“Thinking. Are you?”
“I will if it means I can see you.”
“Okay,” I reply.
***
I am too excited to sleep. I pace around my room. I try to read something on my Kindle. I move to the living room and turn on the TV, so loud I am sure Ryan will come out and sit with me, and keep me from betraying him again.
But he doesn't.
At 5 A.M., after hours of boring infomercials, I drive to Luke's house. I go straight to the backyard.
It is still dark outside and the only light is from the pool. It is even brighter and bluer at this time. Luke sits on the edge, in a t-shirt and boxers, his feet wiggling in the water.
“You want some coffee?” he asks. “I bought good stuff.”
“You own a coffee maker?”
“Samantha…Well, I remember last time we were here, you made up this rule but chose not to follow it.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And I was thinking, this time, maybe we could both follow my rule. No talking about anyone else we've been with. Or…are technically with currently, but will soon be dumping.”
“I like your optimism.”
“I was thinking we could keep this rule in effect for a while. I'd like you to visit whenever you don't mind sacrificing a little sleep,” he says.
“I like the rule.”
“Now, do you want coffee?”
I nod, and we move to the kitchen. It's a perfectly clean and white tiled thing, straight out of a Martha Stewart magazine. I barely noticed last time. I was so busy imagining all the places Luke and Samantha had sex. Like the counter. The counter seems perfect.
I watch Luke as he carefully measures coffee. He seems lost, like he's never done it before.
“I have no idea what this place was called, but the guy behind the counter was wearing a fedora, so…”
“So, it must be good.”
He turns to me, his arms sliding around my waist. “I like talking to you. About anything. Even when it's about certain people I despise. But we do a lot of talking about a lot of awful things. I want to do things with you.”
“With me or to me?”
“Both,” he smiles, and he leads me back to the backyard. “Have you ever been skinny dipping?” he asks.
“Yes,” I say, even though I know it's not what he wants to hear.
“Oh, you're no fun.”
“Like you don't get naked in here all the time,” I say. He smirks and pulls off his T-shirt. So he does roll out of bed looking like a freaking Adonis. Then he turns around, feigning a shy look, and slips his boxers to his feet.
He jumps in the pool before I can get a proper look at his ass.
“And now I'm supposed to strip on the concrete while you watch?” I ask with mock coyness. He nods, and I peel off my layers slowly. His eyes get bigger and brighter with every article of clothing I remove. I get to my bra and turn around, really exaggerating as I unhook it. I wiggle one strap off my shoulders. Then the other. I press the cups to my chest and turn around.
Luke smiles at me, practically licking his lips.