the weekend working though, and I probably hadn’t been all that pleasant to be around. Up until this most recent round, the whole point of the friends with benefits thing was the pleasant supply of benefits, but this time we were spending more time talking and just...living, I guess.
Despite the circumstances, the idea of her jumping me sounded like one I could endorse completely. And she could tell I liked the idea. It was tough to hide things in dress pants.
She took the towel off of her head and shook her hair around a little, loosening it up.
I had to hand it to her; she knew what I liked.
I suddenly realized that I hadn’t responded to April’s text yet, and hoped she wasn’t thinking I was pissed off at her for being insensitive or something.
“I should get going,” I said, sliding my phone into my pocket. I don’t know why I felt like making sure she didn’t see my phone, or the messages. She had a boyfriend, for god’s sake.