“That’s awesome! Thanks so much, buddy.”
“Not a problem. I wouldn’t want to lose my place as your favorite cousin.”
Ryan laughed, voice booming and deep. “Are you still coming to Thanksgiving this year? I know Aunt May was really looking forward to introducing you to a co-worker of hers.”
I let out the faintest sigh, exhaustion suddenly sinking into every muscle of my body. “I thought she was joking about that.”
“You know Aunt May. She loves to play matchmaker. I’m pretty sure you’re the last of us to get hitched, so she’s got a keen eye out for you.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. “Great,” I mumbled.
“Don’t worry too much, Ed,” chuckled Ryan. “I’m sure you’ll find Mrs. Right, soon. In the meantime, just loosen up a little.”
“Do I come across as repressed?” I questioned.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not the first person this week to tell me to chill out.”
“I think it’s your face.”
“What’s wrong with my face? You can’t even see me right now.”
“Okay, maybe it’s your voice. I don’t know man. People carry stress in the weirdest ways. Do you have the day off?”
“I do.”
“Then why not go home and treat yourself?”
The tips of my ears suddenly grew unbearably hot. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“Come on, Ed,” Ryan teased. “We’re all adults here. It’s completely normal to want to jack–”
“I’ll send you those numbers later,” I interrupted quickly, much too bashful to be having this kind of a discussion out in the open.
Ryan simply chuckled at my response. “Okay, buddy. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Give Emma my love.”
“Will do, will do. Just remember to save some for yourself.”
I hung up the phone immediately and stuffed the device back into my pocket. In another life, Ryan really could have been a comedian. In all honesty, I found it hilarious that he wound up married before I did. Emma must be one tough cookie to put up with all of his shenanigans. After briefly visiting the café and picking up a plain bagel with cream cheese, I returned home. The bagel didn’t last more than block as I devoured it hungrily as I made my way through the streets, now busy with traffic.
My morning run had left me sweaty and sticky all over, so I slipped out of my clothes as soon as my apartment door closed behind me and hopped into the shower. As the hot stream of water poured over my head and trickled down my neck, shoulders, and the rest of my body, I took in a deep breath of the steam. The quietest chuckle bubbled up from the center of my chest, the corners of my lips tugging into a small smile as I thought about what my cousin said. Maybe Joe and Ryan were right. With all the pressure I’d been putting on myself to gain favor with the Board of Directors, I’d forgotten what it was like to let loose. Rolling my eyes, I sighed and took myself in hand, the tiniest bit embarrassed that I was about to take up Ryan on his advice.
This was a quick fix. Something to waste time, to drown out all other worries. I just needed to think about someone, my Mrs. Right. She never used to have a memorable face or any discernable features that could give her personality. She was just a figment of my fantasies, without a name or backstory. But images of long, flowing red hair cascading over slim shoulders popped into my head. The woman in my imagination was shorter than me, with plump breasts and a sweet, round ass. Her green eyes were piercing, standing out like emeralds against her pale white skin. I imagined her with a sweet, light voice like raspberries and fizzling champagne.
I wondered how soft she would feel against me. I’d gotten a taste when I held her hand to deal with the cut. Her palms had been insanely smooth, like running a hand over cool silk bedding. I wondered if she tasted as good as she smelled, like a fresh spring day after a heavy storm. I wanted to know what kind of noises I could draw out of those pretty lips of hers, see if I could get her to scream my name and whimper beneath my weight. It wasn’t until a rush of ecstasy rushed over me that I realized the woman of my dreams sounded distressingly like one noisy, extremely clumsy neighbor.
Maybe the right girl is waiting for you right around the corner.
“That’s impossible,” I mumbled quietly to myself, though I wasn’t sure if I believed my own words.
6
Daliah
I was never much of a baker. I knew this much when I destroyed the Easy Bake Oven my mother had gifted to me when I was five. The poor thing didn’t stand a chance, discarded the day after Christmas after it became nothing more than a burnt lump of plastic. Leave it to me to take something simple and turn it into a disaster. But today, I was determined. I was crouched in front of the oven, peering in through the clear glass to watch the little muffins rise. Or at least, as they attempted to. My little chocolate chip creations were turning out to look more like inedible, charred pucks than anything else. But I told myself it wasn’t the gift that mattered, but the thought that counts.