Fast & Hard (The Fast 1)

“I didn’t feed him any info about you,” Aria tells me. “I’m trying to remain impartial here but do you see this shit?” She waves to her phone and fans her chest.

“Wait, how did he get your number?” I ask her and ignore the fact that Aria, of all people, saw what condition I was in after Lennox broke my heart. Being charming and swoon-worthy was never Lennox’s problem.

“Oh, umm, the boys and I exchanged numbers after you ditched me at Silverstone. He must have gotten it from them,” she takes her phone back and puts it in her pocket suspiciously.

“Are you talking to them, too?” I gasp.

“No! No, we have not forgiven them yet, those naughty, naughty boys. I am definitely not talking to the hot Nordic Viking guy.”

“Oh my god,” I throw a couch pillow at her and we both laugh.

I missed her while I was gone.

???

The next day, I get two packages. It must be the mail catching up from weekend delivery. I may, or may not, have been waiting for the mailman to appear after we used a gift certificate to a spa that Lennox sent. He can afford it and since he’s the cause of my shoulder tension, I didn’t argue when Aria insisted we go.

I take both packages to my bedroom and climb into bed to see what he’s done today.

There’s a small stuffed koala bear and, oh my god, one of the calendars from the charity photoshoot I made him do at the cat rescue. He’s on the cover shirtless with a cowboy hat and a kitten in each arm. I never got to see the finished calendar and I don’t know if I want to read his note first or look at more shirtless pictures of him. Why does he have to be so freaking hot? It does not help my resolve.

Love,

Do you know how hard it is to find a koala bear in Scotland?

In Australia, I knew you were different. For a moment in time, you made me forget everything that was wrong. It was the first time you rode in the car with me and you were checking me out the whole time. (You think I didn’t notice, I did.) I always noticed you. You’re impossible to miss. You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.

I love you.

L xoxoxoxo

Inside the next cardboard shipping box, a bigger one, is one of his grey tank top shirts, a black Carhartt jacket he wore when we were in Scotland, and a beautiful handmade fabric scroll with Arabic writing on it.

Hot Nanny, Love of My Life,

I know how you like to steal my clothes, so here is the shirt I was wearing when you creeped on me in the gym and sent me home with the worst blue balls I’ve ever had. The jacket is for the one I put on you in the garage in Bahrain (which you also stole) and is where you taught me about your family and I taught you about cars. In Bahrain, I also kissed you for the first time but you stole something from me. Please come home and reclaim it. It’s yours forever.

PS - I mean my heart. Also applies to other things, see aforementioned blue balls.

PSS - You’ll have to google the scroll.

PSSS - I now have fans waiting for autographs at the post office daily, but I persist.

I love you.

L xoxoxoxo

I text him again and realize I was looking forward to more mail deliveries because it gives me an excuse to text him. Sneaky…

Mallory: The clothes will come in handy since I burned your others.

Lennox: You burned my clothes?!

Mallory: The Talisker Distillery hoodie went up like kindling. There may have been wine involved.

Lennox: note to self: send only non-flammable gifts in the future

Lennox: [photo] which color do you like better?