Frank: Good morning. I had a really nice time last night. I hope to see you again soon.
“He wants to see me again!” I shouted from my bed, hoping Britney would hear me.
“What are you yelling about?” she shouted back.
I laughed and tossed the covers off, then ran into her room, waving my phone. “He wants to see me again!”
“Who does?” she asked through a yawn.
“Frank, dummy.”
Her eyes lit up and she sat up, tucking pillows behind her back. “Ooh! Let me see the text.” She grabbed my phone and when she read the text, a smile appeared. “That’s sweet.”
“Right?”
“What are you going to say back? That you’re coming over right now? That you’d prefer him to be naked the next time you see him?”
I giggled. “Probably none of that.”
“Of course. You should play it cool,” she said, sounding completely serious.
I typed out a quick response and waited.
“Wait, what did you say? You didn’t even consult with me before you pressed Send.” Britney gave me a pout.
“I asked him if I could come by later.”
She swatted my arm. “You little vixen. I like your style. Now, get out of my room so I can get dressed.”
I practically skipped out of her room and down the hall to my bathroom. Whatever weirdness I’d thought was there last night had evap
orated in the morning with a single text message. If all it took was a few words from Frank to completely set me at ease and change my mood, I was in deeper than I thought.
On the drive to work, Britney asked no less than twenty times if he had responded yet. I kept telling her that he hadn’t even read it, but that tidbit of information seemed lost on her.
“He’s probably still sleeping, Brit. He gets home at like three in the morning, so I’m sure he sleeps half the day away.”
“You’re right. Has he responded yet?”
I rolled my eyes as I navigated my Jetta through the parking garage. “I promise I’ll tell you as soon as he does.”
It took Frank more than a few hours to finally respond, but when he did, it made me smile from ear to ear.
Frank: Hell yes. Come by anytime. Can’t wait to see you.
If I’d thought the text from this morning had made my day, then this one made my week. Everything inside me softened. Frank took all my sharp edges and rounded them without even trying.
I dialed Britney’s extension on my office phone to let her know that he’d finally texted and exactly what he said, which set her off about my outfit for round two, as she’d started calling it. It had either been that or date numero dos, and hearing her try to speak Spanish, even if it was only a couple of words, was more than a little painful. Round two, it was. I’d deal with her suggestion later about wearing a super-slutty outfit, an idea I wasn’t even remotely entertaining.
“So, are you excited for round two?” Britney asked with a smile as we drove home.
“I am.”
Nerves fluttered in my stomach. Seeing Frank was all I could think about. Not even telling Mrs. Schilling that I couldn’t approve her loan for the second time had soured my mood. The possibility of what could be and the hope I felt blooming about something special beginning between Frank and me made everything better. Everything.
“This one better end in a kiss this time. Or even better, start with one.” She waggled her eyebrows like some old creeper.
“Please never make that face again.” I gave her a teasing glance before focusing back on the road.