I’m surprised by how bummed I feel to return home. I don’t have time to feel bummed, because I have two days’ worth of work to do now, but all I can think about is Cassidy and Derek at the park without me. I had to leave after lunch, but Cassidy was begging Derek to go to the park so they could blow bubbles and play basketball. He told her they could go after I left, and now as I sit alone in my house and fire up my computer, it feels like I’d rather be there than here.
Instead of working, I find myself browsing the internet for Wonder Woman lingerie. I don’t order any, but I do order a cute Wonder Woman sports bra before I force myself to get out of the Derek bubble and back to work.
It only takes me a couple of hours to get back into the swing of things. Before I know it, it’s evening. I don’t realize it by the darkening sky outside or by remembering to look at the clock, but by the “bedtime story” picture Derek sends me. It’s a picture—crooked, and clearly taken by Cassidy—of Derek lying in her princess bed with the open book on his chest, pretending to have fallen asleep. A helpless grin splits my face as soon as I see it.
A little while later, he interrupts me again, this time sending a selfie of him in his bed alone, shooting me his patented, heart-melting, sad puppy dog look.
Sighing heavily, I text back, “Don’t look at me like that.”
“It’d be easier to go to sleep if I knew you had an orgasm first. Send video evidence so I can sleep peacefully,” he tells me.
Laughing at his gall, I tell him, “Nice try. Last time I let you have a naughty video of me, you blackmailed me with it. You’ve lost your naughty video privileges for life.”
“No fair. I want a reduced sentence for good behavior.”
“So fair,” I send back. “And you would have to actually EXHIBIT good behavior first, so… your appeal is rejected.”
“Hey, I have been on my best behavior. I gave you orgasms last night and this morning even though you won’t swear off
other men.”
“You also stalked me and broke up the relationship I was in because you felt like it.”
“I also didn’t take advantage of you while you were drunk in my bed the night of your dad’s wedding,” he boasts.
“You also KIDNAPPED me the night of my dad’s wedding.”
“But I made you breakfast,” he offers.
“And tried to impregnate me,” I volley back.
“So see, it’s basically even.”
I grin, shaking my head. “You’re a lunatic.”
“Yeah, but you like it.”
“Maybe a little.” I pause, then add, “I have to get back to work.”
“You should go to sleep,” he tells me.
I’m a solid four hours from sleep, maybe even five if I decide to work on my own book before turning in. We’ll see how it goes. Instead of telling him that, I attach a kissy emoji and say, “Good night, Derek.”
“Good night, Nikki.”
---
Once I get over the Saturday hump, my routine comes back to me. Derek texts me every now and then so I still get to hear from him, but instead of monopolizing all of my time, he’s only taking up tiny chunks, and I can still work while we’re talking.
Edits are back on my book, so I have a lot of my own work to do. I pencil it in for Wednesday night, but when Wednesday rolls around, I get a mid afternoon text from Derek—unusual, since he works during the day and can’t usually talk while he’s on site.
“So, about this weekend…”
All the gears in my brain and my heart freeze. He’s going to cancel. We were going to do a repeat of last week—I’d come in Friday night for dinner and leave Saturday after lunch.
“Something come up?” I ask, forcing myself to be more casual than I feel. It’s okay if he cancels. It has to be okay if he cancels. The whole point of this arrangement is that we only see each other when it’s mutually convenient. The fact that I feel traces of disappointment registers, but before I have time to work myself up into a full blown retreat, he texts back.
“There was an accident at work today. I had to come home early. As of right now, I’m kind of out of commission. If I’m feeling better by weekend I’d still love for you to come, but since I only get one day, maybe we could move it to Sunday so my back has a little more time to recover?”