“Are you asking me on a date or telling me we’re going on one?” I quip, and he grins.
“Take it how you want, baby, but we’re going out tonight.” He lets my hand go and takes another bite off his plate.
“So you’re telling, then.” I smile like an idiot.
He finishes his food, takes a sip of coffee, and then leans across the counter. He kisses me, tangling his fingers in my hair to hold me to him as he devours my mouth. When he lets me go, I let out a small sad whimper. “Wear a dress. I should be here at five thirty.”
“Got it,” I breathe out, and he smiles, then lets me go completely. He rinses his plate and puts it in the dishwasher, along with his coffee mug. When he comes back, he walks around the counter, drags me up out of my seat, and kisses me again before he releases me, says goodbye to Bruce, and takes off. I sit in my kitchen for a long time sipping coffee before I decide I’m going back to bed. I don’t have to work until ten, so I can still get a few more hours of sleep.
“Since you’re here and you’re due for your yearly checkup, I thought, if you’re okay with it, we could take care of your yearly physical and Pap smear today,” my doctor says with a smile. I have no idea what she’s smiling about. I hate this part of being a woman, hate lying on a cold piece of plastic covered with paper to be examined by someone I hardly know.
“Sure,” I agree, even though I don’t want to. I feel like I need more time to prepare for this, like it’s a pop quiz I didn’t have a chance to study for.
“All right, just pee in this cup and leave it in the little slot in the restroom.” She hands me a small cup and two wipes. “Change into this when you come back.” She hands me a folded gown. “After I get the results from your urine test and confirm you’re not pregnant, I’ll come back in and examine you, then write the prescription for your birth control.”
After I go to the bathroom and take care of business, I take a seat on the examination table and cringe as the paper that covers it crackles loudly in the quiet room. It seems to take forever for my doctor to come back, and when she does, she comes in with a nurse. She tells me that I’m not pregnant, then has me lie back on the table.
After she’s done with my exam, I sit up, and she gives me a rundown about the pill. She tells me the warning signs I need to look out for, then explains that Tyler and I need to be careful for the next month until my hormones adjust and to be sure to use condoms. But if either of us is having sex with anyone else, we should keep using condoms, she says, because birth control doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
After she leaves the room, I get dressed. I have a client scheduled for two—a quick cut and blowout—and another client at three, who’s getting partial highlights. I should have plenty of time after my last client to go home and get ready for my date with Tyler. When I get in my car, I check my phone when it beeps and smile when I see a message from him on the screen.
Tyler: How was your appointment?
I message back quickly after starting my car to warm it up. The temperature has dropped in the last few days, and it’s close to freezing outside. I even had to pull out my big down jacket this morning.
Me: It went good. Let the countdown to no more condoms begin. ;)
Tyler: Looking forward to that baby. I’ll see you in a few hours have a good day.
Me: You too.
I drop my phone into the cup holder and head for work. When I arrive, I greet both Mom and Grams with kisses to their cheeks, then get things ready for my afternoon appointments. Work flies by in a flash, and when it’s done, I head home. I park in my garage and go into the house, where I set down food for Mouse before leaving through the front door and rushing to get Bruce. He and Mouse seem to get along, but I’m not brave enough to leave the two of them alone in my place while I’m at work.
I let myself into Tyler’s house and call out to Bruce as soon as I step inside. He rushes toward me with his tail wagging and body shaking in excitement. “Hey, big guy.” I rub the top of his head while I squat to attach the leash to his collar. The fencing company won’t be able to start work for another week, which means until then, Bruce isn’t allowed to go out without someone with him.