Unfortunately, Lila knows what I’m doing. “Don’t change the subject, but really well thank you for asking. He’s a nice guy. I think you and Charlie could really be huge singing together and help Thomas too. Your voice is amazing and you wouldn’t be on the stage alone. You would have Charlie to rely on. You deserve the world.”
“I’m considering it, I just have to get past tonight. Also, I wasn’t hung up on him. Just seeing him again has brought it all back.”
“Okay,” Lila looks me up and down thoughtfully. “Do you need some sex tips?”
“No! I’m mean, it’s not going to happen. And I’ve seen things. I mean I know what to do, and if I don’t I’m sure he does.” I actually feel my face turning red as my cheeks burn.
“You’re right, that fine man probably has some amazing moves. And you’re grown and you know what you’re doing,” she says as she gets up and moves to the door. “Call me after and tell me everything.”
“I will, and thank you.” I give her a big hug and send her on her way.
She stops before she gets completely out of the apartment and turns around. Her face shows she’s about to get serious. “Has Jimmy been calling?”
I swallow past the lump that has formed in my throat at the mention of him. “He did last week, but I just ignored it.”
Lila walks back towards me. Jimmy is my ex-boyfriend. He’s one of those men who doesn’t like to admit things are over. He went through spells of calling my phone repeatedly and
it scared Lila who spent a lot of time watching true crime shows from her DVR. She thinks because I wouldn’t sleep with him, he’s obsessed with getting it from me now that we’re not together. I think her thought process is a little extreme.
“Addy, I think you should tell your father he’s harassing you.”
“He’s not harassing me, Lila, I promise. If I ever feel threatened I will get help. Okay?”
“Okay. Just remember not all men are like him.” She hugs me again and leaves. I can tell she’s not convinced I’m telling her the truth. I can’t think of Jimmy right now.
Taking one last look in the mirror I make my way into the living room to sit on the couch and wait the remaining five minutes for him to arrive.
The doorbell rings and I freeze in place. Great, he’s going to leave if I can’t get my nerves under control. I need to show confidence. I have some strange desire to prove myself to him. What I have to prove, I don’t know. Seeing him again has turned me back to the lovesick little high school girl I was when he asked me out. I hope that girl doesn’t come out tonight, I really don’t care for her that much.
I get up and go to the door, opening it and putting on a huge smile.
“Hi,” Charlie smiles and extends flowers towards me. They’re beautiful, pink roses are my absolute favorite. There’s no way Lila didn’t tell him that.
“Beautiful, thank you.” I take them from him and happily go into the kitchen for a vase. It will give me something to do while he takes a look around my humble abode.
“You look great Addy. I’m really sorry I didn’t recognize you yesterday. You just look different than you did in high school," he says.
I can see him looking at the pictures on the mantle as I fill a glass with water. Just pictures of my dad and I fishing and my mother and I painting before she left.
“It’s okay it’s been so many years I probably look completely different,” I say and walk over to the couch to sit while he continues to study my photos. I know I don't look different. The only thing different is my hair color and I got contacts.
“Did something happen to your face?” I ask alarmed. His eye looks black and there’s a cut on his eyebrow.
“Nothing you should worry about,” he says with a casual shrug. He tries to play it off, but I can tell he’s leaving details out and now I’m curious.
I immediately picture him picking fights in the parking lot of some skeevy bar but that’s silly, he isn’t an oversexed sixteen-year-old boy anymore. Maybe he fell down like I did earlier. I self-consciously put a hand up to my cheek hoping the redness has gone down.
He sits down closer than I thought he would. My body slides down his arm and the contact between us is almost electric. His walk across my carpet probably created static and the electric current was nothing but science.
“Are you ready to go eat, I’m pretty hungry,” he stands up from the couch. If I don’t do something now I’m going to lose my nerve. I pull him back down onto the couch and attack him. I quickly smash my face into his and by some miracle find his lips with my clumsy attempt.
He tenses, I’m hoping because I just caught him by surprise. So, I keep attacking him. My mind is having a meltdown screaming what are you doing you crazy bitch. Step away from the man, step away from the man.
This is no time for me to lose my nerve. I bring my hands to his neck and turn my head so I can open my mouth against his. He doesn’t resist so I push my tongue into his mouth. Now my body is starting to heat up and I’m finding my groove or at least I’m hoping I am. I’m good at kissing, several former boyfriends have told me that. I just never allowed anyone to take it any further. I ignore the pain from where I bit my tongue. It’s worth it.
He pulls back and I find satisfaction in the fact he’s breathing heavily.
“You know when we were in high school you called me an oversexed teenager who wasn’t going to get anywhere with you.” He runs a hand through his hair and it goes back to exactly where it was before.