21 Days (Time for Love 2)

“Thanks again, man,” I said to Brock, holding out my hand to shake his. “I appreciate you letting me pick up that second job today and for giving me the time to drop off some applications.”

“Anytime,” Brock replied. “You know I’ve got you. Actually, I just had a rush job come in for tomorrow night. The client wants to surprise his wife by having their bedroom repainted. Should be a quick job. You in?”

“Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks.” I felt relieved at the prospect of more work. I’d been saving everything I’d made from the painting jobs I’d picked up, but I still didn’t have enough for a deposit and first and last month’s rent on a new apartment. If I kept picking up jobs though, it wouldn’t take long until I did. It didn’t change the fact that I needed to find steady work though. Without that, I wouldn’t be able to pay bills for more than a couple of months.

“You want to grab a beer?” Brock asked, rubbing a hand over his scruff. “A couple of

the guys and I are gonna hit the bar after we clean up.”

“Actually, I have plans tonight,” I said, smiling when I thought about my night ahead with Sasha.

“Yeah? A hot date?”

“Nah,” I replied. “Just dinner and a movie with Sasha.”

“Shit … I’d classify Sasha as a hot date!” Brock responded with a grin. “That’s one fine woman.”

I don’t know why his comment pissed me off, but I shook it off and replied, “There’s no denying that … But, we’re just friends.”

“That’s a shame,” Brock said with a shake of his head. “Actually, while we’re on the subject of your female friends, I wanted to get some intel on Gaby. She’s finally agreed to go out with me, and I wondered if you had any insight into things she does or doesn’t like.”

“Shit, that’s great, man … Just make sure you don’t fuck with her, or I’ll have to kill you,” I replied, only half joking. I knew Brock had been trying to take Gaby out for years, but she’d always said no. I wondered what changed her mind. “With Gaby, what you see is what you get. She’s as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She bakes like nobody’s business, and she loves babies and animals. She doesn’t like arrogance, ignorance, or seafood …”

Brock chuckled at that. “Thanks, man. I appreciate the insight. And I’m not planning to fuck with her. When I first started asking her out, I just wanted in her pants, I’m not gonna lie. But I’ve gotten to know her a bit over the years, and the more I know, the more I like … So, I’m interested to see where things’ll go.”

Satisfied with his response, I clapped him on the shoulder and told him I’d see him tomorrow.

I thought about what he said on my way to Sasha’s, and the more I thought of Brock and Gaby as a couple, the more I liked the idea. They were two of my favorite people, and I hoped things worked out.

As I let myself into Sasha’s place, I wondered what my next apartment would look like. I hoped I could at least find a place that was neat and clean, and in good area, without breaking the bank.

I put my stuff away and decided to take a quick shower to take care of some of the lingering remnants from painting before getting dinner ready. Once I was under the hot spray, my thoughts wandered back to Sasha’s head in my lap and how soft and supple she’d looked while she slept last night. My body responded and I let my imagination run wild as I relieved the throbbing ache.

It had been a couple weeks since I’d been with a woman and it looked like I needed to rectify that. I was getting way too dependent on personal gratification.

Once I was relieved and clean, I threw on some basketball shorts and a tank top, and went to the kitchen to start dinner. I was just about to put the burgers on the grill when I heard the key in the lock and Sasha came bursting in like a ray of light.

She was gorgeous in her long slim pantsuit, with heels, and a briefcase. She looked like a fantasy with her red hair framing her face and her blouse showing just the right amount of cleavage. I was sure guys were falling over themselves to have her show them houses.

“Hey,” Sasha said with a smile when she saw me in the kitchen. She walked over and put a pink box on the counter. “I got you a present.”

I grinned back at her and opened the box, my mouth watering when I saw the cupcakes inside. I picked up one with a little iced carrot on top and peeled off the wrapper. “Thanks, Red.”

Before I took a bite, I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

Sasha smiled prettily and said, “Let me go and get comfortable, then I’ll come out and put the salad together.”

I nodded as I took a bite and groaned when the spicy cake hit my taste buds, then winked at Sasha when her eyes widened. I wondered if she was as affected by our living arrangement as I was. I watched in appreciation as she walked off to get changed, then finished my cupcake and turned back to put the burgers on.

When she came back out, once again in pajama pants and a tank top, with her hair pulled back and her face free of makeup, I was struck by how pretty she was. I watched her get the makings of a salad out of the fridge and set out a cutting board, and wondered at the feelings that had been going through me over the last couple of days.

When had I gotten so fuckin’ homey? It was Friday night … I’d usually be meeting someone for dinner before hitting the bar or picking up some chick for the night, not cozied up to watch movies for the second night in a row. And where were these thoughts and feelings about Sasha coming from? Sure, we’d always flirted with each other, and I’d thought about banging her on more than one occasion, but I’d never pursued those thoughts. She was one of my best friends, after all, my family, and I wasn’t willing to do anything to jeopardize that.

“You okay?” Sasha asked, pulling me from my thoughts, and I realized I’d been standing there staring at her.

“Yeah, sorry … Just thinking,” I replied.

“How’d the job hunt go?” She asked.