Falling for You

My earbud reads the text message as I’m folding the linens from last week’s event. Even though I’ve been busting my ass to keep my grades up this semester, I’m still working for my aunt. Part time, of course, and for the same pathetic excuse of a salary, but money is money.

I never realized how expensive food is. Or gas for that matter. It’s forty dollars every time I visit Josh. And while I have only been there three times since school started, that’s almost a quarter of my allowance each month. I set the clean tablecloth in a Sterilite tub along with the others from last week's event and swipe my phone off the table.

Me: My brother and his buddies are flying into Orlando for a guy’s weekend. I was going to hang with them Saturday.??.

Josh: That blows. Bret and I are going to be at City Walk.

Me: I’m sorry ??.

Josh: You're killing me. I miss you.

Me: You do?

Josh: Yeah. This weekend wasn’t the same without you.

Me: You’re sweet.

Josh: Not sweet. Just honest.

The rest of the day drags. I finish putting away the linens, organize the vases in our decor-closet, and hand write forty thank you cards; all while waiting for Josh to text me again.

He doesn’t and, as I collapse onto the twin mattress in my studio apartment, I can’t shake the feeling of disappointment. We’ve fallen into a routine of sorts, texting during the week and hanging out on the ranch on the weekends. Although Aunt Tricia had an event last Saturday, so I wasn’t able to drive down.

I grab my phone from beside my pillow and hit the video chat app. We’ve never talked like this, but the ache I have in the pit of my stomach to see him is too strong.

The screen rings three times before Josh answers. He squints against the sun, the shadow of his hand around the camera as he tries to see me on the screen. “Layla?”

“Is this a bad time?” Of course it’s a bad time. He’s probably working on the farm, milking a cow or something. Outside of feeding the horses. I don’t actually know what Josh does for a living.

“No, it’s fine. Hang on a sec.” Josh sets his phone on the grass and I can see him pulling off a pair of gloves. He drops them to the ground then picks me back up. “Hey.”

“What were you doing?”

“Fixing the fence. Some kids cut the wire to ride through on their four-wheelers last night.” He turns the camera around so I can see the tire tracks and a roll of barbed wire he’s tacking to the wooden posts. “They only cut one section, which isn’t bad, but it still sucks. I got lucky the cows were on the other half of the field.”

“I’m sorry.” I roll to sit cross-legged and prop my phone against the pillow. My heart races in my chest and all of the sudden it’s too hot in here. The flowy blouse and tank top I’ve worn all day squeezes my chest like vice. I swallow the knot in my throat and try to focus on our conversation. It’s hard, though, with beads of sweat dripping down Josh’s brow. He raises his tan, muscular, arm and wipes the droplets away. Focus! “Does that happen often?”

Josh smirks and shakes his head. “Nah, maybe twice a year. How was your day?”

“Mine?” I pull my overshirt off as he shifts to sit in the shade of the side-by-side. Hopefully, he won’t think this is some strip-tease call. Although, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him. Jesus, what is wrong with me?

I lay on my belly, the tight tank and my push-up bra making the girls look fantastic from this angle, and then grab my phone again. “It was boring. I had to put everything that we used at the event last weekend away, catalog it to make sure nothing was lost, then hand write thank you notes.”

“Sounds tedious.”

We stare at each other, neither of us knowing what to say for a minute. The silence is awkward and heavy. I wish I was back in Fellsmere with him, but by the time I get through rush hour traffic and make my way there, it would be almost nine. Too late to turn back around and I have an eight a.m. class tomorrow, so staying the night is out of the question .

“I’ve got to finish up before the sun goes down,” he finally says, rising to his feet.

I force a smile because as much as I don’t want to admit it, I miss Josh. Despite the hiccup at Cowboy’s a few weeks ago, I had a great time with him, and the two other times I’ve gone back have been even better.

If Colson wasn’t coming to town, I’d probably meet Josh and his brother at City Walk. I haven’t been there yet, but a few of the girls I work with say it’s a blast. “Right, of course.”

“Hey, Layla?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for calling. I’m glad I got to see your face.”