The sheer confidence as he pulled me in makes my stomach do flips, and I want more. God, everything. I’m going to see him tomorrow, but tomorrow seems like too far away.
But maybe it doesn’t have to be. I go into the kitchen, and find the paper that’s suddenly popped into my head. A year ago my mom went on a mission to make sure everyone in the neighborhood had everyone else’s phone number. Including cell phones. I’m not sure how she managed it, but a piece of paper with most people’s phone numbers now hangs on the bulletin board.
Supposedly it’s for emergencies. I would classify this as an emergency—because I’m horny enough that I’m about to call 911. Grabbing my phone, I enter his number and send the message.
Edward? It’s Julia.
There’s the little symbol for typing and his message comes back almost immediately.
Is everything okay? Did the leak start again?
No. I type. I just…didn’t want to wait until morning.
There’s more typing.
That is a pity. But I look forward to seeing you in your window in the morning.
I can’t believe you saw me watching. Not going to lie, it’s a little embarrassing.
Don’t be embarrassed, he replies. Why would I mind having a beautiful woman watch me? Unless there’s another reason?
Do I admit what happened?
Maybe there is another reason.
Edward sends a smirking emoji and I can just see the face he’s making at his phone.
Are you going to tell me what it is?
I pause long enough that he sends another message.
I’ll go first. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since you got back. I want to bury my hands in your hair and watch as you suck me off. I want to hear the way your voice sounds when you moan. I want to be the one to make you feel everything. And more than that, I want to get to know you now. See what makes you happy.
For the second time this evening my breath catches in my chest. I’m suddenly so wet and so wanting it’s everything I can do not to get up off the couch and walk out the front door to him.
Oh my God. The sweetness mixed with the blunt sensuality of what he wants bowls me over.
Wow.
Your turn, he writes. Tell me the other reason.
I take a deep breath and start typing. Fair is fair, and if he wants those things from me, then I want him to know about the things I want from him.
I imagined you turning around and coming back into your driveway. Climbing the ivy and coming through the window. After that…I’m sure you can fill in the picture.
There’s a long pause.
Christ. Yes, I can. I am.
I have to put the phone down for a moment. I’m overwhelmed by arousal and need and I can’t even breathe right now, waiting to hear what he has to say. When I pick up the phone again, he’s still typing. And I watch as that infernal little bubble appears and disappear. And finally, just a short message.
All the things I could say would just drive us both more crazy. I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.
God, I want to know all the things that he typed and erased. My mind is spinning with the possibilities.
I want to know.
And I want to tell you. But in person where I can see your breath catch and see you blush. Good night, Julia.
Fuck.
Good night.
One final text.
My dreams will be of you.
Oh my God. I flop back on the couch and put a pillow over my head and scream into it. Just yesterday this was a distant dream with nothing on the horizon. Now we’re hurtling towards each other and I know that we’re going to collide. It may not be tomorrow, but it will happen.
And I can’t fucking wait.
I hear the scrape of the key in the lock and sit up. Okay, now comes making sure that Mom doesn’t completely freak out. She steps through the door, and I watch her take in the towels and the ceiling and the bucket. “Shit.”
“It’s okay,” I say. “It’s better than it was.”
Mom glances at me. “What? How is it better? Julia, we can’t have a hole in the ceiling right now.”
I stand and join her in the foyer. “I know. It’s okay. It was pouring through, and there wasn’t enough time to call you or a service, so I asked Edward.”
Her head whips toward me and I can see the look on her face hardening, but I cut her off. “I know you don’t like him, and I don’t pretend to understand why, but he came right over and helped me stop the leak, and he even offered to fix the ceiling. I don’t even think he intends to make us pay for it. So the ceiling will be fine and no one will know.”