"Oh, my God, no," Gracie said, reaching across the counter, grabbing my hand. "We would never do that. We're just hopeless romantics is all."
"Speak for yourself," Hope shot back. "They're hopeless romantics. I just don't like seeing our big guy sad. And I figured it was all a stupid misunderstanding. Was I right?"
"Yeah."
"It always is!" she said, throwing up a hand. "I swear to God, if the clients at my work would just, I don't know, talk to each other once in a while instead of assuming shit, I would be out of a job. I mean, I like my job. But it's frustrating to see everyone act like idiots."
"Says the woman who refused to open up at our last group session," Billie said, shaking her head.
"Billie, we've talked about this. I am never going to draw a picture of my fucking vagina, okay? Or name it. Or write songs about it. Or paint it or whatever the hell else you guys do at those classes of yours."
"You named your vagina?" Gracie asked, looking over at Billie.
"We weren't naming our vaginas," Billie insisted, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Though, I like that idea. It was a sex-positive class designed to help the more, ah, repressed of us," she said, giving Hope a look, "become more comfortable with our anatomy and feminine power."
"Billie, next to you, that chick from Sex & the City looks repressed."
"You make it sound like she's slept with every guy she's met," Gracie scolded.
"Hey, it's okay," Billie said, nonplussed, patting Gracie's arm. "I'm perfectly comfortable with the number of partners I've had. Which is not every man I've come across," she said to me. "But even if it was, I would have no shame in that. And we all know Hope is just projecting because she hasn't had a cock in her hen house in almost a year," she added with a teasing smile.
To that, Hope let out a laugh as she raked a hand through her hair. "I can't even be mad at you. That's not far off."
"If it makes you feel any better, it had been almost that long for me too," I told her, shrugging. "Life," I added.
"Yes, but your life involved taking care of another human being," Gracie said.
"And Hope's involves her very intimate relationship she has with her cell phone," Billie said pointedly because Hope had just reached for it.
"Are you guys going to stay to eat, or were you just dropping in?"
"I'm hungry," Gracie said, shrugging.
"Yeah, I should eat before I get back to work," Hope agreed.
"Take the one in the back corner. That's Malcolm's usual spot. He will be in later."
"Oh, I bet he will," Billie said with a little eyebrow wiggle at her innuendo.
I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to fit a relationship with Malcolm into my life yet. My free time was so limited. But I had one day off a week. And when he was free, he could come to my place—though I had to talk to Shep about that first—and hang out with me. Then he would likely continue to come see me at the diner at night.
It wasn't perfect.
It wasn't what I really wanted to give him, which was as much time as possible.
But it was something.
And it wasn't for forever.
It was just for now.
At least, though, my "for now" was starting to look a hell of a lot better than it had been for the past several months.
Any time at all with Malcolm beat not having him around.
The man had gotten me business cards made up.
He was going to help me start my business on the side.
He gave great orgasms.
And he had the kindest soul I'd ever come across.
I couldn't wait to see where things went with us.
Barring, you know, no further complications.
Chapter Fifteen
Malcolm
"Oh, thank fuck. The black cloud has lifted," Fallon said when I walked into the clubhouse with the dogs, who promptly made their way down the hallway, likely looking for an open door with an unattended bed to climb onto.
I had no guard shift for a change, but I knew I would be heading to the diner eventually, so I figured I would drop the dogs at the club and check in before I headed over to see her.
I understood that shit was going to be complicated for a while. She had a busy schedule. Working overnights, then needing to take care of her brother during the day. Hell, I didn't even know when she managed to get some sleep. But I would be happy to snatch a couple minutes of her time here and there. And I was more than willing to spend time at her place so she could keep an eye on her brother.
Ideally, eventually, Shep would be able to take care of himself again, freeing up some of her time. And, eventually, she would be back to a schedule she liked more. One where she was up early and in bed early. A similar one to mine.